Pitt's Starting RB Competition Drags into Week 2

The Pitt Panthers still don't have a top dog at running back.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers' first starting lineup of the 2023 regular season came with an interesting amendment in the backfield. 

Rodney Hammond was listed as the lone starter on the depth chart entering Pitt's Week 1 matchup with Wofford, but the first tailback to tote the rock against the Terriers was none other than Daniel Carter, who was announced as a co-starter alongside Hammond and took five of the first seven carries. 

“Daniel played really well," Pitt running backs coach Andre Powell said. "[Daniel] played well. He did everything we’ve asked him to do. There’s obviously some things he can improve on, but the room had 80 yards in YACs and I think Daniel had the most.”

Carter, a staple primarily at fullback over his career with the Panthers, has crashed a party in the backfield and become the lead back at least through one week. 

But whether or not he holds onto that role as the season rolls on remains to be seen as Pitt keeps the competition at that position wide open between Hammond, Carter and C'Bo Flemister. 

"I don't know," head coach Pat Narduzzi said "We've got three starters. A lot of it'll be based on practice."

Narduzzi and Powell agreed that Carter had earned his reps through practice. He was consistent, stayed healthy, impressed coaches with his football smarts and lost nearly 20 pounds over the offseason, all of which helped him leapfrog Hammond and Flemister, who spent almost all of 2022 ahead of Carter on the depth chart.

It was easy to assume that Hammond would be the lead back entering 2023 but it hasn't played out that way on the field so far. Narduzzi has said the team is looking for a player to separate themselves from the rest of the group, but Powell added that the rotation will remain flexible. 

He believes the Panthers have three backs who can play "winning football" and for that reason, won't cut any of them out. 

"Now, we’ll evaluate it every week and if I had to evaluate it on today, who knows who was the guy today?" Powell said. "They all got 22, 23 reps [against Wofford] - somewhere in there - and I can’t say it’s always going to be that way. There’s going to be some games where a guy gets hot and gets a little bit more."

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