PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN ) — Hopewell High School’s Rushel Shell said Friday morning what all Pitt fans have been hoping and praying to hear: he’ll play for Todd Graham and the Pitt Panthers.

Shell immediately becomes the top recruit in Graham’s short history at Pitt. Shell will join quarterback Chad Voytik out of Tennessee, another top recruit, as the future of Graham’s high-octane offense.

Shell hadn’t made his college pick official until Friday, though he did shoot out a few hints along the way. Earlier in the year Shell told the Tribune Review that he wanted to play for “an average team on the rise,” and somewhere he could “try to win a national title.”

His decision came down to two schools — Pitt and Alabama — and the Panthers won out.

Shell stands at 5-foot-10, 210 pounds and is rated among the top five running backs in the entire country. In four years at Hopewell, Shell has rushed for 7,827 yards. He has 1,059 yards and 12 touchdowns this season and can be seen tonight on ESPNU as Hopewell plays Central Valley.

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Chris Gates | Area 4-1-Zoo Blog
Twitter.com/Chris_Gates
Chris.Gates@cbsradio.com