Malik Newton enters transfer portal after medical DQ at Pitt

Former Pitt running back Malik Newton was medically disqualified from playing at Pitt in March, and on Tuesday, he decided to enter the transfer portal and seek an opportunity to continue his athletic career at another school.

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi did not disclose the reason for the medical disqualification, but he noted that Newton was still a member of the team and would get a chance to earn a degree if he decided to remain at Pitt.

“I’m not going to get into what it is,” Narduzzi told reporters on a Zoom call back in March. “But I feel bad for Malik and his family. You come mid-year to college, you think you are going to play football. We got some of the greatest doctors in the world in Pittsburgh, and they find out some things that are not going to allow him to play football at Pitt.”

The 5’11”, 225-pound running back was a member of Pitt’s 2021 recruiting class, and he enrolled early in hopes of making an impact as a freshman. When he committed last May, Newton was considered the No. 20 running back in the 2021 class, and he chose Pitt over the likes of Clemson, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech.

Prior to his commitment to Pitt, Newton was a star at Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk, Virginia, where he ran for 2,060 yards and 32 touchdowns on 213 carries in 2019. And thanks to his contributions, Lake Taylor went 14-2 and won a state championship.

At this point, it is unclear where Newton may end up. It is also unclear if the freshman will face any restrictions over the medical issues detected at Pitt at his next destination.