Freshman Dodson transfers

Darnell Dodson, a 6-foot-7 small forward from the Washington, D.C., area, transferred on… Darnell Dodson, a 6-foot-7 small forward from the Washington, D.C., area, transferred on Tuesday after failing to clear NCAA Clearinghouse eligibility rules.

Dodson was not allowed to practice with Pitt and, because he had already taken classes at the University, was not allowed to go to prep school for a year. He will head to Miami Dade Junior College in Florida.

Dodson was part of Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon’s highly touted 2007 recruiting class. Along with Dodson, Pittsburgh native DeJuan Blair, Brad Wanamaker, Gary McGhee and junior college transfer Cassin Diggs formed one of the nation’s top classes. Dodson’s shooting range and length as a perimeter player made him an attractive candidate for playing time in the 2008-09 season, particularly with the graduation of senior Ronald Ramon.

Dodson’s sharpshooting would’ve supplanted the absence of Ramon. Three recruits have already verbally committed to Pitt for the 2008-09season, but none of them are outside scoring threats.

Dodson, who is still 17 years old, could return to the Panthers in the future, but would not be eligible for reinstatement until 2009-10.