Jeremiah Bryson was one of the stranger pick-ups in recruiting, even before Dave Wannstedt was fired. Not in terms of size or potential, but being a kid from Tennessee. Like many of the other recruits after Wannstedt was fired and then the chaos of Haywood, Bryson’s commitment was understandably shaky. It probably didn’t help that his mom wanted him to stay closer to home — but on signing day he signed with Pitt.
Now after a month at Pitt, Bryson has decided that he should not be at Pitt. He’s withdrawn from classes at Pitt and will go with his second choice, Middle Tennessee State.
This isn’t simply a case of being homesick. It is a case of being a responsible and caring son and brother.
Bryson recently received his release from Pittsburgh and plans to enroll in the fall at MTSU, where he will be a football walk-on. Bryson will be ineligible due to NCAA transfer rules for the 2011 season, but can be redshirted giving him four years of eligibility starting with the 2012 season.
“My mom is a single parent and she’s been kind of sick,” Bryson said. “I feel like I need to be back here. I have a little brother here too. I think I need to be around with him.”
Since he was already enrolled at Pitt for the summer, it would be too late to apply for a hardship waiver to be eligible for the upcoming season — unlike what Brandon Felder who transferred to Pitt from UNC is seeking.
There is also the factor that the last tie to the prior regime is no longer employed at Pitt.
Bryson said Pittsburgh recently released football staff member Matt Dudek, who Bryson had gotten close to. Bryson said that was the deciding edge in his desire to ask for his release.
“I was really close to him,” Bryson said. “If I’d known before I signed that he wouldn’t be there then I probably would have made a different decision (on signing day).”
Dudek, a Pitt alum, had been the Assistant Director of Football Operations according to the 2010 media guide. Prior to that he had been an academic counselor for football and had been a video graduate assistant. He also works in a mentoring program with inner-city youth.
His release in the summer was something of a surprise. Though, given the way so much housecleaning occurred on the football side, his surviving the first purge was also a bit of a surprise.
I have to imagine Coach Graham wasn’t too surprised by this development. Bryson was geographically isolated. His decision was a bit shaky, and had pressure to go a different school from his mother. The firing of the guy Bryson was closest too on the staff would be the final push.
