New football head coach Todd Graham wasted no time in showing he was serious about cracking down on players as starting tight end Mike Cruz was suspended on Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Cruz subsequently left the team and Pitt will apparently be without its 2010 starter.
Cruz’ loss will be a fairly significant one for the team. He was expected to contribute and, with a year of experience under his belt, he could have been a major part of the offense this year.
The good news for Pitt is that there are some guys ready to step in and take his place. Brock DeCicco who made a few appearances last season, will get some playing time. The Panthers also have Hubie Graham, who transferred from Illinois in 2009. Graham, a former four-star recruit out of Scranton, played sparingly for the Illini and sat out last season for Pitt. He’ll be in the mix and could even get the chance to start.