The Rushel Shell saga took its latest turn Monday, and the former five-star running back recruit appears to be on the market once again.
Could Arizona State be back in the mix for the former Todd Graham recruit? Don't count on it. It's longer than a long shot, but we can see why people might wonder.
Shell, the all-time rushing leader in Pennsylvania high school history, committed to Pitt when Graham was the coach and stuck to that commitment when Graham left to take over at ASU.
He rushed for 641 yards and four touchdowns last season in a part-time role as a freshman. After the season, he declared his intention to transfer.
Shell had ASU and Arizona among the schools he was interested in, but Pitt blocked Shell from transferring to both, presumably because of the Graham connection and because Rich Rodriguez's UA staff includes some former Pitt coaches. Shell ultimately decided to transfer to UCLA.
It came to light over the weekend that Shell never enrolled at UCLA, as the Los Angeles Times reported that Shell decided the distance between Los Angeles and Pennsylvania, where his twin daughters reside, was too great. The report indicated Shell hoped to rejoin the Pitt football team.
On Monday, ESPN.com reported that Shell will not return to Pitt and that "the door was never open" for such a return. So Shell is an elite running back without a football home. He'll certainly have suitors, particularly out East, where he would be able to stay close to his daughters.
Any school would have reason to be interested in adding a player of Shell's talent, and ASU would seem an even better fit because of its need for running backs after the 2013 season, but the obstacles are too much to overcome.
Beyond the fact Shell has been blocked from a transfer to ASU, he would also have to pay his own way in 2013 because ASU does not have a scholarship to give. So even if he successfully appealed the block to Pitt's administration (circumventing the athletic department) and/or the NCAA, such a pairing would still be very difficult and perhaps not worth the headaches when Shell couldn't play until 2014 anyway.
Between those challenges and Shell's reported desire to stay close to home, you can see why it's a the longest of long shots. Count on ASU looking elsewhere for talent in the backfield.
