Inside The Panthers

Former Pitt RB Rodney Hammond Finds New Home

Former Pitt Panthers running back Rodney Hammond has found a new home.

Dominic Campbell

Pitt's Rodney Hammond Jr. (6) at the 89th Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against UCLA, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. Ucla V Pitt Sun Bowl
Pitt's Rodney Hammond Jr. (6) at the 89th Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against UCLA, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. Ucla V Pitt Sun Bowl / GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK
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PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers running back Rodney Hammond Jr. found his new school where he'll play in 2025.

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported that Hammond, who departed for the transfer portal on Dec. 3, will head to FCS program, Sacramento State for his final season of college football.

Hammond came to Pitt from Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, Va. He ran for more than 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns and made six interceptions in the secondary. He committed to Pitt on Nov. 21, 2019, with 247Sports ranking him as a three-star, No. 51 athlete and No. 18 recruit in Virginia, while Rivals had him at No. 13 in his state and No. 38 running back in the Class of 2021. 

He played in 12 games as a true freshman in 2021, with 102 carries for 504 yards and five touchdowns, along with eight catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. His play helped Pitt win their first ACC Championship and made the Peach Bowl. 

Hammond had 17 carries for 100 yards in a win against New Hampshire at home in Week 4 and 16 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown against Duke on the road in Week 10. He also had a touchdown catch against Wake Forest in the ACC Championship game.

He would play in eight games and make two starts at running back in 2022, missing five games after suffering an injury against West Virginia in the season opener. He finished the season with 109 carries for 460 yards and five touchdowns, plus six catches for 73 yards. 

Hammond played in all 12 games and started six in 2023, with 118 carries for a team-high 547 yards and four touchdowns plus eight catches for 60 yards.

Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi named Western Carolina transfer/junior Desmond Reid as the starter for their season opener against Kent State on Aug. 31 at Acrisure Stadium.

Pitt announced prior to the season opener vs. Kent State that Hammond was suspended for an undisclosed reason.

He came back for the North Carolina road game in Week 6, but he hardly featured the rest of the season, allowing him to preserve his redshirt.

Hammond played in four games this season, with just 12 carries for 35 yards and and two receptions for 10 yards. This included the wins at home vs. Cal in Week 7 and Syracuse in Week 9, as well as the loss vs. then ranked No. 20 SMU in Week 10.

Reid had a sensational 2024 regular season, rushing 151 times for 767 yards and four touchdowns, making 47 catches for 564 yards and four receiving touchdowns and making 12 punt returns for 148 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown return vs. Kent State. He also earned All-American honors as an all-purpose back.

Hammond will reunite with Brennan Marion, who coached him in 2021 as a wide receivers coach for Pitt, playing a role in the ACC Championship. Marion also took over as head coach of Sacramento State this past week.

Pitt will have three returning running backs next season in Reid, rising redshirt senior Derrick Davis Jr. and rising redshirt freshman Juelz Goff. They also have incoming freshman in Synkwan Smith out of Roswell High School in Roswell, Ga., Ja'Kyrian Turner out of South Sumter High School in Wildwood, Fla. and Jaylin Brown out of Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Fla.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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