Hez Trahan: Pitt’s 2014 sleeper
The term ‘sleeper’ is thrown around frequently when it comes to college football recruiting. Passionate fans are always looking for the one under recruited player that will explode onto the scene in a short amount of time. When it comes to Pitt’s 2014 football recruiting class, one name stands out from the rest: hulking defensive end Hezekiah ‘Hez’ Trahan.
Trahan was a three-year starter at defensive end for Philadelphia Roman Catholic High School. He was named two-time All-Catholic League and named to the Philadelphia Daily News All-City team. Hez compiled 18 total tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries his senior year.
“It felt great to sign the letter of intent with Pitt and finish the recruiting process. The process is long and it has a lot of ups and downs,” said Trahan. “I’m truly happy to have ended up at Pitt. I feel blessed.”
Trahan is part of a stream of players coming to Pittsburgh from the Philadelphia area. Within the last two years, Patrick Amara, Justin Moody, Matt Galambos, Jaryd Jones-Smith, Ryan Winslow and Shakir Soto have opted to venture across the state to play for Pitt. “I remember when Justin Moody committed to Pitt. He actually got me thinking about going there. I credit him for opening the door to Pitt,” he said. “I would like to help bring more players from this area to Pitt. I feel like it’s my turn to open up those doors. I want them to know that hard work can pay off. Patrick (Amara) and I will strong representatives from the Philadelphia area.”
It’s hard not to see Trahan in a crowd. At 6-foot-4 inches tall, he’s a solid 250 pounds. Pitt fans often wondered why he didn’t accrue a myriad of offers based on his size and production. Hez offered a heartfelt response. “Honestly, I was a late bloomer. The game didn’t click for me until late in my sophomore year,” he said. “Prior to my mother getting sick, I started to have schools like Notre Dame and Miami (FL) asking me to visit. They were recruiting me pretty hard. I got to visit Notre Dame then my mother got sick. I never made it down to Miami (FL).”
“I decided to put family over the recruiting process. My mother was sick and I didn’t have time to run around on visits for attend camps. Honestly, I have no complaints. The path I took led me to be a Pitt Panther. I can’t complain with the outcome.”
Trahan and fellow class of 2014 signee Patrick Amara have diligently been hitting the weight room. Pitt has already provided them with a workout schedule and manual. “I would like to be around 265 to 270 pounds by the time I get to Pitt,” he said. “I still have room to grow on my frame. There’s a chance I’ll eventually be close to 6-5 or 6-6 inches tall as well. Right now, I’m running a 4.6 forty-yard dash.”
“I feel like I’m versatile. I can start from a five technique and work my way to a three technique,” he said. “If I continue to grow, I could play on the outside and move inside if they need me to.”
When asked about specific goals heading into his first season as a Pitt Panther, he stated, “I just want to help the team. I’ll do whatever is asked of me. Whether it’s coverage on kickoffs or reps at defensive end, I’m going to help in every way possible.”
“I’m excited about the future. My recruiting class is awesome and I had a great time with the older guys as well,” he said. “When I visited, they made us feel like we were already part of the team. I’m looking forward to my first season.”
