Very disappointing turn of events here in the past 20 hours for Pitt football, but as Pitt fans we should know by now to never get too high on the program because that means the fall will be that much harder..
With this season basically being lost and no hopes of a bowl game (I don't see us sweeping the last two games and am unsure if we would be invited to a bowl game at 5-7 should there not be enough 6-6 teams) I wanted to put some thoughts down on where I realistically think the team and coaching staff is heading in the next ten months. After all there are only 295 days left until we open the 2018 season against Albany.
I am going to first start with the projected two deep for the 2018 Panther team, I'll give a projection on what I think it should be, but based on previous coaching evidence, I'll give a projection on what I think Narduzzi will do.
OFFENSE: What I think it should be
WR - Aaron Mathews - Butler-Jenkins
WR - Ra Ra Lopes - Michael Smith
WR - Quadree Henderson - Maurice Ffrench
LT - Tony Pilato - Carter Warren
LG - Mike Herndon - Brandon Ford
C - Jimmy Morrisey - Connor Dintino
RG - Chase Brown - Justin Morgan
RT - Alex Bookser - Bryce Hargrove or Jerry Drake
TE - Chris Clark - Tyler Sear or Charles Reeves
RB - Darren Hall - AJ Davis or Moss
QB - Kenny Pickett - Ben DiNucci
The line is going to be a mess, the WR's aren't going to scare anyone, the TE depth should be good but other than that we better pray and hope Pickett is legit and Hall continues his impressive form.
OFFENSE: What I think it will be
WR - Aaron Mathews - Ruben Flowers
WR - Maurice Ffrench - Butler-Jenkins
WR - Q. Henderson - Lopes
LT - Tony Pilato - Carter Warren
LG - Mike Herndon - Brandon Ford
C - Jimmy Morrisey - Connor Dintino
RG - Chase Brown - Justin Morgan
RT - Alex Bookser - Bryce Hargrove or Jerry Drake
TE - Chris Clark - Tyler Sear or Charles Reeves - Thomas MacVittie
RB - Hall or Ollison - AJ Davis or Moss
QB - JUCO QB or Ben DiNucci - Kenny Pickett - Nick Patti
Again, going with upperclassmen and experience instead of youth and potential. I think our offense will be in trouble again next year too.
DEFENSE: What I think it should be
DE - Dewayne Hendrix - Folston or Kazeon Pugh
NT - Keyshon Camp - Shane Roy or Wheeler
DT - Amir Watts - Kam Carter - Twymann
DE - Rashaad Weaver - Patrick Jones or Kazeon Pugh
MONEY - Saleem Brightwell - Elijah Zeise
MIKE - Elias Reynolds or Chase Pine - Q. Wirginis
STAR - Henry Miller or Seun Idowu - Cam Bright
CB - Dane Jackson - Damarri Mathis or Marquis Williams
SS - Paris Ford or Damar Hamlin - Phil Campbell
FS - Paris Ford or Paris Ford - Paris Ford
CB - Therran Coleman - Phillipie Motley or Jason Pinnock
I honestly think this isn't bad but our defense hasn't shown much improvement over the past three years and truthfully I think we should be running an entire different scheme than what Narduzzi runs but I don't seem him abandoning what he built his coaching career on, even though I think it would be a smart move...
DEFENSE: What I think it will be
DE - Dewayne Hendrix - Folston
NT - Shane Roy or Keyshon Camp - Twymann
DT Keyshon Camp or Amir Watts - Kam Carter
DE - Rashaad Weaver - Patrick Jones
MONEY - Brightwell or Zeise
MIKE - Q. Wirginis - Chase Pine or Elias Reynolds
STAR - Seun Idowu - Zeise or Bright
CB - Dane Jackson - Damarri Mathis
SS - Paris Ford - Dennis Briggs
FS - Damar Hamlin or Bricen Garner
CB - Phillipie Motley or T. Coleman - Jason Pinnock
I am just not sure what to think of this unit. You see some flashes but then things like last night happen and you wonder how things are this bad. That was a 1-8 football team with roughly 15 scholarship players out for the season and the third string QB making his first career start and we can't stop them, not when it matters, not when we needed it most. The scheme needs to change
COACHING STAFF: What I would like it to be
HC - Pat Narduzzi
OC - Brian Wright (Toledo OC/QB) or Donnie Kirkpatrick (JMU - HT to @PghSki17)
DC - Charlie Partridge
RB - Andre Powell
WR - Joe Sloan (LA Tech) Good WR coach and he's only 30 and he is a VA native
TE - Tim Salem
OL - John Peterson
DL - Jim Panagos (Temple)
LB - Javon Dewitt (UCF) He made his own APP
DB - Renaldo Hill (Current)
10TH COACH - Odell Haggins (FSU)
I really think we need to upgrade the current coaching staff especially on the defensive side.
COACHING STAFF: What I think it will be
HC - Pat Narduzzi
OC - Shawn Watson
DC - Charlie Patridge
RB - Andre Powell
WR - Kevin Sherman
TE - Tim Salem
OL - John Peterson
DL - Scot Shaefer
LB - Rob Harley
DB - Renaldo Hill
10TH COACH - Promote a Grad Assistant
Narduzzi is stubborn and loyal almost to a fault, I can't see him making a ton of changes even though I think he should.
