Pitt secures commitment from junior college tight end Karter Johnson
When Karter Johnson left Pickerington Central High School for TCU in 2019, he was a 286-pound defensive tackle. One of the best in the nation, by the way. Rivals.com ranked him No. 21 at his position. In Ohio, he was the No. 12 overall prospect. I am excited to announce...
Former Pitt, West Virginia offensive coordinator Calvin Magee dies at age 59
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Jacksonville State offensive coordinator Calvin Magee has passed away. He was 59. The school said the longtime college football coach died on Friday but didn’t release the cause of death. New Jacksonville State coach Rich Rodriguez hired Magee in December, the fourth school where they have worked...
Pitt signs former Marquette guard Greg Elliott for rebuilt backcourt
Pitt coach Jeff Capel has secured the second of his two new backcourt players with the signing Friday of former Marquette guard Greg Elliott, who announced his verbal commitment Tuesday. Elliott will join returning guards Jamarius Burton and Nike Sibande, plus Nelly Cummings, who transferred from Colgate. Burton, Sibande and...
Jordan Addison makes it official, announces he will transfer from Pitt to USC
All-American wide receiver Jordan Addison, who made the Pitt passing game special last season on his way to winning the Biletnikoff Award, ended nearly three weeks of speculation Thursday when he announced he will transfer to USC. Addison entered the NCAA transfer portal May 3 after reports arose that he...
Former Pitt basketball player Charles Small named athletic director at Valparaiso
Charles Small, who rose through the ranks of sports administration at Pitt after four seasons on the basketball team from 2003-06, has been named athletic director at Valparaiso, University President José D. Padilla, J.D., announced Thursday. Small began his professional career in 2006 as a graduate assistant for Student Life...
Pitt, WVU create logo to highlight Sept. 1 renewal of the Backyard Brawl
Conference realignment killed many of the most storied rivalries in college football, but West Virginia and Pitt are scheduled to meet eight times over the next 11 seasons, starting Sept. 1 at Heinz Field. To commemorate the occasion, the schools put their heads together to create the official Backyard Brawl...
Pitt coach Jeff Capel adds former Marquette guard Greg Elliott to roster
Pitt men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel continued to make use of the NCAA transfer portal, securing a commitment Tuesday from former Marquette guard Greg Elliott. Elliott, 6-foot-3, has played four seasons at Marquette, appearing in 114 games with 11 starts. He could compensate for the loss of Ithiel Horton to...
Former Pitt football player Chris Curd raises flag for league without tackling
Among Chris Curd’s last public appearances as a Pitt football player, there he was leaning on crutches at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, a large brace strapped to his leg. Curd had made his first start at wide receiver opposite Larry Fitzgerald on Sept. 27, 2003, against Texas A&M,...
Former Gateway gymnast Olivia Miller sets high bar athletically, academically at Pitt
Olivia Miller went from misfortune to good fortune this spring as her collegiate academic and athletic tenure at the University of Pittsburgh came to a close. The Gateway graduate saw her 17-year gymnastics career come to a sudden end at the Eastern Atlantic Gymnastics League championships March 19 at George...
First Call: Pitt’s possible partners in proposed ACC football scheduling changes; Capitals blow lead, on cusp of elimination
Thursday’s “First Call” provides some updates about potential changes to the ACC football conference. The Penguins-Rangers game at Madison Square Garden wasn’t the only crucial result to track in the NHL playoffs. The upcoming Pirates-Reds series this weekend has a different tone to it than the one they played last...
ACC mulling division-free football scheduling model by 2023
The Atlantic Coast Conference is mulling a change to its football scheduling model that could include the elimination of divisions by 2023. Discussions are taking place among league schools during the ACC’s annual spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla. Commissioner Jim Phillips told reporters there Wednesday that the league also...
NIL attorney: Jordan Addison’s name in transfer portal helped trigger new NCAA regulations
When the NCAA Division I Board of Directors set up the first guardrails intended to regulate boosters emboldened by name, image and likeness legislation, Jordan Addison’s presence in the transfer portal was one of the tipping points, a sports attorney said Tuesday. “I think the Jordan Addison situation clearly was...
