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Pitt defensive end Rashad Weaver may well have played his final game at Pitt, as Matt Zenitz of AL.com reported on Monday night that he had signed with an agent and was not expected to suit up for the season finale against Georgia Tech. The news would also mean Weaver would sit out for any bowl game Pitt elects to take part in this year.
“The expectation is that Pittsburgh star defensive lineman Rashad Weaver won’t play again this season,” Zenitz wrote on Twitter. “[He] has already now signed with an agent.”
The 6’5”, 270-pound edge rusher has the potential to go in the first round of the NFL draft, and he joins fellow Pitt stars Jaylen Twyman and Paris Ford in ending their college careers early to focus on their pro prospects. Twyman opted out of the 2020 season altogether, Ford decided against playing additional college games after Pitt’s 45-3 loss to Notre Dame, and Weaver leaves the team ahead of the regular-season finale.
In 2020, Weaver came back from a torn ACL that sidelined him for the duration of the 2019 season. However, he was not hindered by the injury whatsoever this year and went on to accrue 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in nine games. He ranks 11th in the nation in sacks and third in tackles for losses.
Weaver is projected as a first-round draft selection by Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, who believes he will go to the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 18 overall pick, and Glynn Morgan of NBC Sports, who envisions the Pittsburgh Steelers taking him with the No. 32 overall pick as a potential replacement for Bud Dupree.
Some draft analysts are not as high on Weaver, but many concur with the lofty expectations. ESPN currently ranks Weaver as the No. 8 defensive end in the draft, while Pro Football Focus has him at No. 7 at his position.