Inside The Panthers

Athlon Sports Ranks Pitt Football's DL No. 4 In College Football

The Pitt Panthers boast one of America's most productive defensive lines of the past three seasons and national media is taking notice.

Stephen Thompson

Athlon Sports Ranks Pitt Football's DL No. 4 In College Football
Athlon Sports Ranks Pitt Football's DL No. 4 In College Football /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers, led by defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, have repeatedly fielded one of the most productive defensive lines in college football. They have amassed 151 sacks over the past three seasons, the most in the FBS and now national media. 

Athlon Sports ranked the top 10 defensive lines in the country for the 2022 season and the Panthers' front four made the list. They checked in at No. 4 behind Clemson, Alabama and Georgia. Oklahoma State, Baylor, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas A&M and LSU rounded out the list.

Beyond the on field success, Pitt has been able to craft talent that was somewhat overlooked during the recruiting process into NFL-caliber players. Rashad Weaver and Patrick Jones, former draft picks of the Tennesee Titans and Minnesota Vikings, respectively, were just two or three-star recruits depending upon which recruiting site you looked at before becoming All-Americans during their final seasons in Pittsburgh. 

Habakkuk Baldonado, Calijah Kancey and Deslin Alexandre - All-ACC players last season - were all three-star recruits coming out of high school as well. They hope to replicate Pitt's historic success up front this fall.

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

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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:

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