One of the really good things announced by Coach Wannstedt at the start of camp was this.

The final grades from summer school are beginning to come in.

I do have great news. We have nine scholarship seniors: Dan Hutchins and Tyler Tkach have already graduated. Greg Romeus, Greg Cross and Ricky Gary will all be graduating this week as well, so five of our nine scholarship seniors on the entire team will have their degrees going into their senior year. Jabaal Sheard and Dom DeCicco were not redshirted, so they’re progressing and will need the full four years to finish up.

That’s outstanding that some seniors have or will already have graduated before the season has started. It’s so easy to gloss over the educational part of this. No, that isn’t why they were recruited, and most of the time it has little to do with what school they chose. But to make it to their senior year and be on track or already with enough credits to graduate, that is a credit to them for taking the student aspect serious enough.

Then there are the top players at Pitt with their own websites and attention, getting some more.

Three Pitt football players have been selected preseason candidates for the Maxwell Football Club’s most prestigious awards, it was announced today.

Pitt junior receiver Jon Baldwin (JonBaldwin82.com) and sophomore running back Dion Lewis (DionLewis28.com) have been named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, annually presented to the “outstanding collegiate football player in America,” while senior defensive end Greg Romeus (GregRomeus91.com) has been named a candidate for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which honors the nation’s top defensive player.

The Maxwell Award has been presented since 1937 and is named in honor of sportswriter Robert W. “Tiny” Maxwell. The Chuck Bednarik Award, named after the College and Pro Football Hall of Famer, has been presented since 1995.

Not surprising that they are on the lists.