Yes, Coach Paul Chryst is downplaying the injuries at this point in training camp. Probably with good reason. Most of them are bangs and bruises where it seems there is erring on the side of caution. There are only a handful of serious or concerning injuries or holding players out of practices.
Among the injured players are four potential starters on defense, including safety Jason Hendricks, linebackers Todd Thomas and Shane Gordon, and defensive tackle K.K. Mosley-Smith. Cornerback Lafayette Pitts had a death in his family and was excused from practice. He was replaced by Cullen Christian. Also out is wide receiver Mike Shanahan (hamstring) and backup safety Steve Williams, who had his left arm in a sling.
K.K. Smith and LaQuentin Smith returned yesterday, so there is that.
Hendricks was already coming back from a season ending injury. His struggles to stay healthy, though, could cost him his starting safety position. Pitt has the depth at the spot and at some point he falls too far behind in practice.
Todd Thomas is much more of a concern since he has the potential to be Pitt’s best linebacker this season. Definitely the most athletic. Shane Gordon has not played since the scrimmage when he got knocked out cold. Haven’t seen an actual listing of the injury, but I think it would be safe to say he’s out with a concussion or “concussion-like symptons.”
With Shanahan, the only concern is how long the hamstring injury lingers. The risk of re-occurrence, the severity, etc.
Ejuan Price seems to be slow coming back from his torn pectoral muscle from the spring. Not officially out of the practices, but by most accounts not a significant presence.
Kind of surprised at how fast he has tried to come back from that. Senior Marco Pecora just suffered his own pectoral muscle tear — which effectively ends his Pitt career — and his rehab is listed at 6-8 months. Pecora, though, will remain with the team and on the sidelines to help the coaches.
Ray Graham has been held out of a lot of practices. And when he has practiced, it has been with the limited contact jersey in place. Fine by most. In fact the speculation by the P-G and Trib beat writers seem to be competing for how many regular season games Coach Chryst should consider holding Graham out.
Werner: “There should be no need for Graham to play against Youngstown State, but then Pitt has Cincinnati the following Thursday, which could prove to be a very important Big East game. Obviously, they don’t want to rush Graham back for the opener if he isn’t ready, but then his first live action would be in a seemingly high-stakes game with no real ramp up to live action.”
DiPaola: “Actually, Chryst can end all the questions about Graham by shutting him down, not only for the rest of preseason camp, which ends next Thursday, but also for the first few games of the season. I can’t imagine a good reason to allow Graham, who still walks with a slight limp, to play Sept. 1 against Youngstown State or five days later at Cincinnati…”
Apparently Isaac Bennett and Malcolm Crockett have impressed the hell out of them in camp.
Rushel Shell is back to practice, he was out for a few because of some back issues. He’s admitted that the speed of college versus high school has caught him off-guard. I don’t see him redshirting, but carries could be tougher to come by than anyone realized. Not a bad thing for Pitt if there is even more depth at the running back spot.
I think more than the NCAA is involved with Savage. I could be mistaken but I believe BIG EAST bylaws prohibit intra-conference transfers. Thus, Savage is paying his own way this year because it is against BE bylaws for pitt to even give him an athletic scholarship, much less play him.
It is an NCAA issue… nothing in Big East bylaws.
He has an athletic ship for this year… otherwise I highly doubt he would be here.
1. Transfer
2. transfer to a big east team
Big East does not allow players to transfer within the conference EVER. Since he began at Rutgers, he can’t play for Pitt in the BE even if he was at Arizona for a year. This was reported by numerous media outlets and on numerous message boards
Here is Big East policy…
where does it state what you say…
I can’t find it…
A coach can prevent a player from going to a specific team, but that ship has sailed re. rutgers
Remember Darnell Dodson(basketball recruit). Once you enroll at a BE school and leave to go elsewhere, at no point can you then transfer back to a different BE school and be eligible to play.
Bummer.
While it shouldn’t be a problem against YSU, it will be 5 days later (that’s right the UC game is on a Weeknite, short week) against the Bearcats.
They have an experienced, extremely mobile QB in
Munchie. And you can be sure they’re going to run alot of stuff to impact PITT’s weak link, the LB corps. I would imagine alot of passes to RB’s out of the backfield, screens, draws, and routes over the middle. Good think we went back to the 4-3, we’d have a lot more trouble trying to find 4 healthy LBs than 3.
