It came out of nowhere, but Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi revealed that former 4* DB Paris Ford would indeed be eligible for the 2017 season. Narduzzi had Ford come out during his daily Q&A with reporters.

Narduzzi went on to say that Ford had actually been practicing the last few days with the team, but had his players keep it quiet.

As for Paris Ford playing in 2017, Narduzzi added it’d be a “miracle” if Ford didn’t redshirt. However, I’m not sure I buy this. Ford is obviously very late for camp, and has a lot of catching up to do in regards to schemes and the defense, but his talent is off the charts. I would not be surprised in the slightest if Ford appeared in a game by mid-October or so.

However, it’s reasonable for Narduzzi to downplay expectations on a young kid who’s just now getting thrust into the college game. If he doesn’t play, then he has a year to add some weight (one of the few concerns about Ford’s game) and get acquainted. Narduzzi is shown he’s not afraid to burn a redshirt if he thinks a player will help.

Welcome to Pitt finally, Paris.