I went back and looked at Participation data for each game during the last 2 seasons. This is the detail data for the position groups. The information below will show who has started games, who has played in games and how many games they played in.
==========
DT
Partridge continues to turn out players. They only need to replace Watts and that might be easily solved by Camp coming back and staying healthy (that is a big if). He’s only been healthy for 8 of the last 27 games. However if Camp can come back and play a full season, this group can be great. Twyman has been a monster and his protégés are very capable. Kancey got his first game action in the bowl game. I'm hoping this means he made some great strides and received a reward for that great performance. This is clearly a team strength. Expect 6-8 players to see action.
(Games Started-Games Played)
................2018.........2019
Roy..........14-14
Watts.......10-14.......11-13
Camp........3-7...........1-1
Twyman...1-13........13-13
Danielson..0-3..........1-13
Bentley......................0-13
Green........................0-12
Kancey......................0-1
Maloney....................0-1
Wheeler....0-13
==========
DE
Everyone returns. Same overall questions as the DTs. If an effective Weaver returns, then this unit is going to be amazing. They were very good without him. Mimes will probably be a key contributor next year. The top 5 are pretty well set so there might be room for only 1 more. Expect 6-7 to play.
(Games Started-Games Played)
.....................2018.........2019
Weaver.......14-14
Hendrix.......13-13
Folston........1-14
P Jones......0-14..........13-13
Alexander...0-13..........13-13
Morgan.......0-3.............0-13
Baldonado..0-1.............0-13
Mimes...........................0-1
==========
LB
This group has the most returning game experience of any position. Johnson was outstanding and will be difficult to replace, but this group is deep. Will be interesting to see which of the young guys will get more time. It's too bad that Reynolds didn't work out. He filled in pretty well in 2018 when Wirginis went down and probably would have had double digit starts by now. No doubt,, lots of options here. Unfortunately my crystal ball says there will be attrition after spring ball. No inside info, just a hunch that there is too much of a logjam of players who are on the verge of getting lots of time and they won’t want to wait. Tucker never got on the field in 2019 despite playing 9 games in his R-FR season. This should be a very good group and expect about a dozen guys to contribute in 2020.
(Games Started-Games Played)
.................2018.........2019
Idowu......13-14
Zeise.......12-14
Wirginis....6-6
McKee......0-8
Reynolds..7-11..........1-3
Brightwell.1-14..........10-11
Bright...... 0-14...........4-13
Pine.........1-13...........1-13
Campbell..0-12..........9-13
Tucker......0-9
W Davis....0-4............0-12
Johnson....................13-13
Nunn........0-12...........0-13
George.......................0-11
Dennis........................0-8
L Smith.......................0-3
Hansberry..................0-10
==========
CB
With 26 starts in the last 2 years, Dane Jackson was so good many teams threw away from his side. Too bad Coleman is going elsewhere, but he obviously felt he would never be a starter. These 2 guys will difficult to replace based on their size and skill. Mathis and Pinnock are battle tested and can handle the matchups on the outside. In the last 2 years Mathis has 12 starts and Pinnock has 9. The 3 soph are going to need to step up to provide quality depth. The unknown here makes this the biggest risk on the defensive side despite having what should be 2 very experienced starters.
Pitt likes to play 7 CBs through the course of a season and there are only 7 right now on the scholarship board and that includes 2 commits who are still in HS. Does V Carter get moved back to CB to provide quality depth? Spring practice will give us the answer.
(Games Started-Games Played)
....................2018.........2019
Motley..........9-13
Jackson......13-13........13-13
Mathis..........2-14.........10-13
Pinnock.......6-13..........3-10
Coleman.....0-14..........1-12
M Williams...0-4...........0-8
Tallandier....0-1............0-4
Woods..........................0-9
==========
S
With Paris returning and Hamlin hopeful for an extra year of eligibility, this could be a major strength. The staff must be predicting good things for B Hill since he was a true FR and they made sure he got the full 4 games by holding his last game action to the bowl game. Pitt likes to award playing time to 6-7 safeties, but he scholarship board only has 5 safeties. Does Petrishan have any eligibility left? He’s listed as a R-SR on this year’s roster. They might be short bodies here but if Hamlin gets a 5th year, problem solved!!
