With John Simonitis done for good, the starting job goes to Freshman Joe Thomas.
“Joe’s going to be a heck of a player,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “When you’re starting a freshman, every week is going to be an adventure. He’s going to be a good player for us. He’s everything that we’d hoped.”
Simonitis’ injury and Thomas’ elevation to the starting lineup leaves the Panthers perilously thin on the offensive line. Thomas was considered the top backup at both guard positions, which forces sophomore Dom Williams into that role and leaves redshirt freshman Craig Bokor next in line.
“We just don’t have the depth,” Wannstedt said. “Guys are going to have to step up. You don’t have to tell me it’s all part of the game, but it’s tough for me to deal with.”
Not that the Panthers lack confidence in Thomas. He was ranked among the nation’s top 20 offensive linemen at powerhouse Lakewood St. Edward – where he played alongside Ohio State starting left tackle Alex Boone – and fended off late recruiting overtures from the Buckeyes.
The scary thing, beyond starting a freshman on the line — and let’s be totally honest, that isn’t the scariest thing for Pitt fans after seeing the O-line perform with veterans in the recent past — is that the depth is disturbingly not there.
Well, one of the reasons Thomas came to Pitt was for the chance to play early. Admittedly, this wasn’t what he had in mind.
Dorin Dickerson is also happy to see some playing time, even if this season hasn’t gone the way he wanted.
Initially after the Toledo game, he played the traditional cliche.
“As long as I can help the team, that’s the best thing I can do. I felt good about it and if I was going to be red-shirted then that was ok too.”
“Whatever the coach wanted to do I was going to do, as long as I can help the team.”
Well, now he’s being a little more honest.
“I feel good about playing even if it is the fifth game,” Dickerson said. “[Coach] talked about just using me on special teams for now, which is fine. I just want to be a part of it and try to help the team win. It is a long season, a lot can happen. [Coach] made it clear what my role would be and said because he promised me a chance to play during recruiting, he’d leave it up to me.
“I just said, ‘let’s go for it’ because I couldn’t wait, I couldn’t take sitting around any more. Just watching everyone play, it was hard, I haven’t ever had to do that. I’m a team player and if coach really wanted me to redshirt, I would have, but I just felt like I wanted to play even if it is a little bit at a time for now.”
Now, it’s up to the coaches to use him.
