On Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced their 45-man rookie minicamp roster. The most notable names are the team’s drafted rookie class, beginning with first-rounder Derrick Harmon. But the bulk of the group participating throughout the weekend is made up of the 25 tryout players. Mostly rookies but a handful of veterans attending without a contract and no guaranteed of being signed.
As we do every year, here’s a look at each of the Steelers’ tryout players. More than half of the list was known before the team released the roster, but we’ll revisit all the names. At the bottom, I’ll list seven players with the best odds of being signed to the team’s offseason roster, though understand it’s just a guess and what happens over the weekend matters most.
Seth Morgan/QB New Hampshire – A local native who attended Mt. Lebanon, the same high school assistant GM Andy Weidl (and brother Casey, a Steelers’ scout) attended. Morgan played for three colleges: VMI, Shepherd and New Hampshire.
He had a strong run at VMI before transferring to D-II Shepherd. He parlayed a good season there to get back at the FCS level, throwing for more than 2,300 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2024. Morgan offers good size at 6027, 214 pounds and ran a 4.84 at his Pro Day.
Morgan and Will Howard will serve as the Steelers’ two quarterbacks in rookie minicamp.
Max Hurleman/RB Notre Dame – Nerding out here for a moment. It’s a small footnote but listing Hurleman at running back is notable. He began his college career playing running back for FCS Colgate. The team switched him to receiver for 2023 before he transferred to Notre Dame and became a corner, though his primary role was as the Fighting Irish’s punt returner.
In 2024, he recorded 13 tackles and averaged 6 yards per punt return on 23 attempts. Now, he’s listed as a running back to round out depth over the weekend. At his Pro Day, Hurleman weighed in at 5107, 200 pounds with a 4.65 40-time.
Trey Sermon/RB (Veteran) – Arguably the biggest “name” among the tryout players, Sermon is a former third-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers. He rushed for 167 yards and his first NFL touchdown as a rookie but was off the 49ers’ roster by 2022.
Barely playing his second year, he caught on with the Indianapolis Colts the past two years. That included a career day against Pittsburgh in 2023, rushing for 88 yards in a Colts’ win that saw them run all over the Steelers’ defense. In 2024, Sermon rushed for 156 yards and two rushing scores.
Pittsburgh’s backfield is crowded but Sermon’s talent could win him a roster spot. The Steelers have also seemingly been high on him since his Ohio State days.
Hollis Mathis/WR William & Mary – Mathis brings plenty of Steelers’ ties. A local native who attended Penn Hills, a Pittsburgh suburb, Mathis also went to Mike Tomlin’s college alma mater.
A true athlete, Mathis played quarterback, running back and receiver in college. He became only the second player in college football history to rush, throw and catch for over 1,000 yards in a career, joining New Mexico’s Paul Dombrowski in the mid-2000s.
Mathis finished his career as a receiver, hauling in 52 receptions for 602 yards and three touchdowns last year for The Tribe. Lanky, he weighed in at 6013, 174 pounds at his Pro Day, running a 4.59. His jumps, 36.5 inches in the vert and 10’10” in the broad, were more impressive.
Montana Lemonious-Craig/WR Arizona – Another invite we didn’t know ahead of time. An undrafted rookie, Lemonious-Craig spent three years at Colorado before playing his final two at Arizona. His production was consistently low-end, never having more than 28 receptions or 359 yards in a season. In 2024, he caught just 17 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown as Tetairoa McMillan dominated target share.
Per Dane Brugler’s draft guide, MLC weighed in at 6010, 189 pounds. He ran a 4.54 40 with a 35-inch vertical and 14 reps on the bench press.
Omarion Dollison/WR James Madison – Dollison began his career at South Florida before finishing up at JMU. He had a career year in 2024, showing big-play ability with a 17.1-yard average on 37 receptions. He ended the year with 633 yards and six touchdowns.
Standing in at 5092, 186 pounds, he ran a 4.45 with a 37.5-inch vertical, 10’5″ broad jump, and 6.69 three cone. He has a solid athletic profile, but the receiver room might be too crowded for Dollison to crack.
Tommy Smith/TE Rhode Island – A jack-of-all-trades in college, Smith played fullback, receiver and tight end. Pittsburgh is listing him as a fullback. Smith’s offensive production was mild until 2024, catching 27 passes for 413 yards and three touchdowns.
But Smith’s calling card was being a quality special teamer throughout his college career. He recorded 22 tackles at Rhode Island, including nine in his final season. He was named first-team all-conference as a special teamer. It’s hard to show that resume in padless practices but it’s a unique part of his resume.