It'll be an interesting next few months to see how things shake out, but I'd like to get some thoughts from other Lairmen so we call be miserable when we fall on our faces again.
With this season basically being lost and no hopes of a bowl game (I don't see us sweeping the last two games and am unsure if we would be invited to a bowl game at 5-7 should there not be enough 6-6 teams) I wanted to put some thoughts down on where I realistically think the team and coaching staff is heading in the next ten months. After all there are only 295 days left until we open the 2018 season against Albany.
I am going to first start with the projected two deep for the 2018 Panther team, I'll give a projection on what I think it should be, but based on previous coaching evidence, I'll give a projection on what I think Narduzzi will do.
OFFENSE: What I think it should be
WR - Aaron Mathews - Butler-Jenkins
WR - Ra Ra Lopes - Michael Smith
WR - Quadree Henderson - Maurice Ffrench
LT - Tony Pilato - Carter Warren
LG - Mike Herndon - Brandon Ford
C - Jimmy Morrisey - Connor Dintino
RG - Chase Brown - Justin Morgan
RT - Alex Bookser - Bryce Hargrove or Jerry Drake
TE - Chris Clark - Tyler Sear or Charles Reeves
RB - Darren Hall - AJ Davis or Moss
QB - Kenny Pickett - Ben DiNucci
The line is going to be a mess, the WR's aren't going to scare anyone, the TE depth should be good but other than that we better pray and hope Pickett is legit and Hall continues his impressive form.
OFFENSE: What I think it will be
WR - Aaron Mathews - Ruben Flowers
WR - Maurice Ffrench - Butler-Jenkins
WR - Q. Henderson - Lopes
LT - Tony Pilato - Carter Warren
LG - Mike Herndon - Brandon Ford
C - Jimmy Morrisey - Connor Dintino
RG - Chase Brown - Justin Morgan
RT - Alex Bookser - Bryce Hargrove or Jerry Drake
TE - Chris Clark - Tyler Sear or Charles Reeves - Thomas MacVittie
RB - Hall or Ollison - AJ Davis or Moss
QB - JUCO QB or Ben DiNucci - Kenny Pickett - Nick Patti
Again, going with upperclassmen and experience instead of youth and potential. I think our offense will be in trouble again next year too.
DEFENSE: What I think it should be
DE - Dewayne Hendrix - Folston or Kazeon Pugh
NT - Keyshon Camp - Shane Roy or Wheeler
DT - Amir Watts - Kam Carter - Twymann
DE - Rashaad Weaver - Patrick Jones or Kazeon Pugh
MONEY - Saleem Brightwell - Elijah Zeise
MIKE - Elias Reynolds or Chase Pine - Q. Wirginis
STAR - Henry Miller or Seun Idowu - Cam Bright
CB - Dane Jackson - Damarri Mathis or Marquis Williams
SS - Paris Ford or Damar Hamlin - Phil Campbell
FS - Paris Ford or Paris Ford - Paris Ford
CB - Therran Coleman - Phillipie Motley or Jason Pinnock
I honestly think this isn't bad but our defense hasn't shown much improvement over the past three years and truthfully I think we should be running an entire different scheme than what Narduzzi runs but I don't seem him abandoning what he built his coaching career on, even though I think it would be a smart move...
DEFENSE: What I think it will be
DE - Dewayne Hendrix - Folston
NT - Shane Roy or Keyshon Camp - Twymann
DT Keyshon Camp or Amir Watts - Kam Carter
DE - Rashaad Weaver - Patrick Jones
MONEY - Brightwell or Zeise
MIKE - Q. Wirginis - Chase Pine or Elias Reynolds
STAR - Seun Idowu - Zeise or Bright
CB - Dane Jackson - Damarri Mathis
SS - Paris Ford - Dennis Briggs
FS - Damar Hamlin or Bricen Garner
CB - Phillipie Motley or T. Coleman - Jason Pinnock
I am just not sure what to think of this unit. You see some flashes but then things like last night happen and you wonder how things are this bad. That was a 1-8 football team with roughly 15 scholarship players out for the season and the third string QB making his first career start and we can't stop them, not when it matters, not when we needed it most. The scheme needs to change
COACHING STAFF: What I would like it to be
HC - Pat Narduzzi
OC - Brian Wright (Toledo OC/QB) or Donnie Kirkpatrick (JMU - HT to @PghSki17)
DC - Charlie Partridge
RB - Andre Powell
WR - Joe Sloan (LA Tech) Good WR coach and he's only 30 and he is a VA native
TE - Tim Salem
OL - John Peterson
DL - Jim Panagos (Temple)
LB - Javon Dewitt (UCF) He made his own APP
DB - Renaldo Hill (Current)
10TH COACH - Odell Haggins (FSU)
I really think we need to upgrade the current coaching staff especially on the defensive side.
COACHING STAFF: What I think it will be
HC - Pat Narduzzi
OC - Shawn Watson
DC - Charlie Patridge
RB - Andre Powell
WR - Kevin Sherman
TE - Tim Salem
OL - John Peterson
DL - Scot Shaefer
LB - Rob Harley
DB - Renaldo Hill
10TH COACH - Promote a Grad Assistant
Narduzzi is stubborn and loyal almost to a fault, I can't see him making a ton of changes even though I think he should.
It'll be an interesting next few months to see how things shake out, but I'd like to get some thoughts from other Lairmen so we call be miserable when we fall on our faces again.
