Rashad Weaver earns consensus All-America status, Pitt’s 1st since 2016
Pitt defensive end Rashad Weaver reached consensus All-America status Thursday when he was named to the first team by the American Football Coaches Association. It is Weaver’s third first-team honor — the Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America previously honored him — and the seventh overall. The AFCA...
Sports stories of the year: Steelers’ historic start; Pirates achieve infamy
Here we are, in the victory formation to end 2020, looking to run out the clock on a year you probably never want to see again. But before we get to 2021, here’s a look back at some of the top sports stories of the year. Steelers’ record start, sobering...
Pitt’s Rashad Weaver named to 6th All-American team
Pitt defensive end Rashad Weaver has secured 1½ fewer All-American honors than he recorded sacks during the season, but he may not be finished. The most recent honor arrived Wednesday when he was named to the first team of the Football Writers Association of America All-America team. His name now...
Year in Review: Pandemic-altered 2020 Pittsburgh sports seasons won’t soon be forgotten
When historians proclaim 2020 as a sports year unlike any other, no hyperbole will be attached to such sentiment. The coronavirus pandemic that affected so many lives across the world also drastically altered the sports landscape, causing major events to be canceled or postponed and impacting athletes from the professional...
Pitt senior linebacker Phil Campbell III decides to return for 2021 season
Pitt senior Phil Campbell III, who has started at star outside linebacker for the past two seasons, announced on Twitter his plans to return for the 2021 season. #H2P @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/kKVCQue4by— Phil Campbell III (@PCampell24) December 30, 2020 Campbell is taking advantage of the NCAA handing out a free year...
Pitt lands Aliquippa’s M.J. Devonshire to bolster secondary
Pitt landed a cornerback with some collegiate experience — and a lofty high school reputation — when Aliquippa graduate M.J. Devonshire pledged to enroll next year, his father, Marlin Devonshire Sr., told the Tribune-Review. A four-star prospect in the class of 2019, Devonshire spent the past two seasons at Kentucky...
Maryland transfer Marcus Minor officially joins Pitt offensive line
Offensive lineman Marcus Minor, who verbally committed to Pitt last week, officially joined the team Tuesday when he signed his scholarship papers. Minor, who played the past four seasons at Maryland, will participate in spring drills with two years of immediate eligibility. Minor, 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, started 17 games at...
Pitt’s Jones, WVU’s Stills named Sporting News first-team All-Americans
Pitt senior defensive end Patrick Jones II and West Virginia senior defensive tackle Darius Stills have been named first-team All-Americans by the Sporting News, the publication announced Tuesday. Jones is the 94th first-team All-American in Pitt football history. He finished the season with 44 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss,...
Pitt-Duke game postponed after positive covid test within Panthers’ program
Before Pitt’s game at Duke was postponed, Jeff Capel talked about his personal dealings with the coronavirus. “It was a (expletive), to be honest with you,” he said. Almost in the same breath, Pitt’s coach reiterated his thoughts on playing college basketball in the midst of a pandemic. “I don’t...
Pitt defensive end Rashad Weaver named first-team AP All-American; Patrick Jones picked second team
Defensive end Rashad Weaver was named Monday the 93rd first-team All-American in Pitt history and the school’s first since defensive tackle Aaron Donald in 2013. Patrick Jones II, who lined up as Pitt’s defensive end on the opposite side of Weaver, was named to the second team. The pair combined...
Former Pitt wrestler Mikey Racciato dies at 26
The Pitt wrestling program is in mourning after former wrestler Mikey Racciato died Friday at age 26. Racciato, a native of Pen Argyl, competed for the Panthers from 2013-17, going 64-38, and winning an ACC championship at 149 pounds as a sophomore in 2015. He was a two-time NCAA Championships...
Pitt secures commitment from 6th defensive back in class of 2021
With his 2021 recruiting class, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi hopes he will have plenty of options in pass defense. oh yeah it’s up? #H2P @DB_BucksFB @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/wxkGLXU2p1— Phillip O’Brien Jr (@PhillipOjr) December 25, 2020 Phillip O’Brien Jr. became the sixth defensive back in Pitt’s 23-man class Christmas morning when he...
Pitt dips into transfer market for former Maryland offensive lineman Marcus Minor
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi didn’t wait long to start reconstructing his roster, landing offensive lineman Marcus Minor on Thursday as a graduate transfer from Maryland. Blessed with an opportunity. #H2P #PITT2L1TT #Pittfootball pic.twitter.com/RsQLEaw3eF— Marcus Minor (@AyeeMarcus_) December 24, 2020 Minor, who has two years of eligibility, reported his verbal commitment...
