Former Pittsburgh running back Rushel Shell has narrowed his list of possible schools to two candidates: West Virginia and Kentucky, according to ESPN's Brett McMurphy. Shell will take visits to both schools, and will likely make his decision soon afterward.
Shell is looking for a new school after leaving the Pittsburgh program in April. At the time, Shell had the intention of transferring to UCLA, but changed his mind shortly after his decision. There were some reports that Shell initially contacted Pittsburgh with the intent to return, but the reunion fell apart.
West Virginia targeted Shell out of high school, so their interest makes sense. If he transfers to either West Virginia or Kentucky, he'll have to sit out the 2013 season, leaving him with three years of eligibility remaining.
Both West Virginia and Kentucky would seem like solid destinations for his career. Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen likes to air it out in the spread offense, as does Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown, but both programs believe strongly in simply getting the football to playmakers, wherever they are on the field.
Shell carried the ball 141 times for 641 yards and four touchdowns as a true freshman with Pitt last season. He had a per-carry average of 4.6 yards as the primary backup to Ray Graham. He set a state record at Hopewell High School in Aliquippa, Pa., with 9,078 career rushing yards.
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