With the 2022 Blue-Gold Spring Game less than an hour away, Pitt has officially honored Daniel Carter and Bangally Kamara as the Ed Conway Award winners, the most improved players of the spring.
Carter, a 5-foot-10, 240-pound running back, has impressed the coaches with his intelligence in the running backs room and the strides he’s made as a runner throughout the spring. Kamara, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker, has emerged as a linebacker with high potential to perhaps the leader of the pack as a three-down Money linebacker.
While the trio of Israel Abanikanda, Rodney Hammond Jr. and Vincent Davis is still ahead of Carter on the depth chart, he should still be a factor as a key blocker and should improve upon his 2021 totals of 29 rushing yards and a touchdown on eight carries and 13 more yards and a touchdown through the air.
“Daniel is becoming a multi-purpose back,” Narduzzi said in the email release. “He is running and blocking with authority, and has the ability to hurt an opponent in the passing game, too. Daniel brings a physical, aggressive playing style to our backfield and it was an exciting development this spring.”
Kamara made 10 tackles (six solo), a tackle for loss and a sack in 2021, playing limited snaps in just seven games, but he’s going to be a difference-maker on the defense in 2022. With a huge, NFL-sized frame and elite athleticism and speed, Kamara is ready-made to impact Pitt’s defense as the Money backer. His growth throughout the spring has been a key factor in offsetting Pitt’s linebacker losses.
“Bangally has been a contributor for us since his arrival as a freshman,” Narduzzi said. “After playing behind some veterans the past two years, he is ready to assert himself for our linebacker unit. Bangally is fast, athletic and physical. We’re looking forward to his continued growth.”
Carter is going to get an extended look at the Spring Game, playing on the Blue team, and Kamara will play with SirVocea Dennis on the Blue team — perhaps giving a look into the 2022 starting linebacking corps.