Former Pitt quarterback Davis Beville transfers to Oklahoma
Davis Beville’s decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal after three seasons at Pitt looked like a sound choice Monday when he committed to Oklahoma, where he has a chance to be the Sooners’ No. 1 backup quarterback. Betting on myself! B⭕️⭕️MER ????#OUDNA #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/fj4yHMduH6— Davis Beville (@DBthaQB11) May 9,...
Coach says Franklin Regional’s Caden Smith ‘will open some eyes’ as Pitt walk-on
Caden Smith didn’t choose football. Football chose him. “Football is the most fun,” the Franklin Regional senior said, comparing the game to his other sports (basketball, baseball). Smith has excelled in all three, earning first-team all-conference/section in each one. He had college interest in those sports, too. But football will...
Pitt women add 2-time West Virginia Player of the Year Marley Washenitz to roster
Pitt women’s basketball coach Lance White added a fifth new face to the roster Friday when two-time West Virginia Player of the Year Marley Washenitz signed a national letter of intent. Washenitz, a 5-foot-10 guard, played at Fairmont High School, scoring more than 2,000 points in four years and earning...
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert’s revealing take on how NFL ready Kenny Pickett may truly be
As I look ahead to Pittsburgh Steelers training camp this summer, my brain actually goes back to Saint Vincent College in 2010. That’s when we knew Ben Roethlisberger was going to be suspended for at least the first four (and perhaps six) games of the season. So we were all...
Pat Narduzzi: Kedon Slovis transferred to Pitt ‘the real way, the right way’
Pat Narduzzi didn’t mention the big news — Jordan Addison entering his name in the NCAA transfer portal – while speaking this week at the Peach Bowl Challenge, a charity golf event outside Atlanta. But when he was asked about Kedon Slovis, Narduzzi wasn’t shy about discussing how his transfer...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans launch all sorts of opinions on Kenny Pickett, draft strategy, Devin Bush
This week’s “U mad, bro?” has all manner of heated reactions to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ selection of Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett. Others question the overall draft strategy. There is some push back to a column I wrote about Devin Bush. Plus, we have gratuitous shots at the Pirates … …...
Pitt lands twin Canary Islands big men Guillermo, Jorge Diaz Graham
When Pitt assistant coach Tim O’Toole first saw the Diaz Graham twins — Guillermo and Jorge — play basketball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., he immediately knew how he wanted to recruit them. “He didn’t blink,” IMG post-grad coach Jimmy Carr said. “It wasn’t, ‘Which one should I take?...
Pitt women’s basketball adds Big Ten transfers Channise Lewis, Gabby Hutcherson
While rebuilding his roster after winning only two of 18 ACC games in 2021-22, Pitt women’s basketball coach Lance White has added two transfers from Big Ten programs in the past two days. Maryland transfer guard Channise Lewis is the fourth member of Pitt’s ‘22 signing class. Lewis, who has...
First Call: Kevin Colbert shares background on drafting Kenny Pickett; interesting contract twist for Melvin Ingram
Wednesday’s “First Call” features some background on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ selection of Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett. Former Steeler Melvin Ingram is part of a little-used contract ploy. Ex-Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon has been a big part of the New York Yankees’ torrid start. We check out the Eastern Conference playoff...
Analysis: With Jordan Addison in the transfer portal, can Pitt still be special?
Jordan Addison’s name appeared in the NCAA transfer portal Tuesday, which likely will end the Pitt career of one of the finest pass catchers in school history — after only two seasons. He has not announced his next school, but Pitt “remains a very viable option,” according to ESPN’s Pete...
Tim Benz: Question the Steelers draft strategy if you like, let’s just debate the right things
For the most part, I liked the Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 draft class and the team’s approach to building it. That’s because while I’m not in the “Kenny Pickett, future Hall of Famer” camp just yet, I do think he’s got the potential to be at least an above-average NFL quarterback....
Madden Monday: Mitch Trubisky ‘should feel hoodwinked’ after signing with Steelers
When it comes to who should start at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLIVE feels that the decision is obvious. Who cares if Mason Rudolph has been with the team the longest? Who cares if Mitch Trubisky was signed to be...
Pitt tight end Lucas Krull signs with Saints
Lucas Krull entered Pitt’s Pro Day with something to prove. He did that, but the most important proving ground for Pitt’s former tight end will be in New Orleans. The former Pitt tight end signed a free-agent contract with the Saints after the draft. While scouts from 31 NFL teams...
