So if Todd Thomas is really gone, the next logical question is who will take his place?
The obvious answer is that in the starting lineup, it could be freshman Mike Caprara since his insertion into the starting lineup seemed to be what set things off to begin with. But Thomas' departure still leaves a hole on the two deep if Caprara was going to have a spot there anyway.
Per the Post-Gazette's Sam Werner, redshirt sophomore Nicholas Grigsby was the one who stepped in on Wednesday in his absence. Grigsby came to Pitt as a highly-touted linebacker in the 2011 class. He was pursued by many quality programs including Michigan, Michigan State, and Missouri. At the time, he was a four-star recruit as rated by Rivals and rated by them as the 16th best linebacker in the nation.
Him stepping in for Thomas makes sense. Grigsby suited up for Pitt last year in Thomas' absence at the beginning of the season as he recovered from an injury. He played quite a bit, recording 16 tackles combined in the first two games against Youngstown State and Cincinnati. But after Thomas came back, his playing time diminished a good deal and he played only sparingly the rest of the way.
If Thomas follows through and leaves the program, Pitt needs Grigsby to step up in his place.
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