Senior defensive end Ejuan Price will be nearly 24-years-old by the end of next football season, but he still would like to play in 2016, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said Monday.
Price played in only six games from 2012-2014 while rehabilitating pectoral, back and chest injuries, and he could be eligible for a sixth year of eligibility.
“We've talked about it,” Narduzzi said. “He told me he'd like to come back.”
Price, who graduated from Woodland Hills in 2011, would need to petition the NCAA for an extra year at the end of the season. The bottom line is that Pitt may need Price next year. Through nine games this season, he has recorded a variety of big plays and leads the team in tackles for a loss (11), sacks (5 1⁄2) and quarterback hurries (six) while also adding a fumble return for a touchdown, pass breakup, forced fumble and blocked kick.
“He hasn't had a lot of opportunitites (in previous seasons),” Narduzzi said. “I think he's having fun. He hasn't played for two years and there are some things he needs to clean up, but he does a lot of big things.”
• Price was named ACC co-defensive lineman of the week, along with North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb. Price returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown and had eight tackles, two sacks and 2 1⁄2 TFLs.
• Narduzzi said there are no plans — now or in the future — to move freshman strong safety Jordan Whitehead permanently to offense. Whitehead was named ACC rookie of the week after scoring two touchdowns as a tailback against Notre Dame. Whitehead may be Pitt's best player on defense; he is the team's leading tackler with 73, 20 more than runner-up linebacker Matt Galambos. “If we don't have him back there, I wonder what the yardage looks like and the points look like,” Narduzzi said. Whitehead will continue to play on both sides of the ball, however. Now that there is more depth at safety, with a healthy Reggie Mitchell joining Terrish Webb and Patrick Amara, Whitehead may get a few breaks from defense while offensive coordinator Jim Chaney works him into his game plan. Pitt hasn't had a freshman lead the team in tackles since free safety Ramon Walker in 1999. Walker, a redshirt freshman, totaled 131 tackles.
• There have been 10 Pitt players named ACC players of the week — at least one after every game, except North Carolina.
• The ACC announced that Pitt's game against Louisville on Nov. 21 at Heinz Field will begin at either 3:30 or 3:45 p.m. and be televised on one of three platforms (ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPNews). Final plans will be released after Saturday's games.
http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/9409087-74/price-pitt-narduzzi
Price played in only six games from 2012-2014 while rehabilitating pectoral, back and chest injuries, and he could be eligible for a sixth year of eligibility.
“We've talked about it,” Narduzzi said. “He told me he'd like to come back.”
Price, who graduated from Woodland Hills in 2011, would need to petition the NCAA for an extra year at the end of the season. The bottom line is that Pitt may need Price next year. Through nine games this season, he has recorded a variety of big plays and leads the team in tackles for a loss (11), sacks (5 1⁄2) and quarterback hurries (six) while also adding a fumble return for a touchdown, pass breakup, forced fumble and blocked kick.
“He hasn't had a lot of opportunitites (in previous seasons),” Narduzzi said. “I think he's having fun. He hasn't played for two years and there are some things he needs to clean up, but he does a lot of big things.”
• Price was named ACC co-defensive lineman of the week, along with North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb. Price returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown and had eight tackles, two sacks and 2 1⁄2 TFLs.
• Narduzzi said there are no plans — now or in the future — to move freshman strong safety Jordan Whitehead permanently to offense. Whitehead was named ACC rookie of the week after scoring two touchdowns as a tailback against Notre Dame. Whitehead may be Pitt's best player on defense; he is the team's leading tackler with 73, 20 more than runner-up linebacker Matt Galambos. “If we don't have him back there, I wonder what the yardage looks like and the points look like,” Narduzzi said. Whitehead will continue to play on both sides of the ball, however. Now that there is more depth at safety, with a healthy Reggie Mitchell joining Terrish Webb and Patrick Amara, Whitehead may get a few breaks from defense while offensive coordinator Jim Chaney works him into his game plan. Pitt hasn't had a freshman lead the team in tackles since free safety Ramon Walker in 1999. Walker, a redshirt freshman, totaled 131 tackles.
• There have been 10 Pitt players named ACC players of the week — at least one after every game, except North Carolina.
• The ACC announced that Pitt's game against Louisville on Nov. 21 at Heinz Field will begin at either 3:30 or 3:45 p.m. and be televised on one of three platforms (ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPNews). Final plans will be released after Saturday's games.
http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/9409087-74/price-pitt-narduzzi
