PITTSBURGH — Pitt quarterback Joey Yellen will apply for an NCAA transfer waiver in order to be eligible in the 2020 season.
Yellen, speaking with the Pittsburgh media for the first time during Pitt football’s appearance at the Dollar Energy Fund’s ice house in Market Square, said that he’s hopeful he’ll be granted a waiver.
“We’ll kind of see where that goes,” Yellen said. “That’s the hope right now. We’re working on it through compliance. There’s not a lot of details on that yet.”
Yellen transferred to Pitt after spending one season at Arizona State. He was a consensus four-star prospect out of Mission Viejo, California, but an injury held him to just one game in 2019, when he threw for 292 yards and four touchdowns against USC.
Whether or not he’s granted a waiver will only effect Yellen’s 2020 season. He was able to redshirt as a true freshman at Arizona State in 2019, meaning that he will be able to play the 2021-23 seasons at Pitt, regardless.
“That’s something that him and his family are going to work on,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. “They’ve got their reasons and we’re going to support them. [Assistant athletic director] Dustin Gray will do a great job in our compliance office. We’ll do our best to get what he feels like he deserves.”
Pitt is expected to start Kenny Pickett as a senior in 2020, but if Yellen were to be eligible, he would be inserted into a three-way battle to Pickett’s top backup.
Rising sophomore Nick Patti, who filled in twice for Pickett in 2019, is the incumbent there, but four-star redshirt freshman Davis Beville and Yellen could contend for not only that job, but to get a leg up on the battle to replace Pickett in 2021.
If the kid isn’t going to have a chance to play in 2020, let him sit. Why waste a year of eligibility in 2020? Personally, I’d give every kid in the QB room a shot. Pickett certainly hasn’t done anything to make himself a guaranteed starter. He’s a 60% passer and his TD?INT ratio is less than 2/1. He’s a gamer.. He’s just not much above average as a passer.
Pitt needs a SERIOUS improvement in offense or it will waste what will likely be a dominant defense.
Yeah.. Don’t know what I was thinking. I forgot last year was a redshirt because he played less than 4 games. My mistake. Then I really hope he gets the waiver to compete this year because our QB play is sub par.
Section 122
4 years ago
Should be open competition. I keep saying it Jalen Hurts won a championship and was benched for a freshman who was better. Pickett isn’t owed anything and should have to win the job annually.
If the kid isn’t going to have a chance to play in 2020, let him sit. Why waste a year of eligibility in 2020? Personally, I’d give every kid in the QB room a shot. Pickett certainly hasn’t done anything to make himself a guaranteed starter. He’s a 60% passer and his TD?INT ratio is less than 2/1. He’s a gamer.. He’s just not much above average as a passer.
Pitt needs a SERIOUS improvement in offense or it will waste what will likely be a dominant defense.
It has no bearing on his future eligibility. He already redshirted.
Yeah.. Don’t know what I was thinking. I forgot last year was a redshirt because he played less than 4 games. My mistake. Then I really hope he gets the waiver to compete this year because our QB play is sub par.
Should be open competition. I keep saying it Jalen Hurts won a championship and was benched for a freshman who was better. Pickett isn’t owed anything and should have to win the job annually.