Pitt Freshman Earns Superstar Comparison
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers might have found a new star at running back in their latest freshman class, if head coach Pat Narduzzi is right.
"I guess young guy when you think about freshmen coming in is Juelz Goff. He has a different gear," Narduzzi said of his newest Panther tailback. "He’s got some of that Izzy Abanikanda speed, I think. We’ll see more. I still haven’t seen enough to say he’s Izzy yet, but he’s shown some really good things."
It's not easy to live up to that comparison. Abanikanda accounted for 1,577 total yards and 21 touchdowns his final season at Pitt before the New York Jets drafted him. But Goff has the physical traits to live up to the hype, if his high school tape is any indication.
Goff totaled 222 carries, 1623 yards and 31 rushing touchdowns in just nine games in the closing act of his high school career. On the average Friday night, he was totting the rock 25 times, for 180 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He left Central York as the district's Offensive Player of the Year and all-time leading rusher. He has track star speed - a 10.8-second 100-meter dash time that would have ranked among the top 10 at the 2021 US Olympic trials - as just a senior in high school.
The Panthers have a deep running backs room, led by Rodney Hammond and Daniel Carter, but Goff could break out sooner than later with his speed leading the way.
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