Rodney Hammond Jr. spent his first collegiate season with former Pitt wide receivers coach Brennan Marion, and now he’ll spend his last with Marion.
Hammond — a 5-foot-9, 200-pound running back from Booker T. Washington in Norfolk, Va. — committed to Sacramento State on Sunday night, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported. He entered the transfer portal earlier this month, which wasn’t an unexpected outcome to his career in Pittsburgh.
Sacramento State hired Marion, who served as the Pitt wide receivers coach in 2021, Texas wide receivers coach in 2022 and UNLV offensive coordinator in 2023-24, as its next head coach earlier this week.
It’s a nice landing spot for Hammond, who will join an offensive scheme that takes advantage of his skillset on the ground and through the air.
Hammond initially committed to Pitt as a three-star recruit in the class of 2021, earning playing time immediately as a true freshman. He showed flashes during his tenure in Pittsburgh, but for whatever reason (coaching decisions or a team-imposed suspension), he wasn’t able to put it all together.
He was suspended at the start of this season, missing the first four games of the season, but he was reinstated before the North Carolina game. He played in just four games — deciding to sit out and preserve his eligibility after playing four games.
Narduzzi mentioned the possibility of a redshirt season midway through the season, and while he would’ve liked to use Hammond in the lineup, he honored Hammond’s wish in the end. And it made sense for Hammond in the long term.
Hammond played just 16 offensive 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 was a solid three-year contributor.
He racked up 341 carries for 1,546 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns in three seasons at Pitt — adding 200 yards and two scores through the air.
The departures of Rodney Hammond and Lloyd (and the graduation of Daniel Carter) have left the Pitt running backs room very thin. Desmond Reid, Derrick Davis Jr. and Juelz Goff are set to return, and Synkwan Smith and Ja’Kyrian Turner signed earlier this month. But Pitt will need to look for another back in the portal now.
