Few people can say they’ve watched more ACC football in the past decade than Wes Durham. Durham’s voice has been heard during hundreds of gridiron broadcasts, serving as one of the league’s primary announcers.
Durham’s familiarity has allowed him to make his own observations year in and year out about the teams he covers. And during the ACC Network’s visit to Pitt’s practice Wednesday, Durham shared an observation with reporters that perhaps echoes a feeling some Panthers fans have been voicing for years.
“Here we are — it’s August and nobody is talking about Pitt again,” Durham said with a smile. “It’s almost like an annual rite — two-a-days and nobody talks about Pitt.”
Contrary to his analysis, Durham and his colleagues had much to say about Pitt’s program, claiming the Panthers have gone from conference newcomer to routine title threat under Pat Narduzzi. Both Durham and his broadcast partner, Mark Richt — who is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame’s 2023 class thanks to his coaching efforts at Georgia and Miami — believe Pitt’s sustained ability to compete within the league is a credit to the program’s established culture.
“The guys here, you can tell, trust the staff,” Richt said. “When you have a history of success at a certain position group, first of all, that attracts guys in the recruiting process, but then, when they start to see the standard of what it takes from their teammate, when they see the work, they know what they have to do. When you set a certain standard that the players understand and they’re the ones pushing, instead of the coaches, that’s when you have a special program, and that’s what is happening here at Pitt.”
For some regional and national outlets, the focus on Pitt’s 2023 team is on the talent it's forced to replace. While networks and publications have highlighted player success stories like Kenny Pickett, Calijah Kancey, Israel Abanikanda and others, it’s typically followed by the question of how that high-end production will be regenerated. Durham, however, has no such worries.
“That’s a big part of who this program is,” Durham said. “Their player development is second to none.”
Earlier this month, the ACC revealed its preseason football poll, where Pitt was picked to finish tied for sixth with Duke. But Durham and ACC Network analyst EJ Manuel have much higher expectations for the Panthers.
“I expect [Pitt] to be involved in this,” Durham said. “I think that it was easy for us all to pick Clemson and Florida State in some order, but then the question was, ‘Who is going to be the third-best team?’ They’re clearly capable of being the third-best team in this league, maybe even one or two depending on what happens around them.”
“I think Pitt is a team that is going to compete for the ACC championship,” Manuel, a former standout quarterback at Florida State, told the Post-Gazette on Wednesday afternoon over the phone. “Don’t get me wrong — everyone is extremely high on Florida State right now. Everyone is high on Clemson because they’re the defending champs and they still look the part, but being here in Pittsburgh, there’s just something about the way this team is taught.”
Durham, Richt and Manuel each pointed out Pitt’s 2023 schedule should allow it to build momentum heading into ACC play. The Panthers will play their first conference game at home against No. 21 North Carolina on Sept. 23, a contest Durham deemed the team’s first “real challenge.”
Noah Hiles: nhiles@post-gazette.com and Twitter @_NoahHiles
First Published: August 16, 2023, 7:36 p.m.
