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Former Pitt RB Chris James says he's headed to Wisconsin

Former Pittsburgh running back Chris James is headed to the Big Ten.

James announced Friday that he has landed at Wisconsin. James announced his intention to transfer from Pitt in December.

James is no stranger to the Wisconsin coaching staff. Current Badgers head coach Paul Chryst was Pitt’s head coach during James’ freshman season but left to become the head man at his alma mater. Offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph and running backs coach John Settle also followed Chryst from Pitt to Wisconsin.

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(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

James performed well in his lone season under Chryst, rushing for 437 yards and four touchdowns on 87 attempts while serving as the main backup to ACC Player of the Year James Conner.

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound James’ production dropped as a sophomore under Pat Narduzzi. Despite Conner missing the season with a knee injury, James fell behind Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall on the depth chart and finished with 253 yards on only 56 carries.

After he sits out the 2016 season due to NCAA transfer rules, James will have two seasons of eligibility for the Badgers. Wisconsin’s top two running backs – Corey Clement and Dare Ogunbowale – are both seniors, so James should have a solid chance to earn some carries alongside Taiwan Deal, who rushed for 503 yards and six touchdowns in 2015.

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James told Scout.com he plans to arrive on campus in June for summer workouts.

For more Wisconsin news, visit BadgerBlitz.com.

For more Pittsburgh news, visit Panther-lair.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!