At his Pro Day, he weighed in at 6030, 220 pounds with a 4.59 40 and impressive 6.79 three-cone.
Thomas Perry/OL Middlebury – A buzzy name who gained traction at the Shrine Bowl after being the first Middlebury player (located in Vermont) invited to the event, he earned the nickname “Thomas The Tank” for his impressive weight room and play strength.
Perry lacks ideal size but has a great work ethic and has trained with OL guru Duke Manyweather. Perry spent time in the Baltimore Ravens’ rookie mincamp but went unsigned. There’s potential for Pittsburgh to add him to their offseason roster.
Check out our scouting report here.
Illm Manning/OT Hawaii – An undersized offensive lineman (6021, 294 pounds), Manning went undrafted in 2023 after spending five years as Hawaii’s left tackle. He’s spent two stints with the San Francisco 49ers along with time as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and Carolina Panthers.
Most recently, Manning was with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions but got released on March 10, about three weeks before the league’s season began. He’s spent some time on a 53-man roster but has yet to appear in a regular season game. He’s primarily played left tackle in preseason action, though he’s also dabbled at guard.
Dom Serapiglia/OL Central Michigan – A local product from nearby Thomas Jefferson High School, he began his career at Tulsa before transferring to Southeastern Louisiana and again to CMU. He made 37 career starts, starting center every step of the way. He also long snapped in college. The more you can do, the better.
At 6012, 300 pounds with 30 3/4-inch arms, size is an obvious concern.
Keith Ismael/C (Veteran) – An NFL veteran, Ismael was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by Washington. He logged nearly 400 snaps with the team in 2021 and last appeared in a game in 2023 with the Arizona Cardinals, dressing for 13 games but only playing on the field goal protect team.
Out of San Diego State, he weighed in at 6027, 309 pounds with 32 1/4-inch arms. Offensive line depth is fairly thin, and Ismael has a chance to stick with a good weekend showing.
Gareth Warren/OT Lindenwood – Profiled by our Tom Mead during this year’s Steelers Depot’s “small school week,” Warren has played guard and tackle but is listed as a tackle by Pittsburgh.
He has plus size at 6051, 330 pounds and 33 5/8-inch arms. Our scouting report gave him a draftable grade with a comparison to Ramon Foster, who beat the odds to become a long-term Steelers’ starter. Warren will try to do the same. Tackle depth is weak, giving Warren a better-than-average chance.
Fred Stokes Jr./DL Prairie View A&M – There was a tiny breadcrumb of the Steelers’ interest in Stokes after snapping a Combine photo with DL Coach Karl Dunbar, something we noted in our Combine tracker.
In 2024, Stokes notched 11 tackles for loss with 3.5 sacks. He previously played at Central Michigan but saw limited playing time. At 6055, 259 pounds, his size is interesting but his testing was below-average and his length (32 5/8-inches) is just okay.
Nate Matlack/EDGE Pittsburgh – One of two Panthers in camp, Matlack tested well in the pre-draft process and had steady college production. Transferring in from Kansas State (where he was teammates with Will Howard), Matlack recorded eight tackles for a loss and five sacks last season.
He might have a leg up on other rookies, too. Matlack tried out with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this week, giving him an initial feel for an NFL practice.
Bam Brima/LB Keiser – Another name we didn’t know about on the Steelers’ invite list. Keiser University, if you were wondering like me, is a NAIA school in West Palm Beach, Florida. But Pittsburgh knows him better from his 2019-2023 time with the Pitt Panthers before transferring.
In 2023, Brima recorded 31 tackles and three sacks. In 2024, he recorded 8.5 TFL and another three sacks. He was named Second-Team NAIA All-American.
Brima looks the part at 6047, 263 pounds with 34-inch arms.
Debo Williams/LB South Carolina – One of three Gamecock’ linebackers coming out of this year’s draft, Williams is a name to keep in mind. A two-time team captain, he’s one season removed from posting 113 tackles in the SEC. Last year, Williams notched 63 tackles, five for a loss.
Undersized at 6003, 225 pounds, Williams turned in a poor 4.85 at his Pro Day. That 40 time put him in the tryout camp but he also posted 32 reps of 225 pounds during his workout, showing he’s spent time of time in the weight room during college.
Pittsburgh might not have inside linebacker spots for the taking but Williams is a name to note. Plus, his name is Debo. That’s gotta count for something around these parts.
Morice Blackwell Jr./LB Texas – Blackwell had light college production, recording 65 tackles across four seasons with the Longhorns. In 2024, he tallied 30 tackles.
