Less than a week into summer camp and Pittsburgh’s depth and experience on the defensive side of the ball has taken a non-injury-related hit.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, head coach Paul Chryst confirmed Todd Thomas has decided to leave the Panthers football program. Thomas had been demoted to the second-team defense on the first day of camp, which was apparently the impetus for Thomas’ decision to bolt.
It’s unclear if the redshirt junior will transfer to another program to continue his playing career.
“Should something change, I’ll visit that,” Chryst said. “Obviously, I like Todd and I want what’s best for every one of these kids in the program.”
As the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review noted, Thomas is the 26th player since 2012 who has either left the program or been suspended.
After missing the first four games of the 2012 season as he recovered from a knee injury, Thomas played in nine games, starting seven of those contests. For his career with the Panthers, Thomas played in 19 games and started 13.