Pitt Panthers 
2012 Record: 6-7 (3-4, Big East)

OFFENSE

Scheme: Head coach Paul Chryst made his name as an offensive coordinator at Oregon State and then Wisconsin. As you may expect given the pedigree of those schools, Chryst runs a power-running, pro-style offense. This is not your typical “ground and pound” offense, though, as Chryst is all about balance.

Quarterbacks: Chryst and QB coach Brooks Bollinger turned in one of the best coaching performances that no one talked about last year when they took much maligned QB Tino Sunseri and molded him into an efficient game manager. Sunseri threw for 21 touchdowns against just three interceptions and ran the offense with aplomb. While Sunseri did not make many game-changing plays, his steadiness will be missed. Conventional wisdom is that former Rutgers QB Tom Savage will take the reins from Sunseri. Savage had a solid freshman year at Rutgers, but then transferred to Arizona (where he never played) and is now using the grad student rule to finish his career at Pitt. While Savage looks the part at 6-5, 230, he has not played in a game in three years and is surely rusty.

Redshirt freshman Chad Voytik is Savage’s main competition, but he looks the QB of the future rather than the present. He isn’t real big at 6-1, 205, but Voytik was a 4 star recruit who shows off good accuracy and mobility. He clearly outplayed Savage in the spring game, but most think he’ll sit another year while Savage manages the offense.

Running Backs: The Panthers took a big blow when Ray Graham graduated and backup Rushell Shell, a 5 star recruit who looked very good as a true frosh, suddenly decided to transfer to UCLA. Shell then changed his mind, but Chryst told him “no thanks” and Shell eventually decided to transfer to West Virginia. Without their top two rushers, Pitt will now lean on junior Isaac Bennett and sophomore Malcolm Crockett to carry the load.

Bennett has only carried the ball 29 times in two years, but he has the qualities of an every down back with speed, toughness, and he is quick to hit the hole. The question will be his durability. Crockett had 12 carries last year and is very similar to Bennett, but with less speed.

Receivers/Tight Ends: Depth here is pretty lacking, but Pitt returns one of the few legit #1 receivers in the conference. Senior Devin Street (73 receptions, 975 yards, 5 TDs) is a big, consistent wideout who will serve as a security blanket. He is not a deep threat, but he is great at moving the chains. Classmate Ed Tinker has only played in 10 games during his career, but the coaching staff really like his size and smarts. Backups Ronald Jones and Kevin Weatherspoon, both juniors, are smaller, quicker options who can hit the home run.

There is not a lot of proven depth at receiver and the same holds true at tight end, although there is potential upside here. The Panthers have two solid options in sophomore J.P. Holtz (13 recs, 173 yds, 3 TDs) and Wisconsin transfer Manasseh Garner. Holtz was a top recruit who combines soft hands with good blocking. He should push for all-conference honors. Garner only caught 2 passes at Wisconsin, but the coaching staff think he will be a solid addition to the receiving corps and indications in spring were encouraging.

Offensive Line: Once a program defining position, Pitt has annually struggled along the line for what seems years now. This year will be no different with three new starters being broken in and the two returning starters switching to new positions.

The two returning starters, senior Cory King and junior Matt Rotheram, are both moving inside after starting at tackle last year. King started all 13 games at LT, but he struggled in pass protection and the staff thinks he’ll be a better fit at LG. Rotheram is moving from RT to RG and should excel, as his strength is run blocking.

The only lock among the open spots is at LT, where redshirt freshman Adam Bisnowaty has the position locked down. Bisnowaty is a former wrestler who, not surprisingly, uses great leverage. He has a definite learning curve, but could be a diamond in the rough. The other spots are more open. At center, redshirt frosh Gabe Roberts holds a slight lead on sophomore Artie Rowell. Roberts is a former tackle who has the higher upside, but showed growing pains throughout the spring. At RT, junior T.J. Clemmings, who started six games at defensive end in 2012, exited spring ball as the starter, but is being pushed by senior Juantez Hollins, who was expected to push for a starting job last year but was suspended for the season.

DEFENSE

Scheme: Although Chryst is an offense guy, Pitt has made their name in recent seasons on defense and will do the same again this year. Just looking at the depth chart, Pitt is much deeper and talented on defense. Coordinator Matt House, who was promoted from within in the offseason, will continue running a no-frills 4-3 defense. Pitt plays a similar style as FSU did under Mark Stoops: they don’t blitz a lot, but instead rely on the front four to get pressure. The Panthers were a bend but don’t break unit last year and will likely remain so.

Defensive Line: If Pitt has one sure-fire All-ACC candidate at this point, it is DT Aaron Donald. A senior, Donald (64 tackles, 18.5 for loss, 5 sacks) is only 6-0, 275, but he has long arms, quickness, and good strength. Reminiscent of Wake Forest’s Nikita Whitlock, Donald will likely wreak havoc all year. His running mate, senior Tyrone Ezell, is solid. Ezell (39 tackles, 7 for loss, 3.5 sacks) is surprisingly quick for a 300-pounder and is solid at the point of attack. Depth is lacking as only junior Khaynin Mosley-Smith, who has appeared in 26 career games, has much experience.

