Pitt RB Rushel Shell Transferring to West Virginia

The West Virginia Mountaineers weren’t able to commit star running back Rushel Shell when he first came out of high school, but they’ve got him now.

Shell, who set the all-time mark for rushing yards in the state of Pennsylvania during his high school career, was recruited by West Virginia, but decided to play his college ball for the Pittsburgh Panthers. However, after just one season, he’s making a change.

According to ESPN.com, has decided to transfer to West Virginia following a visit to the Morgantown campus on Monday. Shell officially left the Pitt program last spring and considered UCLA and Kentucky as possible landing spots, but chose WVU so that he and his two young daughters would be closer to home.

“Things went really well down at WVU,” Shell said. “I enjoyed every moment of it. We toured the campus and facilities, and I got a chance to hang out with other recruits and players on the team. They made my visit terrific and made me feel like family.”

Shell will have to sit out the 2013 season, but he has three years of eligibility left starting in 2014 and should give the Mountaineers solid production at the running back position for the future. This year, West Virginia will be handing the ball to its other high-profile transfer, Charles Sims. Sims has one year of eligibility left after coming over from the University of Houston.

As a true freshman last season, Shell provided the Panthers with some explosiveness in a backup role, as he carried the ball 141 times for a total of 641 rushing yards (4.5 per carry). He also scored four touchdowns and racked up a little more than 100 receiving yards, appearing in 12 games last year.

Coming off a disappointing 6-7 season, it will be tough for the Panthers to stand out in their first year in the crowded and very competitive ACC, but if they continue to bring in talented playmakers like Shell, they may be able to rebuild their once prestigious football program.