Pitt Receives 2027 QB Commitment from Kevin Verpaele
Pitt football is utilizing the momentum from its recent freshman quarterback play and translating it to the recruiting trail by landing a signal caller in the 2027 class.
Kevin Verpaele — a 6-foot-2, 190-pound prospect out of Merritt Island High School in Florida — committed to Pat Narduzzi and Pitt, he announced Tuesday.
Verpaele, a three-star recruit and the 44th-ranked quarterback in 2027, per rivals, becomes the fourth commitment of the cycle for Pitt, all of which have come on the offensive side of the ball and hail from Florida.
Pitt jumped into Verpaele’s recruitment back in the spring when he camped at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side. After his performance, he picked up an offer from offensive coordinator Kade Bell.
“I came up to Pitt because I saw it as a great chance to compete and show what I can do,” Verpaele told PSN back in June. “I’ve followed the program, and I love how they develop quarterbacks. I was definitely hoping for an offer, but my main goal was to perform and prove I belong. After camp, I had a great talk with Coach Bell, and he said he liked how I threw and carried myself and later he offered me. That moment meant a lot because Pitt is a big-time program, and this offer motivates me to keep working and pushing forward. This is just the beginning, and I will continue to work as hard as I can.”
Verpaele made a return visit to take in the Boston College matchup in early October.
Pitt stands as Verpaele’s only Power Four offer. His other offers include UMass, FIU, Georgia Southern, Mercer, Jacksonville State, Miami (OH), Western Carolina, Kennesaw State, Southeast Missouri State and Samford.
While Verpaele holds many of his offers from FCS schools, it’s become a common trend for Bell’s recruitment of quarterbacks.
When current starting quarterback Mason Heintschel committed to Pitt in the 2025 class, he did not own a power offer. 2026 quarterback commits Angelo Renda and Corey Dailey having one other power offer between the two as the former holds one from SMU.
Bell has found the hidden gems, and is currently seeing one thrive with Heintschel as a freshman.
According to MaxPreps, Verpaele has completed 177-of-188 passes (62.2%) for 1,695 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has added 213 yards on the ground and two scores. Verpaele shows the versatility that Bell is looking for. He can sit in the pocket and dial up passes down the sideline, but he can also scramble and make plays with his feet when needed.
Along with Verpaele, Pitt holds 2027 commitments from three-star running back Tyler Reid, three-star wide receiver Jacob Thomas and three-star interior offensive lineman Colin Urrea.
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