Pittsburgh Football: Projected 2-deep depth chart for 2017
The 2017 Pittsburgh football team has some holes to fill but it’s still ready to rock in the ACC’s Coastal Division.
The Pittsburgh Panthers have a lot of seniors to replace. Quarterback Nathan Peterman and running back James Conner will be a missed presence on offense. The offense ranked 10th in the FBS in points per game (40.9 ppg).
On defense, defensive end Ejuan Price and defensive tackle Shakir Soto are gone as well. The defensive unit gave up a lot of points last season (35.2 ppg). All that could change this upcoming season.
The 2017 season shouldn’t be too difficult for the Panthers to adjust to, however. Redshirt senior Max Browne, formerly of the USC Trojans, is ready to take over at quarterback. Running back Qadree Ollison and wide receivers Quadree Henderson and Jester Weah are ready to embrace bigger roles.
Defensively, there’s still safety Jordan Whitehead and cornerback Avonte Maddox in the secondary. On the defensive line, some guys will have to step up as they climb up the depth chart.
The Pittsburgh Panthers return players with some experience on both sides of the ball. They enter looking to improve upon their weaknesses this season with some position changes.
Last season, the Panthers came up huge beating both the Clemson Tigers and Penn State Nittany Lions. Duplicating that could prove to be a tall order, but they should be prepared entering head coach Pat Narduzzi’s third season.
Here’s a look at their two-deep depth chart entering the 2017 season.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: Brian O’Neill (LT), Jarryd Jones-Smith (RT)
Backups: Tony Pilato, Jerry Drake Jr.
The Pittsburgh Panthers lose starting tackle Dorian Johnson, an All-ACC first team selection in 2016. Left tackle Brian O’Neill returns after a solid sophomore campaign that earned him All-ACC third team honors. O’Neill was originally recruited as a tight end in 2015 but has made a successful transition to right tackle. He started all 13 games in 2016.
Jarryd Jones-Smith returns to the starting lineup after recovering a knee injury suffered in the 2015 offseason. He has four total starts under his belt between the 2014 and 2016 seasons.
Tony Pilato and Jerry Drake Jr. await their turn for playing time. Pilato didn’t appear in any games last season. Jerry Drake Jr. is an early enrollee who enters as a true freshman for the 2016 season.
Starting center: Connor Dintino
Backup: Jimmy Morrissey
Connor Dintino was a top reserve at center last season. He’s moved around a bit since redshirting the 2014 season. He began his career at Pittsburgh as a defensive tackle in 2015 and made his first career start at fullback in 2016. As the starting center, he replaces Alex Officer, who is now starting at left guard.
Jimmy Morrissey is a former walk-on who redshirted the 2016 season.
Starting guards: Alex Officer (LG), Alex Bookser (RG)
Backups: Brandon Ford, Justin Morgan
Alex Officer moves to left guard after starting all 13 games at the center position last year. He has appeared in 34 consecutive games dating back to 2014. Alex Bookser was the starting right guard in 2016, appearing in all 13 contests.
Brandon Ford and Justin Morgan were both redshirted as freshman last season, but could see some snaps in 2017. They speak to the depth the Panthers have on the offensive line.