Pittsburgh head coach Paul Chryst announced Wednesday that Trenton Coles has decided to leave the school and will transfer prior to the upcoming season. Coles, a three-star recruit from Clairton High (PA), played in 11 games a season ago, and despite recording only nine tackles, was expected to be an essential part of a thin Panthers secondary.
The Panthers now return just one player with any prior playing experience in the defensive backfield, and will lean heavily on underclassmen to fill the voids left by Coles and his high school teammate Titus Howard, who was suspended earlier this summer for undisclosed reasons.
Wisconsin transfer Reggie Mitchell should step into Coles’ cornerback spot and two freshmen will be thrust into the limelight of Heinz Field.
*Section Photo credit to Charles LeClaire, USA Today Sports; Feature Photo (above) credit to Bob Donaldson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