The big question along the line is at end, where Pitt lacked production last year. Junior Bryan Murphy (27 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 2 sacks) started 12 games last year and flashes intensity and toughness, but he needs to ratchet up his sacks and big plays. Sophomore Devin Cook (14 tackles, 8 for loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles) was a sparkplug as a situational pass-rusher, but there are questions if he has the size (6-4, 235) or motor to be a starter. If not, Ohio State transfer David Durham would start. Durham was a fullback with the Buckeyes, but coaches were impressed with his intensity and attitude during spring ball and have high hopes.

Linebackers: Pitt has some talent and depth here and that could lead to a bit more blitzing if the ends falter. One thing to note, though, is that the Panthers struggled in run defense last year and a lot of that fell on this group. Oddly solid against the pass, this unit needs to improve against the run.

The rock of the group is senior MLB Shane Gordon, a veteran of 36 games and 11 starts. Gordon (48 tackles, 6 for loss, 6 pass breakups) is not the biggest guy, but is steady and smart. His main issue has been staying healthy. Ditto for junior WLB Todd Thomas, who missed four games last year. Thomas (59 tackles, 5 pass breakups) is one of the best athletes on the team, with great closing speed and quickness. Thomas briefly quit the team, but then returned. Coaches and fan surely hope he remains committed. Depth at WLB is great with sophomores Ejuan Price and Nicholas Grigsby getting plenty of playing time the past two years. Price (27 tackles, 6.5 for loss, 4 sacks in 2011) missed last year due to injury, but was solid as a freshman in 2011. Grigsby (27 tackles, 2 starts) was solid stepping in for injured teammates and provides nice depth the coaches can rely on.

The new starter will be at SLB where jack-of-all-trades junior Anthony Gonzalez is penciled in as of now. Gonzalez has played QB, H-back, and safety thus far in his Panther career and now tries out his fourth position. Gonzalez was unsurprisingly raw in spring, but showed athleticism and a willingness to lay the lumber. The coaches think he could be good in time. If he struggles, don’t be surprised to see Price move over from WLB as he has the size to play on the strongside.

Secondary: With three starters back from a unit that ranked 21st in pass efficiency defense last year, this is the strength of the Pitt defense and probably the entire team. Corners K’Waun Williams and Lafayette Pitts are both very good and have NFL potential. Williams (47 tackles, 4 interceptions) is set to start for the third straight year and is a good coverage corner. Pitts (35 tackles, 9 pass breakups) is a great all-around athlete who started all 13 games as a freshman last year. Junior Cullen Christian, a Michigan transfer, was a highly rated recruit in 2010 that will serve as a nickel back and likely take over for Williams next year.

At safety, the Panthers have a returning starter in FS Jason Hendricks, one of the better safeties in the country. Hendricks (90 tackles, 6 ints) is a great athlete who plays the center field role, but is also decent in run support. A big hitter with solid instincts, Hendricks has an NFL future. The new starter at SS should be junior Ray Vinopal, a Michigan transfer who served as a backup last year. Vinopal (14 tackles) is fundamentally sound and smart. More solid than spectacular, Vinopal will likely not make many mistakes. Junior Eric Williams (52 tackles), who started 11 games at linebacker last year, will provide depth and although he is currently listed behind Hendricks, but he could play SS too, if needed.

Special Teams: This is a good news, bad news situation. The good news is senior Matt Yoklic returns to punt. He averaged 41.8 yards per punt last year and has improved every season at Pitt. The bad news is a new kicker needs to be found and neither redshirt frosh Brad Lukasak nor junior Drake Greer emerged in the spring. True frosh Chris Blewitt, rated the #6 kicker, has joined the competition and will push hard for the job.

Schedule: Pitt gets a rough introduction to the ACC, opening the season with FSU on Labor Day. It doesn’t end there, though, as the Panthers must hit the road to face Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech while hosting North Carolina and Miami. A November non-conference date with Notre Dame won’t be easy either. The only positive of the schedule is that beyond the FSU game, Pitt gets to ease into the season with early games against New Mexico, Virginia, and Duke.

Overall: In my opinion, Chryst is a very good coach and he might get this Pitt program headed in the right direction after it stagnated under Dave Wannstedt and Todd Graham. Pitt went 6-7 last year, but one could see improvement as the year wore on. That being said, this team looks like another team that will hover around .500. The Panthers are breaking in a new QB and lack much talent or depth on offense beyond a few players. With the two returning starters shifting to new positions, it is almost as if Pitt will have 5 new starters along the offensive line. If the defense can avoid injuries, they should be solid. The ends need to produce more big plays and the Panthers lack depth at almost all defensive positions except LB, but I still think this Pitt defense will hold their own in the ACC. However, the offense will likely struggle against most of the teams on the schedule. Pitt will probably go bowling again, but likely with a 6-6 record.

Discuss It Here