Also with the 4-3, we could perhaps play a lot of Nickle packages and only play 2 LB’s, since we’re pretty deep at Safety and DB, but not so much at LB. Especially experience wise. So the Nickle Back would also have to be very good at run support if he’s replacing a LB. This could be a solution to our problems until Todd Thomas, Shane Gordon & Ejuan Price get healthy.
Don’t know who made the schedule and why on Earth are we playing a Conference game so early in the season. Somebody correct me, but I don’t EVER remember a BigEast conf. game being played on week 2 since say 2000. (sorry Pitt football from about 92-99 was a black hole and I try NOT to remember that period, other than PistolPete leading us over the Hoopies in 1997).
Speaking of PistolPete, here’s hoping that Sir Tino plays with the vigor, leadership and moxie that PistolPete played with his Sr. year.
Veritas et Virtus !
HTP !
Have a good weekend fellow Panther brothers !
(we need to find some Pantherettes to start posting) surely some are interested in football, maybe some ex-cheerleaders. 🙂
and some people were saying he was dumb for comeing to pitt becuse the big east would hold us till 2014.
but we will be in the ACC SO HE WILL PLAY NEXT YEAR.
I ask last year and said he spent a year in AZ so
he is not transfer from a big east school but they said it makes no difference he still played for a outher big east school.
reed can explain better then me but the rule is there dont know what line or page but both big east and NCAA said no play this year.
So we have 16 commits at this time and 2 transfers that we have to save 2 for that is a total of 18.
And if we save 2 for johnson and foster that only
leaves us one to give out right now or for later.
I provided the link to Big East… there is nothing there.
Of course Savage needs to sit out this year due to NCAA rules… but he is on athletic scholarship and counts toward the 85.
notrocketscience…
Bennett was a track star in HS… sub 11.0 in 100, Long Jump Champion for the state of OK.
he didn’t play until senior year because his HS, Booker T, is always loaded with D1 talent and he had to wait his turn. Recruiting evaluators will not give someone a high ranking unless they started as a sophmore or at least Junior.
As for Shell… and his comment regarding speed of the game.
Those who know me… know I’ve said, Wpial is slow, slow, slow.. guess your statement proved my point.
There are other things regarding Shell but I will stop there as I have been warned by Chas.
but we need to save one for him for next year.
i looked it up go to this headind what is a transfer.
it will say at the bottom of heading
these words
for example the big east does not allow any intra conference transfer in mens basketball or football
does that do it for you.
Hopefully the TE spot (and running game) will be as effective as it has the potential to be and will allow the receivers to grow and blossom a bit. (And I haven’t even mentioned the guy who’s going to be throwing the ball to everyone…)
Really looking forward to the first week of games, though. Even the weather smells like football right now.
and is this same place anderson was haveing trouble with last year the same injury.
when i am trying to work out who we might get or is it 24. is there a real total that is known if some one knows please post it thanks reed for trying.
and he was on the az team so if you are you have to sit out a year when you transfer pratice or not
or something like that.
i think had he going to az and not going near the football field it might have been different you know just went to class and played x box.
I was in the endzone in a Pitt section next to fanatic WVa fans. There was a lot of sh** talk going back and fourth but by the end we were all exhausted from the game.
It’s on page 49 and is special note 4.
This explains the BE transfer policy within the conference.
And if these two posts don’t convince you guys, I don’t know what else to do
Just giving the facts
Also, i told all of you that rushel shell would be at best the third string runningback, possibly fourth string behind crockett. You guys gave me endless crap so….
Frank, thats disappointing, however, i dont think chryst cares. It seems like hes still going hard after a bunch of recruits at every position. My guess is he gets well over 21 commits and drops some of them and some current guys
BIG EAST INTRA-CONFERENCE TRANSFER POLICY
Student-athletes in the sports of men’s basketball, women’s basketball and football, are not permitted to
transfer (directly or indirectly) from one BIG EAST institution to another BIG EAST institution and
participate in any capacity in the sports of men’s basketball, women’s basketball or football. However,
these student-athletes may transfer (directly or indirectly) from one BIG EAST institution to another BIG
EAST institution and may participate in sports other than men’s basketball, women’s basketball or
football pursuant to the transfer parameters in the next clause. There are no exceptions or waivers to
this rule.