Pitt linebackers coach Rob Harley leaving for Arkansas State
After six seasons as an original member of Pat Narduzzi’s staff, Pitt linebackers coach Rob Harley accepted an offer to become defensive coordinator at Arkansas State of the Sun Belt Conference. Thank you Pitt? ? #H2P pic.twitter.com/EgiJIzVt2D— Coach Harley (@robharley34) December 24, 2020 Harley also has been Pitt’s recruiting coordinator...
Pitt players head home for short Christmas break
In the year 2020, the NCAA Tournament was canceled, the subsequent season has been pockmarked with more cancellations and postponements and Pitt even lost men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel for one game after he tested positive for covid-19. But a former adjunct professor at Fordham’s Graduate School of Business was...
Short-handed Pitt loses to Louisville, but approach doesn’t change
You might think that injuries to Justin Champagnie and Au’Diese Toney would change how Pitt’s basketball team will approach the rest of the season. In a way, not really. Although it hurts to lose your two leading scorers and rebounders – and the 64-54 loss to Louisville on Tuesday night...
Pitt’s Justin Champagnie out 6-8 weeks with knee injury; Au’Diese Toney also sidelined
Pitt’s hot start to the season hit a major roadblock when the Panthers’ two leading scorers and rebounders – Justin Champagnie and Au’Diese Toney — were ruled out of Tuesday’s game against Louisville at Petersen Events Center with leg injuries, coach Jeff Capel announced an hour before tipoff. Toney (ankle)...
7 Pitt players named to All-ACC teams
The votes are in and Pitt landed six players from its senior class and one sophomore on the All-ACC team, announced Tuesday morning on the ACC Network. Only Clemson and Notre Dame had more players named (12) while Boston College, Miami and North Carolina also checked in with seven. Pitt...
No. 2 Clemson, No. 4 Notre Dame headline AP all-ACC honors; 5 Pitt players selectedVideo
Second-ranked Clemson and fourth-ranked Notre Dame headline the Associated Press All-ACC teams and individual awards for the 2020 season. The Tigers, who beat the Fighting Irish in Saturday’s league championship game for a sixth straight title, had a league-high 10 selections in results released Monday after voting by 14 sports...
After Jeff Capel’s positive covid-19 test, Pitt associate head coach Tim O’Toole will run team
Pitt associate head coach Tim O’Toole previously has sat in the No. 1 chair. In his long and well-traveled coaching career that began as a graduate assistant at Fordham in 1987, he was head coach at Fairfield, his alma mater, from 1998-2006. He also served under legendary coaches Mike Krzyzewski...
Pitt, Penn State, WVU players honored as Pro Football Focus All-Americans
Pitt defensive end Rashad Weaver, Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker and West Virginia slot defender Tykee Smith were named first-team selections Monday to the Pro Football Focus All-America Team. “Weaver finished his season with a 90.0 pass-rush grade and produced multiple pressures in every single game played,” PFF wrote. “And...
Tim Benz: Wanna blame Notre Dame for College Football Playoff mess? Me too, but we can’t
The easiest thing in the sports world to do is to hate Notre Dame. The arrogance. The individualism. The hype. The specially catered ACC membership rules. The money. The independent television network deal. So when the Fighting Irish were drubbed 34-10 by Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, that resulted...
Pitt coach Jeff Capel tests positive for covid-19
Pitt men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel has tested positive for covid-19 and will miss the Panthers’ scheduled game against Louisville on Tuesday. According to a news release from the Pitt athletics department, subsequent testing within the program resulted in no additional positive tests. The Panthers (5-1, 1-0 ACC), who defeated...
Tim Benz: Adopt the 2020 chaos! Include Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina in College Football Playoff.
The most overused phrase of 2020 is, “Hey, it’s 2020!” Well, allow me to employ it one more time while discussing college football. Hey, it’s 2020! So what better year to bust the College Football Playoff norms than this year? The selection committee should embrace the chaos and admit either...
Ithiel Horton scores 18, leads Pitt to win at Miami in ACC opener
Ithiel Horton knew there were eyes on him at the start of the season. He came in as a transfer from Delaware with the reputation as a scorer. Of course, it was frustrating when he missed 23 of his 33 shots in Pitt’s first five games. But he spent some...