Working in his favor is a strong special teams background. Per PFF, Blackwell logged 285 third-team snaps in 2024 and played across five phases. In 2022 and 2023, Blackwell played a little slot corner, too.
At his Pro Day, he weighed in at 6016, 216 pounds and ran a 4.59 40 with a 37-inch vertical, 10’9″ broad, and 7.00 three-cone time. Pittsburgh is listing him as a linebacker.
Eddie Faulkner IV/CB Slippery Rock – Son of Steelers’ running backs coach Eddie Faulkner. Faulkner IV is an undersized but aggressive slot corner who had a strong career at D-II Slippery Rock. Attending Pitt’s Pro Day, Faulkner weighed in at 5075, 189 pounds with a 4.63 40-yard dash. That isn’t the most encouraging profile, but Faulkner was a splash playmaker in college with 53 tackles (six for a loss), four forced fumbles, and two interceptions in 2024 while serving as team captain.
Mikey Victor/CB Alabama State – One of the names we didn’t know prior to the team’s Friday release of the minicamp roster. Undrafted in 2024, Victor spent time with the New England Patriots in 2024. He’s yet to appear in an NFL game.
We profiled Victor in the lead-up to the 2024 draft, noting his intriguing size (6023, 205 pounds, 33 1/2-inch arms) and solid college production (15 PDs in 2023), albeit at a lower level. But he showed stiffness on tape that might require a move to safety. A 4.67 40-time only furthered that idea. For what it’s worth, Pittsburgh is listing him as a corner.
The Steelers brought him in for a workout in January so there’s been a constant level of interest.
Ridge Texada/CB North Texas – Winning the “all-name” team of the minicamp roster, Texada began his career at McNeese State before transferring up to the FBS level. He intercepted just one career pass but left school as the all-time leader in pass breakups with 37.
Undersized at 5080, 186 pounds, he ran a strong 4.42 40 at his Pro Day. Pittsburgh’s nickel position is unsettled, potentially improving Texada’s long odds to stick as a minicamp invite.
Jayden Johnson/S Arkansas – Johnson spent four seasons with the Razorbacks, collecting 178 career tackles with two interceptions. In 2024, he recorded 57 tackles (3.5 TFL) and while the interception production wasn’t there, he broke up 11 passes. At his Pro Day, he weighed in at 6016, 203 pounds. Johnson ran a 4.68 40 with a 7.19 three cone. He’ll need to show more athleticism than those numbers suggest in order to catch a contract.
PJ O’Brien/S Pitt – A local product, O’Brien was a part-time starter with the Panthers. Starting three games in 2023, he finished the year with 33 tackles and an interception. A big-time high school recruit, O’Brien’s best year came in 2023 when he intercepted three passes, including one off Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman.
O’Brien weighed in at 6001, 191 pounds at his Pro Day. He ran a respectable 4.59 40.
Fraser Masin/P Ole Miss – An Aussie from Brisbane, Masin had a career year punting for the Rebels in 2024. He averaged 46.6-yards per attempt while carrying an impressive net average, too. Masin punted for Ole Miss for three seasons.
One notable highlight came on a successful 24-yard fake punt in 2023 against Georgia. But with Cameron Johnston and Corliss Waitman on the 90-man roster, Masin’s odds of being signed are among the lowest of the tryouts.
Donato Crisanti/LS Rhode Island – One of two long snappers in Steelers’ minicamp this weekend, Crisanti has plus size for the position at a listed 6’5, 240 pounds. He served as the school’s starting snapper the past five seasons and was invited to this year’s Hula Bowl.
He earned an invite to the New York Jets’ camp but with both events occurring this weekend, it appears Crisanti chose Pittsburgh. There are decent odds the Steelers sign one of these two snappers.
Taybor Pepper/LS (Veteran) – The most-veteran player in rookie minicamp, the 30-year-old Pepper spent the past five years as the San Francisco 49ers’ long snapper. He previously spent time with Green Bay and Miami.
Pittsburgh attempted to sign West Virginia LS Austin Brinkman post-draft but he took a much larger deal with the Houston Texans. The fact the Steelers brought in two snappers to minicamp when they only needed one indicates they’re serious about signing one of them. Pepper’s experience gives him a clear leg up.
Seven Tryout Players With Best Odds To Be Signed
1. Taybor Pepper/LS & Donato Crisanti/LS
2. Thomas Perry/iOL
3. Ridge Texada/CB
4. Gareth Warren/OT
5. Keith Ismael/C
6. Trey Sermon/RB
