Fall camp is in the bag, and game week is here.
Pitt opens its season against ACC Coastal foe Virginia — the media's pick to win the division — on Saturday night at Heinz Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on the ACC Network.
And after Monday, everyone has a better idea of how Pitt will line up against the Cavaliers. The Panthers released their Week 1 "probable" two-deep depth chart, the culmination of three weeks of fall camp.
Let's break it down.
Quarterback
1. Kenny Pickett
2. Nick Patti or Jeff George Jr.
Now a junior, itching to let it fly in Mark Whipple's offense, Pickett is the unquestioned leader of Pitt's offense. The only question is, who would come in should something happen to him?
It's either Patti, a redshirt freshman, or George, a fifth-year senior. The latter has experience on his side, starting nine games at Illinois before moving on to Michigan and then the Panthers. But there's not enough to separate the two.
"We're still looking at that," Narduzzi said. "We'll figure that one out."
As expected, true freshman and former four-star signal-caller Davis Beville did not make the depth chart.
Running back
1. A.J. Davis or Todd Sibley Jr.
Only two running backs were listed because it's, you know, a two-deep. But expect more than just Davis and Sibley to get carries in this offense.
Former four-star prospect Mychale Salahuddin looked "rusty" in last weekend's scrimmage, according to Narduzzi, so he might not contribute much Week 1. But the talent is there.
Don't sleep on freshman Vincent Davis, either, an undersized yet speedy option who operated in an air raid system at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Florida.
Wide receiver
1. Taysir Mack, Tre Tipton, Maurice Ffrench
2. Aaron Mathews, Dontavius Butler-Jenkins, John Vardzel
Mack and Ffrench were locks, and Tipton gets the nod as Pitt's third starter. "He's been special," Narduzzi said of Tipton. "I think he's going to make a lot of big plays. He's running routes better than he's ever run."
Expect Butler-Jenkins and Mathews to get plenty of snaps, too, with the former garnering praise from Narduzzi during fall camp. As for Mathews, wideouts coach Chris Beatty said the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder's frame could be prove useful in "tighter alignments."
Vardzel, a redshirt freshman from North Allegheny, makes a somewhat surprising appearance on the depth chart after little buzz during camp. Shocky Jacques-Louis' absence is noteworthy, but Narduzzi said he will play.
Tight end
1. Will Gragg
2. Nakia Griffin-Stewart
3. Grant Carrigan
Griffin-Stewart, a graduate transfer from Rutgers, and Carrigan, a redshirt sophomore, will still get looks in Whipple's offense. But the Pitt staff could have slapped an "or" after all three of those names. It's telling that it didn't.
Narduzzi was high on Gragg when asked about the former Arkansas transfer, who had five catches as a reserve in 2018.
"He can stretch the field, I can tell ya that," Narduzzi said. "He's a guy who caught a lot of balls in camp, which, a tight end catching the ball, that's kinda unheard of the last couple of years. He's done a nice job. ... Defenses are going to have to deal with his speed down the field."
Offensive line
1. LT: Carter Warren; LG: Bryce Hargrove; C: Jimmy Morrissey; RG: Gabe Houy; RT: Nolan Ulizio
2. LT: Carson Van Lynn; LG: Brandon Ford; C: Owen Drexel; RG: Jake Kradel or Chase Brown; RT: Jerry Drake Jr.
From Day 1 of fall camp to now, the starting offensive line has remained the same. That kind of solidity — the staff showing resolve and not tinkering with anything — is a good sign. Especially when the Panthers are tasked with replacing four starters from 2018.
Narduzzi guaranteed that behind those five up-front, Pitt will be able to run the ball. The coach also said he likes the group's chemistry. But even he isn't totally sure how Warren (zero career appearances), Hargrove, Morrissey, Houy (one career start at tackle) and Ulizio (Michigan grad transfer) will perform against the Cavaliers.
"We're going to find out. The test is 7:30 p.m. on Saturday," Narduzzi said. "I feel comfortable with where our offensive line is. I really do. But we'll find out if they get an A, B, C or D. I don't think it's going to be an F."
