Former Pitt quarterback Ben DiNucci has officially enrolled at James Madison for his final two years of eligibility. By transferring to an FCS school, DiNucci will have two more years of NCAA eligibility remaining.
DiNucci had announced in December that he would be transferring from Pitt after his redshirt sophomore season. In 2017, he saw his most extensive playing time with the Panthers. He played in 10 of the team’s 12 games and started six of them, going 2-4.
He finished the year with 1,091 passing yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown. His only other career action came in relief of Nate Peterman in the 2016 Pinstripe Bowl.
DiNucci had been passed on the Pitt depth chart by freshman Kenny Pickett, who played the final three quarters of Pitt’s penultimate game against Virginia Tech and then all of the Panthers’ season finale against Miami on Nov. 24.
James Madison is one of the nation’s best programs at the FCS level. The Dukes went 14-0 and before losing 17-13 in FCS Championship Game against North Dakota State on Jan. 6. The school recently signed head coach Mike Houston to a new 10-year contact.
Pitt has two quarterback signees in the Class of 2018. Junior college transfer Ricky Town will come to Pitt after spending two years at Arkansas and one at Ventura College. He has already enrolled at Pitt.
The Panthers also will have true freshmen quarterback Nick Patti of St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey. Patti signed with Pitt during the early signing period in December and is expected to arrive on campus this summer.
