Pitt safety Damar Hamlin’s waiver request for a fifth season of eligibility has been granted by the NCAA and he will return to Pitt.
Hamlin played in three games for Pitt as a true freshman in 2016 while dealing with injuries. Under the rules at the time, that counted as a season played, meaning that Hamlin finished the 2019 season thinking it would be his last as a Panther.
Instead, his plea to the NCAA has been answered and Hamlin will be eligible to play in 2020.
Pat Narduzzi entered the offseason with the possibility of losing valuable members of his defense such as Hamlin, Paris Ford, Jaylen Twyman and Patrick Jones.
Instead, all of them will be returning for the 2020 season.
Considering his productivity and the talent that’s returning to the defense, this is big news for Pitt. Over the last three seasons, Hamlin has started 30 games and made 152 tackles and 4 interceptions. The Panthers will now return their starting secondary of Hamlin, Ford, Jason Pinnock and Damarri Mathis.
The news of Hamlin returning also eliminates a scholarship for Pitt’s Class of 2020 and means that Pitt is at the 85-scholarship limit.
YES!!!!!! Simply the BEST safety duo in the country!!!!!!!! LET’S GO!!!!!!!!
Pressure to win NOW just increased.
Absolutely. 8 wins with a cute upset won’t cut it with this talent and experience returning. There’s no reason to lose a game they shouldn’t and a lot of reasons why they should win a game they shouldn’t. Hopefully they don’t read too many headlines and put in the work on how to be different next year. Plenty to correct such as an abundance of penalties, 3rd and long defense, etc. But this defense truly has the potential to be one to remember.
They should put “28-0” all thru the weight room.
very true