Inside The Panthers

Pitt's Dayon Hayes Officially Enters Transfer Portal

The former Pitt Panthers star is officially in the transfer portal.

Stephen Thompson

Oct 23, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Dayon Hayes (50)
Oct 23, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Dayon Hayes (50) / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers defensive end Dayon Hayes' exit from the program was messy but now it is complete and everyone can start to move on.

According to a report from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Hayes is now officially in the transfer portal, ending his time at Pitt for good. Hayes entered the portal as a graduate and will begin looking for his new home to play out the remainder of his college career.

Hayes' decision to transfer from Pitt was enough to rile up Panther fans on its own and that's before his comments about the state of the team motivating him to leave became public. Chris Carter of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported that Hayes said Pitt was currently in a "developmental stage" and he doesn't "believe we can win now."

Hayes issued an apology to Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi and his teammates for those comments later that night.

Hayes was one of the most disruptive players along the defensive line for the Panthers last season, but his numbers and that of the whole unit lagged behind what this program has become accustomed to seeing from it's front seven. Hayes led the team in tackles for loss with 10.5 and was third in sacks with 4. He made 45 total tackles and defended four passes.

Hayes leaves behind a thin defensive end room. He was projected to start this season alongside Kansas State transfer Nate Matlack, but now, with fellow veteran Nate Temple out for the season with a lower body injury, it falls upon an inexperienced group comprised of Jimmy Scott, Sincere Edwards and others to fill in the gaps.

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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