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Pitt RB Rodney Hammond Jr. ruled ineligible for 2024 season

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•08/30/24•

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Pitt RB Rodney Hammond Jr.
© Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pitt running back Rodney Hammond Jr. has been declared ineligible for the 2024 season, the program announced Friday. The news comes one day before the Panthers start the year against Kent State.

Hammond is gearing up for his senior season at Pitt and was competing to be the starting running back this year. The university didn’t provide a reason why he’s ineligible, but confirmed he will be a part of the team and able to practice.

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Hammond put up the best numbers of his career in 2023. He totaled 547 yards and four touchdowns as a junior, which appeared to set him up for another leap as a senior in 2024.

In Rodney Hammond’s absence, Pitt will turn to Desmond Reid, who Pat Narduzzi named the starting running back on Thursday. A transfer from Western Carolina, he ran for 1,721 yards over two years before taking his talents to Pitt.

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Pitt also named its starting quarterback this week. Alabama transfer Eli Holstein will get the first reps against Kent State after one season in Tuscaloosa. He didn’t see any game action as a true freshman after arriving as a four-star recruit and the No. 84 overall player from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

While Holstein will start, Narduzzi said Nate Yarnell will also play. How they split those snaps will be determined as the game goes along.

“We’ll play it from there,” Narduzzi said, via TribLive’s Jerry DiPaola. “We’ve got a lot of faith in both of them. We don’t have a set plan yet, but we’ll plan out as we go. If things are going really good and we’re moving the ball and being productive, then we’ll stick with (Holstein) a little longer. If things aren’t going so well, we’ll play it by ear.”

Pitt had a rough go in 2023 after making the ACC Championship in 2022. The Panthers struggled to a 3-9 record, including a 2-6 mark in league play, and were picked to finish 13th out of 17 teams in the new-look ACC in this year’s preseason poll.

Kickoff between Pitt and Kent State is set for Saturday at noon ET on ESPNU.