Pitt first had some good news when Michigan safety Ray Vinopal transferred from the Wolverines and headed to Oakland. Now the Panthers could be in line to pick up former four-star Penn Hills recruit, Cullen Christian from Michigan as well.
Christian is another Wolverine apparently not happy with the direction of the program. As a result, he's decided to transfer:
By way of the Detroit News, defensive back Cullen Christian confirmed to SuperPreps.com that he has decided to transfer from the Wolverines football program. Despite the fact that he made it through Brady Hoke‘s first spring practice as a head coach, Christian told the website that the coaching change earlier this year was the impetus for his decision.
"Coach (Brady) Hoke is a great guy and I have no issues with him at all," Christian said. "I had meetings with my other coaches and I just didn’t like the direction that they had me going in. I think it is best that I move on and finish my career elsewhere."
So why could Christian end up at Pitt? Well, for starters he's a Western PA kid. But more importantly, he considered Pitt the first time around.
Christian was a highly-rated recruit. Both Scout and Rivals had him as a four-star prospect and Scout ranked him as the No. 3 cornerback in the nation, while Rivals tabbed at No. 8.
Need another reason he may become a Panther? Well, according to Rivals, he was recruited by Tony Gibson at Michigan - the same Tony Gibson on Todd Graham's staff at Pitt.
Adding Christian would be another step in building a top notch secondary and as only a freshman, he'd still have three years of eligibility left.