Pitt is unlikely to even submit a worthless request for a medical redshirt for him. I certainly haven't seen Narduzzi say they plan to.
I suspect they are exploring options and for the record, the people at Pitt who do this kind of work with NCAA rules are really excellent/smart not morons ....... as you and I agree, it looks from the rules that Hamlin is not a candidate for a medical hardship waiver. There are other waivers such as "Coaches documented misunderstandings" and "Extenuating circumstances" that can be used to save a year of competition but Hamlin doesn't seem to meet those conditions either..... we'll see how it works out ..... maybe Chris Peak can get some info from his contacts.