Dontez Ford transfers from Syracuse to Pitt

Pitt picked up some talent this week when safety Dontez Ford from Syracuse decided he would transfer to Pitt. Ford will walk on to Pitt and sit out this year due to NCAA transfer rules.

So why the decision to transfer? As of Wednesday, Ford wasn't saying.

Here's the deal. Ford was a safety at Syracuse and redshirted last season, but will reportedly play wide receiver at Pitt. But it's apparently not his first time playing the position in college:

Ford spent most of the season on the scout team defense, although at times he moved over to offense when the Orange was preparing for a team such has Rutgers that had multiple big, physical receivers. In that role Ford displayed great hands and an ability to catch the ball in traffic.

Good to know.

Ford was a three-star recruit according to Scout, but given only two-stars by Rivals. Both sites say that his offers were from Syracuse, Akron, Temple, and Vanderbilt.

One good thing to like about this transfer, other than the potential of Ford, is that he's a young player. This isn't a Tom Savage deal where he'll be at Pitt for a season. After sitting out this year, the Panthers will have him around for three seasons. Whether he can compete for playing time is another story, but it's hard to complain about getting a former three-star recruit as a walk-on.

Want more on Ford? Here was a good article on ESPN all about him turning his life around.