ESPN Analyst Picks Pitt as ACC Sleeper

David Hale is high on the Pitt Panthers this year.

PITTSBURGH -- The ACC has a clear top two this season in preseason College Football Playoff contenders Clemson and Florida State. But even under the new, division-less championship format, ESPN's David Hale sees a sleeper coming from the former Coastal: the Pitt Panthers. 

Hale mentioned that Louisville, North Carolina, Wake Forest, NC State and Duke all have arguments as contenders for that final spot, but contends that the Panthers present the most serious challengers to the ACC's traditional elite. 

"If you're looking for a sleeper in the ACC, I'll go with the team that won the league in 2021: Pitt," Hale wrote. "Don't be surprised if Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi is the star of ACC Kickoff. He has made headlines all offseason with some tough talk on tampering and coaches cleaning house via the portal, and he'll probably have a few hot takes at ACC Kickoff too. But what's not gotten nearly enough talk is the team Narduzzi plans to put on the field."

Highlighting the reloaded defensive front, veteran secondary and expected improvements on offense with "the right QB" in Phil Jurkovec at the helm, he expects the Panthers to have the best shot of knocking the Seminoles and Tigers from their preseason perch.  

In 2021, Pitt became the first team from outside of Clemson, South Carolina and Tallahassee, Florida to win the ACC since 2010 and they'll be gunning for the crown once again if Hale is correct.

"Pitt has 20 wins over the past two years, and yet the Panthers largely seem to be lurking in the shadows this offseason," he said. "At ACC Kickoff, they should probably be front and center."

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