Pitt got some welcome news in that new cornerback transfer EJ Banks is immediately eligible to play this season. Unlike fellow transfer Brendon Felder from North Carolina, Banks won his waiver for a hardship because of his mother's illness:
↵↵↵"He had a hardship with his family where he was having to be one of the primary caregivers to one of his immediate family members," Graham said. "They granted the waiver based on that."
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"Last fall I found out that my mom was sick, and it was hard for me to be away," Banks said. "She didn't have any way to get around and she had to take off work, so there was a lot of things happening with my family and it was a tough situation for me."
While more depth in the secondary is welcome, it probably shouldn't be expected that Banks will come in and contribute right away. For one thing, he hasn't played in two seasons - one due to injury. In addition, Pitt had been using him sparingly in practices this year because they weren't sure he would win his case
↵Either way, even if Banks doesn't get on the field much in 2011, he should compete for a spot in the secondary next year.
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