Football is back, and so are the question marks.
Pat Narduzzi and Pitt start up fall camp Friday morning, 29 days before the Panthers open their 2019 slate against Virginia at Heinz Field. Between now and then, Narduzzi and his staff have more than a few things to figure out, from starters along the offensive line to whether they want to implement tight ends this year. (Hint: they will.)
Here are five story lines to keep an eye on entering camp.
1. What kind of improvements will Kenny Pickett make under new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple?
When Whipple spoke with reporters in February, one month after being hired, he was adamant that an overhaul of the Panthers' offense wasn't necessary. "I mean, they ran the ball unbelievably," Whipple said of the 2018 Panthers.
And that's true. But Whipple is here to remedy a passing offense that was anemic under old OC Shawn Watson. The Panthers ranked 121st in passing yards per game last year, at least partially because they didn't try, logging the third-fewest passing attempts per game (22.57) among Power 5 teams.
At a minimum, Pickett will have more responsibility in 2019 — more opportunity to throw in the new coordinator's offense. In his last five years at UMass, Whipple's quarterbacks averaged 227.5 yards per game. That's not a crazy number; it would have ranked 69th nationally in 2018. But it's far better than Pickett's 140.6 clip last season.
In 2019, Pickett also has talented, experienced wideouts to throw to. Maurice Ffrench, Taysir Mack, Tre Tipton and Aaron Mathews are entering their fourth or fifth years with the program. That familiarity when breaking in a new system ought to be helpful. So will throwing more than 11 times in a game.
2. Will a reliable No. 1 tight end emerge?
Speaking of Whipple and Pickett, the quarterback should be able to hit up a few big bodies in the passing game with confidence.
Whipple actually uses tight ends — a position essentially ignored by Pitt's last three offensive coordinators. Since 2015, Pitt's tight ends have hauled in 119 total receptions (36 in 2015, 37 in 2016, 35 in 2017, 11 in 2018). In five years at UMass, Whipple's tight ends caught 295 passes, averaging 59 a year.
That bodes well for Grant Carrigan, Will Gragg, Nakia Griffin-Stewart and others. Carrigan is listed as the Panthers' No. 1 option on their preseason depth chart, but only so much weight can be put into that. Gragg, who caught five balls last year, was second on the depth chart, while former Rutgers pass-catcher Griffin-Stewart, like his fellow graduate transfers, were left off the preseason two-deep.
Regardless of who it is — maybe true freshmen Kyi Wright or Jason Collier impress — the tight end position will be under the microscope in camp.
3. Pitt's running game is now a question mark, too.
Sure, Pitt ran with the efficiency of a triple-option offense in 2018, boasting Darrin Hall and Qadree Ollison, the program's first pair of 1,000-yard rushers. But both are in NFL training camps now.
AJ Davis, a lightly-used junior, is the expected starter with Todd Sibley Jr., and V'Lique Carter behind him. It's a positive that the Panthers have that figured out, but the trio's first public appearance left much to be desired. Eleven yards on 19 carries between the three of them in Pitt's spring game was, well, bad.
Granted, it was behind a makeshift offensive line. Blockers were drafted, eliminating any real cohesion up front. But that's another part of the equation that's largely unsolved to this point: What will Pitt's starting five look like after losing four starters?
Jimmy Morrissey, who was named to the Outland Trophy watch list, is a sure thing at center, and Bryce Hargrove ought to be considered locked in at left guard. But Carter Warren and Carson Van Lynn will compete at left tackle, Chase Brown and Rasheed Wheeler will go at it at right guard, and Michigan graduate transfer Nolan Ulizio will try to unseat Gabe Houy from the No. 1 spot on the preseason depth chart.
When all else failed on offense in 2018, the Panthers knew they could rely on their offensive line, which was a Jim Moore Award semifinalist, to open holes for established backs to run through. Now as fluidity on the line and in the backfield persists, Pitt will have to build that confidence back up.
4. Linebacker is still up in the air despite preseason depth chart.
Pitt is looking to replace Oluwaseun Idowu at the "Star", Quintin Wirginis at "Mike" and Elijah Zeise at "Money". On their preseason depth chart, the Panthers have former safety Phil Campbell II filling in for Idowu, redshirt junior Chase Pine taking over for Zeise and Saleem Brightwell assuming the mantle at "Mike."
But Brightwell, a senior who started all of 2017 in the middle, also owns No. 1 experience at "Money" on the outside. And Elias Reynolds, who started the final seven games of 2018 at "Mike" in place of an injured Wirginis, sits behind Brightwell on the maybe-too-early depth chart.
So, what happens if Pine falters at the "Money" spot? Does Brightwell slide over, or does Kyle Nunn get a crack? What if Reynolds simply outplays Brightwell? Can Campbell, who was touted in spring camp, hold off Cam Bright? Will Wendell Davis get a look in the middle?
Narduzzi, linebackers coach Rob Harley and defensive coordinator Randy Bates have at least a dozen linebacker combinations to choose from before Pitt plays an ACC Coastal opponent in Week 1. Getting comfortable with one of them is paramount.
5. Could this be Pat Narduzzi's best Pitt defense?
It's way too early to tell at this point, but that's a question many fans are asking as the Panthers enter camp.
We covered the linebackers; they're a versatile bunch that ought to be a strength, not a hindrance. The same can be said for the secondary. Safety Damar Hamlin and cornerback Dane Jackson are seniors with legitimate NFL potential, and Paris Ford — a former four-star safety out of Steel Valley and the No. 51 overall player in the 2017 class, per Rivals — has All-ACC potential opposite Hamlin.
Depth could be a concern up front. After Rashad Weaver and Patrick Jones II, the Panthers need a third and fourth rotational pass-rusher to step up in camp. And there will be a competition between Jaylen Twyman and Keyshon Camp to fill the defensive tackle spot next to Amir Watts.
But if the front four comes together, this has the makings of, at least, a better than above-average unit. Which is an upgrade from what Narduzzi and his staff put together the last four years.
The best scoring defense Pitt ever had in the Narduzzi era was his first season on the job, when the Panthers let up 26.1 per game (57th nationally). With at least five regular-season opponents sporting new quarterbacks in 2019, that ought to be attainable, if not surpassed.
John McGonigal: jmcgonigal@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jmcgonigal9
First Published: August 2, 2019, 11:00 a.m.
