On Friday, upon the opening of Pitt's football training camp, Pat Narduzzi expressed excitement over none of his players opting out of the 2020 season.
On Saturday, star defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman announced on his Twitter account that he would opt out to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft:
Forever, Thankful. 🙏🏽#TGSM pic.twitter.com/PBovYxjLfc
— JT (@JaylenTwyman) August 8, 2020
Narduzzi expressed admiration of Twyman on his Twitter account shortly after, as well as his support of Twyman's decision:
We will miss you, Jaylen. Always a Pitt Man. Forever a Panther. pic.twitter.com/gVAOpN7Cxf
— Pat Narduzzi (@CoachDuzzPittFB) August 8, 2020
Twyman finished his Pitt career with 57 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, and 11 sacks over two seasons. In 2019, he earned second-team All-American honors, as well as first-team All-ACC. This year, he was listed on three preseason watch lists for national NCAA awards, including the Outland Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award, as well as an All-American candidacy:
National Award Watch Lists 🏆🌟
Watch out for these Pitt Panthers in 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣0️⃣ and beyond...#H2P pic.twitter.com/AbacO0UQ92
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) August 1, 2020
He projects as potential first-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, ranking as the second-best defensive tackle and the 16th-best prospect according to TheDraftNetwork.com.
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