Newest Transfers Saw Different Pitt after Last Two Seasons

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers introduced three new players earlier this week - transfers Phil Jurkovec, Derrick Davis Jr. and Donovan McMillon. All three were former Western Pennsylvania high school stars and four-star recruits and all chose to play their first years of college ball away from home. 

Davis chose LSU, McMillon opted for Florida and Jurkovec spent one year at Notre Dame before moving even further from home to play three seasons at Boston College. But all are back at Pitt now despite spurning the school during their first (and second, in Jurkovec's case) time picking a school. 

Davis said he was able to see something different in this Pitt program while he watched from afar. After Pitt won 20 games over the past two seasons and ended both years ranked in the top 25, Davis sees the program in a much better light now than he did when he was recruited coming out of Gateway High School in the class of 2021. 

“I was able to see the build-up going on here and honestly, [head coach Pat] Narduzzi was able to turn this program around a lot in tremendous ways," Davis said. "So for me to be able to see that first-hand, I was like ‘Okay, Pitt has something’. Now they’re going to have something for real.”

McMillon said he took notice after Pitt won the 2021 ACC Championship. He said that season was an exciting time to follow the Panthers and it made him hungry to deliver a similar moment to his home city. 

“I think Duzz and the whole staff is really making something happen right now," McMillon said. "The 2021 ACC Championship, for example, that was an exciting thing to see and watch, not seeing an ACC Championship in a while. I’m excited to be a part of that and go get another one.”

McMillon comes from Florida, a once proud program that has fallen on tough times as of late. During his two years in Gainsville, the Gators went 12-14 - a far cry from their days as a regular contender in the national title race during the 2000s and even the 2010s when they were a fixture in the SEC East race and top 25. McMillon cited wanting to win as a reason to transfer and believes Pitt is the place to do that. 

“Having the experience of losing the past two years didn’t really sit well with me and I feel like Pitt is on the rise and they just keep going," McMillon said. "I think we have an opportunity to go win and go do those big things and win an ACC Championship.”

Jurkovec said the winning culture is reflected in the people who make up the team. He claims to have been wildly impressed that even after winning nine games and finishing the year in the top 25, the Panthers are not satisfied. 

"There’s a lot of hardworking people and winners on this team," Jurkovec said. "They won a couple of years ago and this past year they had some success. Nine wins - that’s not where they want to be, but I really like that attitude. They’re not happy with nine wins even though they still had a lot of success a year ago.”

Davis is excited that it could be players like himself, McMillon and Jurkovec - as well as the many other Western Pennsylvania products on Pitt's roster to revive the program as a player on the national stage of college football like it was in the 1970s and 1980s. Davis said it speaks to what kind of talent still exists in this region and he's eager to show that off. 

“It goes to show we have talent in the city and a lot of people look past it but now you can see it on live television," Davis said. "Can’t wait to see it on the field. Stay tuned.”

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