Starting Pitt DL Entering Transfer Portal
Pitt football starting defensive tackle Francis Brewu is heading for the transfer portal.
According to Hayes Fawcett of On3, Brewu is entering the portal as of Tuesday morning.
This comes as a significant loss as Brewu started all 12 regular-season games for the Panthers this season on his way to being named as a Honorable Mention All-ACC selection.
Brewu becomes the second scholarship defensive linemen to enter the portal, joining defensive end Maverick Gracio. Brewu is set to have two years of eligibility remaining, and will certainly draw plenty of interest in the portal.
The 6-2, 280-pound Brewu led all of Pitt’s defensive linemen with 36 total tackles in 2025 as a sophomore to go along with seven tackles, a sack, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Brewu immediately became an impact player last season, playing in 12 games as a true freshman with one start against Toledo in the GameAbove Bowl. He recorded 15 tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on the year as he was named to the Pro Football Focus All-Freshman Team.
Brewu was recruited by the Panthers out of Thomas Worthington High School as a Rivals four-star prospect. He was ranked the No. 22 defensive lineman in the class and held additional offers from Miami, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Iowa State, Duke, Northwestern and others.
With Brewu heading for the portal, Pitt’s defensive tackle room currently consists of Sean FitzSimmons, Nick James, Isaiah Neal (who played a majority of his time at edge in 2025), Jahsear Whittington, Ty Yuhas, Trevor Sommers and incoming freshman Lincoln Hoke. James is a name to monitor when it comes to entering the portal. On the Pitt side of things, the Panthers may look to bolster its defensive tackle depth with a portal addition.
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