(Games Started-Games Played)
................2018.........2019
Briggs.....14-14
Jonov.......0-11
Hamlin....14-14.......12-12
J Stocker.0-14.........2-12
Garner.....0-12.........0-10
P Ford......0-9..........11-13
Hallett......................1-12
Petrishan..................0-7
B Hill.........................0-4
==========
DT
Partridge continues to turn out players. They only need to replace Watts and that might be easily solved by Camp coming back and staying healthy (that is a big if). He’s only been healthy for 8 of the last 27 games. However if Camp can come back and play a full season, this group can be great. Twyman has been a monster and his protégés are very capable. Kancey got his first game action in the bowl game. I'm hoping this means he made some great strides and received a reward for that great performance. This is clearly a team strength. Expect 6-8 players to see action.
(Games Started-Games Played)
................2018.........2019
Roy..........14-14
Watts.......10-14.......11-13
Camp........3-7...........1-1
Twyman...1-13........13-13
Danielson..0-3..........1-13
Bentley......................0-13
Green........................0-12
Kancey......................0-1
Maloney....................0-1
Wheeler....0-13
==========
DE
Everyone returns. Same overall questions as the DTs. If an effective Weaver returns, then this unit is going to be amazing. They were very good without him. Mimes will probably be a key contributor next year. The top 5 are pretty well set so there might be room for only 1 more. Expect 6-7 to play.
(Games Started-Games Played)
.....................2018.........2019
Weaver.......14-14
Hendrix.......13-13
Folston........1-14
P Jones......0-14..........13-13
Alexander...0-13..........13-13
Morgan.......0-3.............0-13
Baldonado..0-1.............0-13
Mimes...........................0-1
==========
LB
This group has the most returning game experience of any position. Johnson was outstanding and will be difficult to replace, but this group is deep. Will be interesting to see which of the young guys will get more time. It's too bad that Reynolds didn't work out. He filled in pretty well in 2018 when Wirginis went down and probably would have had double digit starts by now. No doubt,, lots of options here. Unfortunately my crystal ball says there will be attrition after spring ball. No inside info, just a hunch that there is too much of a logjam of players who are on the verge of getting lots of time and they won’t want to wait. Tucker never got on the field in 2019 despite playing 9 games in his R-FR season. This should be a very good group and expect about a dozen guys to contribute in 2020.
(Games Started-Games Played)
.................2018.........2019
Idowu......13-14
Zeise.......12-14
Wirginis....6-6
McKee......0-8
Reynolds..7-11..........1-3
Brightwell.1-14..........10-11
Bright...... 0-14...........4-13
Pine.........1-13...........1-13
Campbell..0-12..........9-13
Tucker......0-9
W Davis....0-4............0-12
Johnson....................13-13
Nunn........0-12...........0-13
George.......................0-11
Dennis........................0-8
L Smith.......................0-3
Hansberry..................0-10
==========
CB
With 26 starts in the last 2 years, Dane Jackson was so good many teams threw away from his side. Too bad Coleman is going elsewhere, but he obviously felt he would never be a starter. These 2 guys will difficult to replace based on their size and skill. Mathis and Pinnock are battle tested and can handle the matchups on the outside. In the last 2 years Mathis has 12 starts and Pinnock has 9. The 3 soph are going to need to step up to provide quality depth. The unknown here makes this the biggest risk on the defensive side despite having what should be 2 very experienced starters.
Pitt likes to play 7 CBs through the course of a season and there are only 7 right now on the scholarship board and that includes 2 commits who are still in HS. Does V Carter get moved back to CB to provide quality depth? Spring practice will give us the answer.
(Games Started-Games Played)
....................2018.........2019
Motley..........9-13
Jackson......13-13........13-13
Mathis..........2-14.........10-13
Pinnock.......6-13..........3-10
Coleman.....0-14..........1-12
M Williams...0-4...........0-8
Tallandier....0-1............0-4
Woods..........................0-9
==========
S
With Paris returning and Hamlin hopeful for an extra year of eligibility, this could be a major strength. The staff must be predicting good things for B Hill since he was a true FR and they made sure he got the full 4 games by holding his last game action to the bowl game. Pitt likes to award playing time to 6-7 safeties, but he scholarship board only has 5 safeties. Does Petrishan have any eligibility left? He’s listed as a R-SR on this year’s roster. They might be short bodies here but if Hamlin gets a 5th year, problem solved!!
(Games Started-Games Played)
................2018.........2019
Briggs.....14-14
Jonov.......0-11
Hamlin....14-14.......12-12
J Stocker.0-14.........2-12
Garner.....0-12.........0-10
P Ford......0-9..........11-13
Hallett......................1-12
Petrishan..................0-7
B Hill.........................0-4
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