If Shell does not see significant playing time this season I will be extremely surprised. However, I am in agreement with you that he probably will not live up to the same freshman accomplishments attained by Sir Isaac Bennett during his coming out party in the second half of last season.
If Shell does eclipse Bennett’s numbers from last season, it might not be such a good thing anyhow because most likely that will mean the following has occurred. First, that Ray Graham has not come back from his injury 100%, or he just doesn’t have the mental attitude to play with reckless abandon as he has in the past. Or worst, he is hurt again this season, sincerely hope not.
Second, Sir Isaac gets himself injuried. Ouch! That would be really bad! Then, enter Shell, to begin his Bennett impersonation identical to how Isaac got his numbers going last season in the first place.
Now if Graham never tore that ligament, we wouldn’t even know of Bennett’s potential yet and all the talk would be around how legitimate Graham’s Heisman Trophy hopes are for this season.
So I guess what I’m saying is that the future is not ours to see, whatever will be , will be, (I could write a song about that).
What I do know is that Rushel Shell is the father of twin baby girls and if he does prove to be any good carrying the rock, and I think he kind of showed some potential in high school, that he will probably seriously consider turning pro ASAP if the NFL comes calling just to start making some money to support his family ASAP.
That is why I think that PC uses him this season, because after 3 season’s he will be eligible to enter the NFL draft. I can’t see the future like you can, but my guess will be that it will at least be a consideration for him come that time.
And that is why I contiue to buy Pitt football season tickets because I’m interested in seeing first hand, live, how that pans out. Let’s compare notes at season’s end to determine what has really transpired. As I always say, “that is why they play the games”.
I highly doubt Shell will see the field this year as RB… either red-shirt or special teams… Not only is Bennett ahead of him… so is Crockett… he is even with Davis.
I’ve always said… It’s all about the speed baby.
In my opinion, Shanahan would have made a much better TE, then WR. Too slow at the next level WR, but would be perfect as a TE. Cam Saddler is a Napoleon. Short in stature so he runs his trap and let’s his play do the talking. I agree he is awesome for the team and will be a great recruiter for Pitt when his playing days are finished. We need to build up our players and not rip them down.
Quick question, Is there a rift between Pitt and Chris Doleman? Pitt missed the boat if you ask me on making “public service announcements” congratulating those players on their induction into the hall of fame. The spots should be playing on local espn commercials. I don’t think that would be an NCAA infraction, but geezums, we should have billboards and commercial spots congratulating those guys so that every WPIAL High school player sees what can happen when you go to Pitt.
Reason #1… Doubtfull Graham will be 100 percent ready to go until mid-season at the earliest.
Reaseon #2… Pitt is going to run the ball… a lot.
Shell has looked a little shell-shocked realizing he’s no longer a man among boys.
The mistake was everyone projecting him to be the next Tony Dorsett.
Like I’ve said, if you want to compare him to someone it’s probably Maurice Clarett. Similar in height, weight and speed.
Clarett was basically a 4.6 to 4.7 guy which didn’t prove to be a problem until he tried to make it at the next level.
In my opinion, Shell will be effective in Chryst’s run-heavy offense once he learns to adapt his style of running.
NY Giants had a pair…
Thunder and Lightening
Thunder was Ron Dayne (Wisky 2000 grad)
Lightening was Tiki Barber
I have watched Maryville play and they are relentless in their ground attack while at the same time being opportunistic in respect to passing.
As for CHS will have to see them against a lesser opponent than Maryville to get a handle how good they can be this year. My landscaper’s son did kick a field goal and will give kudos to the dad…
Trey Andersson apparently is again suffering from tendonitis in the wrist.
You might remember how in his first appearance or two a year ago he seemed to show a strong arm and threw the ball pretty accurately.
However, by Utah he was struggling and looked to have lost his ability to throw with any authority.
It was revealed later that he was suffering from tendonitis.
Anyone who has had tendonitis knows how painful it really is. And just because its in the wrist does not mean the pain is limited there. The whole arm can be affected due to the way the tendons run.
With only three eligible quarterbacks taking snaps right now, the prospect of two and a half or only two is pretty concerning.
Thinking more and more that Chryst is going to have to consider moving Gonnzalez or Jones over just in case.