At least three players will be transferring out of Pittsburgh’s football program this offseason.
Safety Pat Amara, linebacker Jamal Davis and running back Chris James have each decided to transfer. All three were originally members of the Panthers’ 2014 signing class.
Amara saw action in all 12 of Pitt’s regular-season games this fall, registering 14 tackles and a pass breakup. Despite starting at safety early in the season, he was eventually relegated to backup duties as true freshman Jordan Whitehead claimed the starting spot and had one of the most productive years of any defensive back in the ACC.
— Pat Amara Jr. (@_PatLiveFrom215) December 11, 2015
Davis, who logged one tackle in the 10 games in which he played, also announced his transfer plans via social media, noting “I just know it’s somewhere else I can be so much more productive at.” The 6-2, 225-pound linebacker redshirted last year.
Going into the season, James was listed on the depth chart as the Panthers’ No. 2 running back. But even after starter James Conner went down for the year with a knee injury in the team’s first game, James never became the feature back in the offense.
James battled injuries early in the fall and missed a pair of games. Both redshirt freshman Qadree Ollison — who took over as the lead back during Conner’s absence — and true freshman Darrin Hall carried the ball more often than James in the regular season. After rushing 87 times for 437 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie, James finished with 267 yards on 56 carries as a sophomore.