Inside The Panthers

Pitt DL Ranked Fourth in ACC

ESPN ACC correspondent David Hale ranked the Pitt Panthers' defensive line fourth in the conference.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt DL Ranked Fourth in ACC
Pitt DL Ranked Fourth in ACC /
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PITTSBURGH -- Ever since Pat Narduzzi took over as head coach nine years ago, the Pitt Panthers have boasted one of the most consistently excellent defensive lines in the ACC and college football, but this year, his front four is facing major turnover. 

With three starters and another key backup exiting the program this offseason, ESPN ACC correspondent David Hale ranked Pitt's defensive line fourth in the league and in a second tier with NC State. No Panthers made his predicted All-ACC first or second teams. 

  Calijah Kancey, Deslin Alexandre and Habakkuk Baldonado are off to the NFL and John Morgan has transfered to Arkansas for his final year of college football. That means three of the 2022 team's top tacklers along the defensive line, along with 17.5 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss, will not return until next year. They'll count on greener players like Dayon Hayes, Nahki Johnson, Samuel Okunlola, Bam Brima and Deandre Jules to fill the gaps they leave behind. 

As Hale points out, there are no returning Panthers defensive linemen who logged at least 150 snaps and ranked among the top 14 in pressure rate in the ACC and the lists of top 10 inside and outside linemen defenders are absent of Pitt players as well. 

So is the defensive line a cause for concern? History would indicate that Narduzzi and company have been able to keep production steady regardless of the roster composition but there were issues with their run defense, even with a star like Calijah Kancey manning the middle. 

"Since Pat Narduzzi arrived in 2015, Pitt has averaged 3.24 sacks per game, trailing only Clemson and 7.98 disrupted dropbacks per game, trailing only Alabama and Clemson," Hale wrote. "In Narduzzi's eight years at Pitt, the Panthers have had at least 30 sacks seven times. Only Alabama and Clemson have done it eight [times]. ... Calijah Kancey was an absolute stud, no doubt. BUT... Pitt allowed 5.02 yards per designed run between the tackles last year - the worst in the ACC."

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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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