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August 5, 2007

Never Enough Depth

Filed under: Football,Numbers,Players — Chas @ 10:35 am

So, the P-G is changing the online Q&A format to try and get more daily eyeballs to their site. Pitt football beat writer Paul Zeise will have smaller, daily weekday Q&As rather than once a week Q&As along with a weekly chat. Considering that the Trib has their Pitt football beat writer doing a blog, they needed to do something in response. Zeise’s Q&A have been one of his stronger features

[Brief tangent — Really, blogging isn’t necessarily for everyone — especially reporters. The Trib’s Kevin Gorman gets it, as a beat writer. He doesn’t need to do linking and posts, per say. He can just use it as carryover of more information from stories published and emptying out his notebook of things that don’t make it into the regular article. It’s extra information fans want and he isn’t really doing that much extra work — aside from just putting it in the computer.]

Back to the Q&A, his first was this past Friday.

Q: Do you think there will be any freshman starters for this upcoming football season and if so, who?

Zeise: Dave Wannstedt has begun to build enough depth in the program that relying on freshman to start is likely going to be a thing of the past. Pat Bostick could win the starting quarterback job and LeSean McCoy could emerge as the starter at tailback but they have a lot of work to do in a short period of time and I just don’t see it happening. I could see a situation where both are starters by midseason, but I’d be surprised if either is the starter on opening day. Tommie Duhart isn’t a freshman but he is a newcomer (JC transfer) and he should win a starting job at either defensive end or tackle. The other newcomer I expect to make an impact – at least as a returner – is Aundre Wright, who is said to be the team’s fastest player, while Dom DeCicco will likely have a chance at some early playing time at safety as well. The Panthers are also thin at linebacker so one or two of the freshman linebackers will likely be forced into action.

Essentially he’s projecting 3-5 players from the 2007 recruiting class (not necessarily freshmen) to make the early impact.

Actually I have to disagree with his opening assumption. That there is enough depth that freshmen starting won’t be a common occurrence. First, I thought part of Coach Wannstedt’s pitch was that the best player will start. Next, there is only solid depth at just a few positions — WR, RB and CB. And at RB, everyone expects McCoy to at least jump to the number 2 back.
Both lines may be mostly set as far as who the starters are, but there is little depth after that. Injuries have to be expected, and that will be when the freshmen will really be needed. Even with two recruiting classes, I don’t really feel great about the lines. The drop-off seems steep, and I’m not sold on how good the starting units are.
The linebacking corp is a complete toss-up. I have no idea what the actual depth chart will look like. I am sure, though, that it won’t be very different by week 7. (Tommie Campbell, by the way, appears to be transferring to Edinboro.)
Safety, Elijah Fields out for the season really hurts. Mike Phillips, who could have lost the starting job to Fields, even knows that.

“We need every guy we’ve got. When you lose anyone, it’s a big blow,” said Phillips, a fifth-year senior who started five games last season. “He can really do some things. Just his athleticism and speed, he can really have advantages over other players that we can use. It’s going to be a big loss.”

Phillips is going to be needed to be as healthy and mentally ready as he says he is. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lowell Robinson get another shot at playing time at Safety.





“…there is little depth after that. Injuries have to be expected…I don’t really feel great about the lines. The drop-off seems steep, and I’m not sold on how good the starting units are.”

Amen. That’s what I’ve been saying the last few weeks. Plus, some of the kids starting are going to be second year sophomores, not 5th year seniors. I’ll feel better after our lineman have more than 1 season under their belts…and not even starting that 1 season. If they show improvement from last year, then I’ll look forward to next year with most of the tough games at home… Plus, for this year, as soon as 1 goes down, we’ll be back to last year.

Comment by Stuart 08.05.07 @ 3:17 pm

The thing I thought was most interesting was when he said that Georgia was rumored to be the replacement for Clemson – who has said that and where? Anybody think this’ll actually happen?

Comment by Stuart 08.05.07 @ 3:24 pm

The rumor was floating around the messege boards
last week. Somebody picked up off the GA rivals board.

Comment by kp 08.05.07 @ 7:50 pm

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