Pitt senior linebacker Phil Campbell III decides to return for 2021 season
Pitt senior Phil Campbell III, who has started at star outside linebacker for the past two seasons, announced on Twitter his plans to return for the 2021 season.
#H2P @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/kKVCQue4by
— Phil Campbell III (@PCampell24) December 30, 2020
Campbell is taking advantage of the NCAA handing out a free year of eligibility to all student-athletes after the complications and interruptions caused by covid-19 during the 2020 season.
His decision means Pitt will be well-stocked with experience at linebacker next season. All three linebackers who began the season in the starting lineup are poised to return, including junior Cam Bright and sophomore Wendell Davis.
Also returning are third-team All-ACC selection SirVocea Dennis and senior Chase Pine, who started in the middle while Davis was recovering from an injury.
Campbell, a converted safety, has started 20 games for the Panthers, including all 11 this season. In two seasons, he has totaled 102 tackles, 15 for a loss, with 10 sacks.
A native of Kendall Park, N.J., Campbell (6-foot-1, 220 pounds) played safety during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, starting one game as a redshirt freshman in ‘17.
Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett also has announced plans to use his extra year of eligibility in 2021.
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Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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