Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 155

Pitt coach Jeff Capel has four scholarships available for the 2019-20 season, and he appears to be saving one of them for junior college guard Ryan Murphy. Pitt is one of 11 schools to make Murphy an offer, according to verbalcommits.com. Murphy, 6-foot-2, 192 pounds, signed with Washington State last...

Pitt coach Jeff Capel has four scholarships available for the 2019-20 season, and he appears to be saving one of them for junior college guard Ryan Murphy. Luke Adams, who was Murphy’s coach at New Mexico Junior College last season, confirmed Pitt has made his former player an offer. Pitt...

Just what the college football world has been missing all these years: A rematch of the 2011-2012 BBVA Compass Bowl between Pitt and SMU. Yes, it’s possible by the 2020 postseason now that the ACC and the AAC are creating a bowl game to be played at Fenway Park in...

With the Pittsburgh Pirates on an eight-game losing streak (the franchise’s longest since 2016) and a day off Monday, this seems like a good time to evaluate what’s gone wrong. Here are five talking points, some that have contributed to the recent slide and a couple that have averted a...

Before Friday night, Bobby Okereke was known merely as a guy who had a sack against Pitt in the Sun Bowl while building a reputation as one of the top inside linebackers available in the NFL Draft. Then, former Plum, West Virginia and Indiananpolis Colts punter Pat McAfee showed up...

If you’re a Pitt fan, feel free to over-react to Bryce McGowens pinning one of his latest tweets atop his page Monday, the one proclaiming he has received a scholarship offer from Panthers coach Jeff Capel. Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Pittsburgh?#H2P pic.twitter.com/u5OGeqv1zw— Bryce McGowens (@BryceMcgowens5)...

Elijah Zeise was standing in line with his fellow graduates Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, getting ready to accept his diploma from the University of Pittsburgh. Suddenly, his phone rang. It was the Los Angeles Chargers, calling to offer Zeise a free agent contract to continue his football career. Nothing...

On the night when several former Pitt players started chasing their NFL dream, coach Pat Narduzzi received a verbal commitment from a rising high school senior. Jaylon Barden, a three-star wide receiver from Macon Ga., announced on his Twitter account that he plans to enroll next year. 1000% Committed... Now...

For 15 NFL seasons in eight major media markets, Gus Frerotte endured incessant questions from waves of reporters. Now, it’s his turn to fire back. In his new venture, he not only will ask the tough questions, he plans to inform and educate. Frerotte, who grew up in Ford City...

Throughout his career, Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley was a winner on many levels, starting four state championship games in Virginia and earning MVP honors in the Big Ten title game in 2016. But the captain of the Nittany Lions fell into the sixth round of the draft, the 197th...

Pitt running back Qadree Ollison waited a bit more than two hours Saturday, but he finally heard his name called in the fifth round of the NFL Draft when he was picked 152nd overall by the Atlanta Falcons. We got 99 problems and Qadree is all of them. ? pic.twitter.com/sWZhsxWjqT—...

West Virginia players went back to back for the second consecutive round Saturday when the Seattle Seahawks took wide receiver Gary Jennings, and the New York Jets selected tight end Trevon Wesco in the fourth round (picks 120 and 121). Jennings, 6-foot-1, 214, enjoyed an outstanding junior season, rising to...

West Virginia quarterback Will Grier and offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste were picked back-to-back near the end of the third round Friday night. Grier, who grew up in Charlotte, N.C., went to the Carolina Panthers with the 101st overall pick and was the fifth quarterback chosen over the first three rounds....

Guard Connor McGovern was the second Penn State player drafted Friday night when he went to the Dallas Cowboys in the third round (No. 91 overall). McGovern, 6-foot-5, 308 pounds, moved between guard and center at Penn State, starting nine games as a freshmen at right guard and all 13...

Running back Miles Sanders, who started only one season at Penn State, became the 17th Woodland Hills graduate to enter the NFL when the Philadelphia Eagles picked him in the second round Friday night. The Eagles chose Sanders with the 53rd overall pick, 10 years after they used the same-numbered...

Albert Guzzo, the athletic director at Charles W. Flanagan High School, was standing near his team’s bench during the Florida Class 8A state championship game against Osceola. During a break, the referee approached Guzzo with a question. “Do you have Osceola’s playbook?” he said. Guzzo tried not to be offended...

Kevin Colbert is in his 20th draft with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and in only three of them has he moved up in the first round to select a player the organization coveted. The Steelers general manager did it Thursday night. He dealt the 20th overall selection, plus a second-round pick...

Devin Bush • Michigan • Inside linebacker 5-foot-11, 235 pounds Where he fits: The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t trade up 10 spots to let this guy watch from the sidelines. If he’s as good as all the hype, the Steelers will plug him right into the middle of their defense. In...

Guard Khameron Davis, who started 23 games as a freshman at Pitt before accepting a lesser role under coach Jeff Capel last season, will transfer to Weber State, the Standard-Examiner of Ogden, Utah, reported. Davis, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, will sit one season and have two years of eligibility remaining. “The...

The Pittsburgh Pirates thrived on strong starting pitching through the first 21 games of the season, even landing in first place for a spell because of it. But when Jordan Lyles failed in a rough five-inning outing, the bats continued to struggle and the bullpen made things worse, the Pirates...

A few pitches before the one that drove him to his knees, Nick Burdi felt a tweak. But nothing like what came next. For the first time since he hurt his arm Monday night throwing a 97 mph fastball, Burdi spoke about the injury Wednesday after the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 11-2...