MJ Devonshire did not have to spend long in the NCAA transfer portal to find his new home.
The former Wildcat cornerback entered the portal on Dec. 17 and has now settled on Pittsburgh as his transfer destination.
”It’s just a relief to make this decision and that I’m going to Pitt,” Devonshire told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “I’m ready to get started, get there to learn the system and get started on fulfilling my dream of getting to the NFL.”
Devonshire returns to his home state. The 5-11, 182-pound defensive back, was a 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, coming out of Aliquippa (Pennsylvania) High School. He committed and signed with Kentucky on Feb. 6, 2019.
Devonshire had a limited impact during his UK career. Devonshire had five tackles and a pass deflection in three games in 2019, taking a redshirt by playing under four games. This season, he had only one tackle and one pass deflection in eight games for the Wildcats.
He told Pittsburgh Sports Now that UK’s scheme did not fit his playing style.
”Being two years older, I’ve learned some things. I had never been to a Kentucky game. I never watched their games and really walked in blindly and just went by what they said, ‘we play this, we play this,” he said. “At Aliquippa, we played press man coverage every play. At Kentucky it was different than what I was told. When I entered the portal, I knew this time that I had to know exactly what each team played. I then watched a lot of film on Pitt and saw they played a lot of press man, which is my strong suit and really fits me well.”
Pitt’s pitch resonated with Devonshire.
”When Pitt contacted me, honestly, they kept it real. They never tried to sell me something that wasn’t believable or true,” said Devonshire. “From the beginning, they told me we’re not going to promise you a starting position but you’ll have a chance to compete for a starting spot and that’s all I ever wanted. I just want a fair shot and an opportunity. If I compete and someone is better than me, than I can live with that. Them telling me that I’d have a legitimate chance to compete and start is something that really sold me. My whole life that’s all I’ve ever wanted, whether it was football, basketball or whatever is a chance and I’ll get that at Pitt.”
With the NCAA deciding that 2020 does not count against anyone’s eligibility, Devonshire has four years remaining.
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
