Inside The Panthers

ESPN's David Hale Slots Pitt Third in ACC Power Rankings

One ACC beat writer thinks the Pitt Panthers will be a contender in the conference again.

Stephen Thompson

ESPN's David Hale Slots Pitt Third in ACC Power Rankings
ESPN's David Hale Slots Pitt Third in ACC Power Rankings /
In this story:

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are widely expected to regress from the 10 wins per season pace they've set for themselves over the past two seasons - not necessarily unreasonable after losing so much talent to graduation and the NFL over that same period. 

But even if Pitt is to take a step back, ESPN's David Hale, who covers ACC football, has the Panthers pegged as a conference contender in 2023. He ranked them third in his early preseason rankings, which were an aggregate of his position unit rankings for the coming season. Florida State and Clemson are the only teams ranked ahead of Pitt. 

 

Hale also identified quarterback Phil Jurkovec and defensive end Nahki Johnson as breakout candidates for the coming season. 

Jurkovec arrived in Pittsburgh this winter for his fifth and final season of college football after spending the previous four at Notre Dame and Boston College. He was stellar in 2020 for the Eagles under the tutelage of current Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and hopes to recreate some of that success behind an offensive line that will be far better than the porous units that protected him at Boston College. 

Johnson, a redshirt sophomore and Western Pennsylvania native like Jurkovec, is in line to step into a larger role after appearing in just five games last season. Pitt lost nearly its entire starting defensive line to the NFL or transfer portal this offseason, leaving room for  He was one of two Panthers to earn the 2023 Ed Conway Award for most improved players during spring practices. 

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Final Zoo Crew Roster Set for TBT

Pitt Zeroes in on 2025 G Derek Dixon

Pitt F Jorge Diaz-Graham Suffers Foot Injury

Pitt G Jamarius Burton Signs with Belgian Team

Broken TV Becomes Result of Justin Champagnie's Love for Pitt

Pitt Alums Like What They See From New Panthers

Published
Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

Home/Football