Prolific Passers to Test Pitt Football's New CBs Early
PITTSBURGH -- The 2022 schedule features a rude welcome for the Pitt Panthers, particularly it's defensive backfield. They will face a pair of Power 5 opponents in Weeks 1 and 2 - something they haven't done since 1986. Compounding that challenge is the nature of the opposition - West Virginia and Tennessee.
The Mountaineers are breaking in a new quarterback, but he's a talented one. J.T. Daniels, a former five-star USC commit making the third stop of his college career in Morgantown, is expected to start at quarterback on the opposing end of the Backyard Brawl and reinvigorate a WVU passing attack that finished 56th nationally in yards per game last season. The following week will prove an even more difficult challenge, as the Panthers face up-and-coming Tennessee, led by their own outstanding signal-caller Herndon Hooker, who threw for 29 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 68% completion percentage after taking over the starting role for the Volunteers in Week 3. His leading receiver, Cedric Tillman Jr., is also back in 2022.
Even with those offenses looming, safeties coach Corey Sanders sleeps well knowing that Brandon Hill and Erick Hallett are back to man the middle of the Panther defense. That tandem of close friends started every game together last season, and their experience allows Pitt coaches to challenge them intellectually since the physical side is now second nature.
"We're not shy to experiment with new things," Sanders said. "It's not like 'Ah, can we handle it?' No, let's put it on them and see what they can and can't handle then see what we can do during game week. But I think they've taken on all the challenges from a playbook standpoint very well."
While the safeties are a sure thing, Pitt is also tasked with overcoming the loss of their top cover cornerback from 2021. Damarri Mathis, a fourth-round pick of the Denver Broncos this past spring, is gone and leaves a hole in the back end. But that doesn't concern secondary coach Archie Collins. In fact, he says the internal competition to replace him excites the staff.
“Damarri was a great player," Collins said. "With that being said, it’s a next-man-up mentality. So it’s the challenge to find our next Damarri Mathis, ... We have really good depth at the position so it’s going to be really exciting this year to really kind of watch and see who is going to step in those shoes."
The depth Collins refers to comes primarily in the form of two defenders already saddled with experience, despite the bulk of it coming as reserves - M.J. Devonshire and A.J. Woods.
Woods and Devonshire earned more and more trust from their coaches as the 2021 season wore on and ended the season as running mates opposite firm starter Marquis Williams. Woods provided one of the ACC Championship win’s highlights — a 75 yard interception return that was halted within yards of the endzone — and Devonshire clinched a win over North Carolina with a goal line pick against Sam Howell.
By all accounts, Woods is an ideal fit for a Pat Narduzzi defense. Collins said that he’s added improved short-range quickness, sharper technique and growing confidence to existing strength and elite long-range speed. Woods says he now feels license to be more aggressive when running press coverage.
“[I worked on] just a lot of press footwork, using my hands because that was a problem with me last season," Woods said. "I wasn’t as aggressive as I could have been on routes and jamming.”
Devonshire is among the three-man top tier of corners alongside Williams and Woods. A talented recruit that had to make a position change after transferring from Kentucky, Devonshire is finally settling into life as a corner. Collins credited him with improved mental processing this offseason.
“He’s a lot better with his technique,” Collins said. “A lot more understanding about everything that’s going on around him as far as linebackers, as far as safety rotation. He played a little bit of safety as well last year. So he’s been able to up his game based on his technique, given that he was at two different positions last year.”
Rashad Battle, like Devonshire, has played all around the defensive backfield at his coaches’ request, but seems to be settling in at corner, considering that Collins called him the fourth corner up behind Williams, Woods and Devonshire. Freshman Ryland Gandy has impressed with both his physical and mental tools, but a lot of experience stands between him and significant playing time.
That last corner spot looks like a question mark from the outside, but to those within the program, Pitt will make up for a lack of star power with man power. They are confident that the depth will be what carries that unit to success over their massively talented opposition.
Their difficult open to the regular season will test Pitt’s new corners, who are staring down the barrel of a workload they’ve never experienced before. But that is why the depth is so important to Collins, who maintains that his unit is more than up to the task.
“All those guys have 400-plus snaps under their belts” he said. “So I look at it like those guys have been there, they know what to expect on gameday, they understand the crowd, they understand the team, they understand the motivation it takes to play the game.”
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