Pitt Football Announces Three Transfer Roster Additions
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - As he continues to gear up and retool the roster left for him by Paul Chryst, new Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi has announced the addition of three players to the program who are transferring from other schools.
Wide Receiver Rafael Araujo-Lopes, defensive end Dewayne Hendrix and defensive tackle Mark Scarpinato are all joining the Panthers.
Of the three, Araujo-Lopes and Scarpinato will be eligible for the upcoming season, while Hendrix will have to sit out.
Araujo-Lopes, a junior college All-American last year, caught 74 passes for 1,229 yards and 17 touchdowns in just 10 games. Araujo-Lopes will join Pitt with three years of eligibility remaining.
In a university press release, Narduzzi had this to say about the new receiver.
"Rafael is a very exciting player who has the ability to make an impact in both the pass and run games. He has great hands and will add depth and competition to our wide receiver position immediately."
You can see Araujo-Lopes highlight tape here.
Scarpinato will be eligible next year for the Panthers because he graduated from his former school, Michigan State, and will have one season of eligibility remaining. Scarpinato sat out last year but had previously played under Narduzzi at Michigan State where he appeared in all 14 games in his last season, 2013.
"I obviously know Mark very well from our time together at Michigan State," Narduzzi said in a university release. "He is a very athletic player for a defensive tackle. Mark has great knowledge of the game. He has the mental and physical abilities to play both tackle and end for us."
The final player, Hendrix, will have to sit out next season after playing in seven games last year for Tennessee in his freshman season before transferring to Pitt. According to Rivals, Hendrix was highly coveted coming out of high school as he was rated the number five strong-side defensive end in the country. After sitting out the upcoming season, Hendrix will have three years of eligibility remaining.
I would thank all the schools that showed interested in me. I am eager to begin the next stage of my college career at Pitt !!!
— Blessed (@blessed_1947) April 27, 2015
"Dewayne is an explosive player with big-play capability," Narduzzi said. "We are looking to strengthen our numbers and production at defensive end and Dewayne is a key addition in that regard. In addition to his athleticism, he will also bring great maturity to the position."