Paul Chryst and the Pitt Panthers have taken a break from spring practice as Pitt students are on spring break, but the Panthers will be back on the field on Sunday, this time in full pads.
As they continue to put in work with eyes on their Labor Day matchup against Florida State, there are a few major questions that Chryst is going to have to find an answer to in order for Pitt to have a chance at competing during their inaugural ACC season.
Here’s a look at the five biggest burning questions for the Panthers as spring practice continues in the upcoming week.
1. Can the young Pitt offensive line hold up?
There is a realistic chance that three new faces could be starting on the offensive line when Labor Day rolls around. It’s pretty much a given that redshirt freshmen Adam Bisnowaty and Gabe Roberts will start at left tackle and center respectively. There’s also true freshman Dorian Johnson, who was the No. 2 offensive tackle recruit in the nation who likely will be in the mix to start at right tackle.
An inexperienced offensive line could be a major problem for the Panthers and while all three could turn out to be very good players, it would be nothing short of a miracle to expect all three to be dominant right out of the gate.
2. Will the inexperience at quarterback bite the Panthers?
Tom Savage has the skills and does has some experience as a college quarterback, but if savage is the starter when the season opens, it would be over 1,000 days since he last attempted a pass in a collegiate game. Chad Voytik is a redshirt freshman and Tra’Von Chapman is a true freshman.
As inexperienced as the offensive line is, having an inexperience signal caller could be equally as problematic.
3. Can Pitt find a playmaker at wide receiver?
Devin Street returns, but there is currently nothing on the other side of him. Pitt must find a legitimate playmaker or two in their receiving core. Tyler Boyd is expected to be that guy, but at Clairton he basically just had the ball in his hands all the time. It is going to take Boyd some time to learn how to become a competent collegiate receiver.
There will be an opportunity for Boyd and others to earn immediate playing time. Someone just has to step up and show that they can make plays in the offense.
4. How will the Pitt defense adjust to a new defensive coordinator?
While there are a lot of questions on the offensive side of the ball, the defense isn’t without its share, most notably how well Pitt will adjust to new defensive coordinator Matt House. House replaces Dave Huxtable this season and there is always a transition, especially in terms of terminology. The Panthers played pretty well defensively at the end of the season and how well they handle the transition could make a big difference.
5. Who replaces Jarred Holey?
I like some of the pieces that the Panthers have on defense, but one major concern is who steps up to replace Holley in the Pitt secondary? There are some athletes in the secondary, but Holley was dependable. He quarterbacked the Pitt defense for the past three years and played a lot of productive football over that span. Finding a replacement and a leader back there needs to be a priority.
Photo Credit: ESPN
