Rodney Hammond Jr. isn’t playing again this season, and there’s a chance he’s played his last snaps at Pitt.
Hammond didn’t travel to Louisville over the weekend, didn’t walk on Senior Day and hasn’t played since the loss to SMU earlier this month. And Pat Narduzzi confirmed Monday that Hammond will redshirt this season.
“Rodney would like to redshirt,” Narduzzi said at his weekly press conference. “I’m going to grant his wishes. Would I like him to play? Yeah. But he’s got to do what he’s got to do and everybody has got to make a business decision, and I’ll make a business decision, as well, at times. Business decisions have to be made.”
Narduzzi said that Hammond has given him no indication of what he plans to do next season.
“That’s the last thing I’m worried about,” Narduzzi said. “I’m worried about our football team that’s playing right now.”
It’s the latest twist in a turbulent senior season for the 5-foot-9, 200-pound running back from Norfolk, Va. He was suspended at the start of the season, missing the first four games of the season, but he was reinstated before the North Carolina game. He’s played in just four games this season.
Narduzzi mentioned the possibility of a redshirt season a couple of weeks ago, and while he would’ve liked to see Hammond in the lineup, it’s come to fruition. And it does make sense for Hammond in the long term.
Hammond played just 16 snaps this season, taking 12 carries for 35 yards (2.9 yards per carry) and hauling in two passes for 10 yards.
Hammond led the Panthers with 118 carries for 547 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and four touchdowns last season, a season in which his usage was wildly inconsistent on a week-to-week basis, and he’s a three-year contributor.
He’s racked up 329 carries for 1,511 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns in three seasons at Pitt — adding 190 yards and two scores through the air.
It remains to be seen what Hammond will choose to do next season, but there’s a possibility he will utilize the transfer portal and look to finish his collegiate career elsewhere. His status this offseason will be one to monitor.
Pitt is set to return star Desmond Reid for another season, and Derrick Davis Jr., Juelz Goff and Montravius Lloyd all retain eligibility, too. Three-star running back Synkwan Smith and three-star athlete Ja’Kyrian Turner are also set to sign next week.
The beginning of the end for college football…the inmates are running the asylum
truthfully, the way things played out with the suspension and then reversal … weird to say the least. if it hadn’t been reversed, we wouldn’t even be talking about the redshirt the same way. let him find his future path. good for both sides.
I hate to see this ending to his Pitt career. I thought he could have been Pitt’s next great RB.
Is what it is.This is college football now.Here one day,gone the next..
that is the way this head coaches. Stupid not to have him playing more with the running game suffering this season. No respect for his player at all. He has to go cant watch him coach anymore.
Good luck Rodney. It was a pleasure to watch you play as a pitt panther