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All's not lost without Shell at Pitt

Is it possible that Rushel Shell is not the next Tony Dorsett?

It seems that there was a lot pressure on Shell to take the Pitt Panthers to the national championship like Dorsett.

Shell rushed for 641 yards as a freshman last year, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. That's pretty darn good.

Is it irreplaceable?

I guess we'll now never know what Shell would do after he announced he's transferring.

With all the buzz around Shell, I expected more from him, especially that 79-yard effort in the BBVA Compass Bowl on 25 carries in a loss to Ole Miss.

Maybe that's why he's leaving. Maybe he wants to carve out his own path somewhere else.

Who knows?

I'm not convinced it's a huge blow to the team.

There are other running backs on the roster.

Maybe an incoming freshman, McDowell's James Conner, for example, can fill the roll in Paul Chryst's offense. Conner rushed for 1,680 yards on 155 carries (10.8 per carry average).

It's disappoint news to lose Shell, but wish him well. Hopefully he'll be happier somewhere else and reaches his potential.

It also opens an opportunity for someone at Pitt.

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