I’m not too surprised by this.

Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt does not intend to release back-up quarterback Joe Flacco from his scholarship should Flacco decide to transfer.

Flacco, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound sophomore, has expressed a desire to transfer, but, according to Wannstedt, has not made an official request for a release.

“We’ve told him, ‘We want you back and we aren’t going to give you a release to another team,’ ” Wannstedt said Friday. “He hasn’t said he’s leaving. He has talked about the possibility of not returning, but he hasn’t taken the next step.

“Joe’s an important part of the team. I told him we need him, and I told his father the same thing.”

If Flacco had expressed a desire to transfer in January or February, he probably would have been freed. That’s a general courtesy extended to some players when there is a new coaching change.

Also, with Wannstedt still just settling into the job, he likely would have been a little more flexible about things.

Of course it is all still speculation since Flacco hasn’t actually asked for a release or stated that he is transferring.

Unlike Luke Getsy, from last year, Flacco has no logical school where he can transfer. He’s from New Jersey, and Walt Harris is now at Stanford. It’s unlikely he wants to go across the country, who knows if he has the academics to transfer to Stanford, and who says Harris wants him?

Still, I will blatantly hedge by saying, I’ve been wrong plenty of times before, and don’t see any reason for that to change.