Defensive end
1. Patrick Jones III; Deslin Alexandre
2. John Morgan or Kaymar Mimes; Habakkuk Baldonado
No surprises here. A lot is expected of Jones (7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks in 2018), and when Rashad Weaver went down in camp with a season-ending ACL injury, Alexandre was immediately named his successor. He'll have a tall task in Week 1, trying to help keep Virginia dual-threat quarterback and Heisman Trophy dark horse Bryce Perkins contained.
Alexandre won't be alone. Prior to Weaver's injury, defensive line coach Charlie Partridge said he needed four pass-rushers for a healthy rotation. Baldonado possesses the desired size (6-feet-5, 250 pounds) — but like Alexandre, the redshirt freshman has little in-game action to his name.
Judging by camp compliments from the coaching staff and teammates, Morgan seems to have the inside track on being Jones' primary backup.
Defensive tackle
1. Jaylen Twyman; Amir Watts or Keyshon Camp
2. David Green or Tyler Bentley; Devin Danielson
This shouldn't shock anyone, either. Sure, Watts started 10 games last year and is a senior. But Twyman might have been the most impressive player in fall camp.
"He's about as focused as you can get a guy to be focused," Narduzzi said two weeks ago. "It's amazing, his desire out there on the field."
So yes, Twyman's spot as a first-teamer is expected. And come Saturday, Watts will likely get those first reps alongside him, with Camp pushing behind those two.
By way of depth, Pitt would have to rely on a trio of redshirt freshmen — Green, Danielson and Bentley — if anything happened to the Panthers' top three.
Linebacker
"Star": 1. Cam Bright or Phil Campbell III
"Mike": 1. Elias Reynolds or Saleem Brightwell
"Money": 1. Kylan Johnson; 2. Chase Pine
Before we get into it, a quick refresher on these linebacker terms: "Mike" is the middle linebacker, "Star" is the coverage-based linebacker on the wide side of the formation, and "Money" is the short-side linebacker.
In the middle, there has been little separation between Reynolds (seven starts at "Mike" in 2018) and Brightwell (12 starts at "Mike" in 2017). The latter topped the pre-camp depth chart, which is primarily based on spring ball. A 50-50 split in snaps on Saturday night is not out of the question at "Mike" — and "Star," too, for that matter.
At "Money," Johnson joined the team and won a starting job in three weeks. Impressive stuff for the Florida transfer. Keep Pine in mind, though. He started at "Mike" in the Sun Bowl and has versatility for linebackers coach Rob Harley.
Cornerback
1. Dane Jackson; Jason Pinnock or Damarri Mathis
2. Erick Hallett
Jackson, one of three team captains, is a no-brainer. It gets interesting at the other corner spot, though.
On Aug. 2, Narduzzi and defensive backs coach Archie Collins expressed confidence in both Pinnock and Mathis. The head coach said then that the Panthers really have three starting corners, and he echoed the same on Monday.
When Pitt breaks its traditional 4-3 setup and adds a nickel corner, expect all three on the field at once. Pinnock said at media day that he played nickel against UCF in 2018 and feels he "can do it all." Collins thinks Mathis has "the twitch" to play nickel, as well.
Collins said Mathis and Pinnock played equal reps in 2018. Saturday's snap counts will tell a lot about how the coaching staff view the corner battle this year.
Safety
Free: 1. Damar Hamlin; 2. Therran Coleman
Strong: 1. Paris Ford; 2. Jazzee Stocker
Hamlin and Ford, WPIAL standouts and longtime friends, will start next to each other against the Cavaliers. But Stocker is going to play.
Similar to Pitt's situation at corner, Narduzzi feels like Stocker is a third starter at safety. "We can rotate those guys," the coach added. "We can keep them fresh."
Stocker — who had 43 tackles and an interception against Notre Dame in 2018 — is a viable option at safety should something happen to Ford, whether that's health or performance-based. Stocker could also spell Hamlin, if needed.
"I'm bouncing Stock around, and he feels comfortable in both spots," safety coach Cory Sanders said last week. "He's been doing well."
John McGonigal: jmcgonigal@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jmcgonigal9
First Published: August 26, 2019, 8:25 p.m.
