Punter Jared Campbell joins Pitt as preferred walk-on

Saturday proved to be a big recruiting day for Pitt, as Pat Narduzzi and his staff not only added linebacker SirVocea Dennis but also got a commitment from punter Jared Campbell. The specialist will join the team as a preferred walk-on, and he announced his decision in a message posted on Twitter.

”First, I would like to thank my parents, family and friends for supporting me to get to this point,” Campbell wrote. “I also want to thank all the coaches that have helped me along in the recruiting process. I am very blessed to receive a [preferred walk-on] offer to play football at the University of Pittsburgh. I would like to announce that I am committing to play football at the University of Pittsburgh.”

Despite his walk-on status, the 6’2”, 200-pound punter out of McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, New York, is one of the top players at his position in the 2019 class, according to Kohl’s Professional Camps. The recruiting website has him rated as a 4.5-star recruit and considers him a top punter in the Northeast.

Kohl’s ranks Campbell as the No. 75 punter in the country and the No. 5 punter in the Northeast. The website also features a breakdown of what he brings to the table.

”[Campbell] has a powerful leg, and when he is hitting in rhythm, [he] is one of the better punters in his class,” his Kohl’s profile reads. “Campbell attended the Spring Showcase Camp in May of 2018. He averaged close to 44 yards per punt during the charting portion of camp. He is one of the more talented punters in the Northeast region.”

The native of Upstate New York joins a position group currently consisting of Ethan Van Buskirk and Kirk Christodoulou. So far, he is Pitt’s only special teams addition of the 2019 recruiting class. With national signing day coming up on Wednesday, Narduzzi and his staff are still awaiting decisions from defensive back M.J. Devonshire of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and wide receiver Alante Brown of Chicago.