Two Pitt Starters Suffer Season-Ending Injuries
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will be forced to play the remainder of their 2023 schedule - albeit, just one more game - without a pair of starters from either side of the ball.
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said this week that starting tight end Gavin Bartholomew and defensive tackle Devin Danielson had both suffered season-ending injuries and would miss the regular season finale at Duke this coming weekend.
Bartholomew did not finish the contest against Syracuse two weeks after suffering a lower-body injury late in the game. He went to the locker room for evaluation and reemerged on the sideline on crutches and was in street clothes and a walking boot prior to kickoff of last week's game against Boston College.
Bartholomew has been one of the best big-play threats on the team and in the country this season. He ranks third on the team, averaging 18 yards per catch and hauling in 18 receptions for 326 yards and a touchdown in 10 games.
Karter Johnson and Malcolm Epps, listed as co-starters on the depth chart, can expect to take more snaps in his absence.
Danielson, a super senior, got hurt against Syracuse as well and didn't play against Boston College. He's racked up 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks this season in nine appearances. Danielson appeared in double-digit games each of the five previous seasons entering 2023.
David Green and Tyler Bentley are likely to take over starting duties together, with Sean FitzSimmons and Elliott Donald there to take on backup roles.
Bartholomew is eligible to return to Pitt next year, should he choose. Danielson's career, on the other hand, is over after he exhausted all his years of eligibility.
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