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The vast majority of Pitt’s current 2019 recruiting class hails from the Southeast and more particularly Florida, but Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi and his coaching staff were also able to secure the commitment of a coveted recruit closer to home this weekend, as defensive end Deandre Jules of Germantown, Maryland, announced his commitment to the program on Sunday.
Jules announced his commitment to Pitt in a message posted on Twitter.
C O M I T T E D @Pitt_FB @CoachDuzzPittFB @CoachAPowell @CoachPartridge #H2P pic.twitter.com/M2EfjR7rsg
— Deandre (@thereal_6) June 17, 2018
“I would like to announce that I have decided to further my academic and football career at the University of Pittsburgh,” Jules said in the message. “I would like to thank Coach Narduzzi, Coach Powell, Coach Partridge and Coach Graham for the opportunity to compete at the next level.”
The 6’3”, 250-pound defensive lineman has been assigned a three-star rating by both 247Sports and Rivals, and he chose Pitt over offers from 11 other schools, including Boston College, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Purdue, Rutgers, Temple and Wake Forest.
Last season, Jules was considered the top player on a Northwest High School team that went 9-3. He’s also served as a two-way player, as he is listed as a tight end in addition to a defensive end.
Northwest head coach Mike Neubeiser spoke with Jennifer Beekman of the Town Courier about the impact Jules has made through his defensive contributions.
“He’s a phenomenal defensive end,” Neubeiser said. “[Jules] makes it more difficult for the [other team’s] offense because they can’t run their normal plays. He changes what their offense can do.”