Ask any defensive coach, and they’ll likely tell you a good defense is built from the inside out.
Quality skill players and linebackers are great, but a sturdy defensive line makes them better.
For Pitt, that unit will be anchored by a group of interior players looking to make their mark in new coach Pat Narduzzi’s defensive scheme.
The Panthers defense went through its share of struggles last season, and the defensive line, particularly the tackles, were no different.
Pitt’s defensive tackles combined for 78 tackles — fewer than the top 200 Division I players had on their own — with 10 tackles for loss and 3 sacks.
“Everybody’s counting us out, doubting us from last year,” said defensive tackle Darryl Render, who was responsible for the lion’s share of that production.
“But we’ve just got to come out, do what we’ve got to do and keep it strong.”
The good news is that Pitt will return all its interior defensive linemen from last season, headlined by Render, now a senior.
While he’s looking forward to playing in Narduzzi’s system, the attitude change from the coaching staff has been the biggest adjustment.
“It’s not that it’s different, I just think it’s more exciting, more fun,” Render said. “Everybody’s enjoying it, everybody wants to make a play.”
As a senior, Render said he’s hoping to become a better leader for his unit. That doesn’t necessarily mean yelling instructions in every huddle, but it does mean showing his younger teammates how it’s done.
“I see consistency from him, I see great effort from him, I see durability from him,” defensive line coach Tom Sims said. “There’s some technical things that we all need to work on, starting with his coach. Hopefully, we can get those things corrected, but I’m very pleased with his progress to this point.”
The more intriguing question, though, is who will be next to Render when Pitt opens the season Sept. 5 against Youngstown State.
Redshirt senior K.K. Mosley-Smith started the spring with the first team, but has since been passed by junior Tyrique Jarrett.
Jarrett, who played in only eight games last year, has drawn rave reviews from coaches this spring as a player who has taken a step forward.
“I’m really thankful,” Jarrett said. “I believe that this is a fresh start and this is a new chance for me. There’s big things out there for me.”
One of the biggest limiting factors for Jarrett last year was his endurance. At 337 pounds, he is one of the biggest players on Pitt’s roster. That size is an asset when it comes to clogging running lanes, but could be an obstacle when it comes to staying on the field for long stretches.
Jarrett’s goal this offseason is to get down to 330 pounds or perhaps 325 by working hard at his conditioning and loading up on as many salads as he can.
“He’s a big man, and we’re going to do it by committee,” Sims said. “There won’t be four guys out there going 100 plays, but we expect him to carry a substantial amount of the load if he continues to develop in that direction.”
Sam Werner: swerner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @SWernerPG.
First Published: April 15, 2015, 4:00 a.m.