Roster Shake-Up: Seton LaSalle Football Sees Key Transfers Amid Eligibility Battles

With the season weeks away, the Rebels have lost multiple stars to transfers — sparking PIAA eligibility disputes and high-profile debates

Seton Lasalle has seen transfers leave and incoming transfer ruled ineligible, hampering the Rebels preseason preparations. / Seton Lasalle Athletics

Seton LaSalle's football program has seen a lot of movement on its roster as football season quickly approaches.

Tre Littlejohn Joins Penn Hills

The latest move, according to Matt Press of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is that Richard “Tre” Littlejohn left Seton LaSalle to join Penn Hills.

The 5-foot-11 all-conference wide receiver/safety helped the Rebels reach the WPIAL Class 2A title game last season. Littlejohn, a junior, will have to wait and see if he is eligible for the season. 

If Littlejohn is eligible for the regular season, he will have to apply for a hardship waiver to play in the postseason. The WPIAL and PIAA adhere to a strict ruleset when it comes to transfers that are found to be motivated by athletics in some form or fashion.

Understanding the PIAA Transfer Rules

The PIAA has by-laws in place to try and maintain competitive balance and deter recruiting or transferring for athletic purposes. 

If a transfer is deemed to be motivated by athletic purposes a student would be ineligible to play for one year. The school the student is transferring from can elect to not sign off on a transfer.

Even if the original school signs off on the transfer, anyone who transfers after the start of their 10th grade year is ineligible for postseason play for one year unless they get a hardship waiver that demonstrates “exceptional and unusual circumstances.”

Anthony Smith Ruled Ineligible

Anthony Smith, one of the top returning sophomore quarterbacks in the state, will have to sit out for a year after transferring from Southmoreland to Seton LaSalle. The former Scotties’ signal caller passed for 2,110 yards and threw 22 touchdown passes as a freshman.

Southmoreland contested the transfer and the WPIAL ruled the move at least was partially motivated by athletics.

The PIAA upheld the ruling Friday, which was first reported by Chris Harlan of the Tribune Review. A lawyer the family hired to represent Smith, Steve Toprani, wrote on X that he is looking into other avenues to contest the eligibility.

“Proud to have represented @AnthonyMSmith13 before the PIAA hearing panel,” Toprani wrote. “More to come.”

Smith also indicated he wasn’t giving up yet.

“Not over yet…” Smith wrote on X.

Public Pushback from Charlie Batch

Smith’s case drew the attention of Charlie Batch, who is a former Steel Valley High School standout who went on to play for the Steelers and Lions in the NFL.

“So administrators, teachers and COACHES can all move job to job without penalty, but if a player transfers school & it's deemed for athletic purposes, you rule them ineligible,” Batch wrote on X in July. “That’s very unfair. Do the right thing! Let these kids play!”

Khalil Taylor’s Case Still Pending

Khalil Taylor, who is a top-five ranked recruit in Pennsylvania for the Class of 2027, also recently chose to transfer from Seton LaSalle to Pine-Richland. Taylor, a 5-11, 180-pound Penn State recruit, enrolled with the Rams in early August.

If he is granted eligibility for the regular season, Taylor will need a hardship waiver to play in the postseason.

-Josh Rizzo | rizzo42789@gmail.com | @J_oshrizzo