PITTSBURGH — Despite the disappointing tenor of the 2023 season, the senior class — both new and old — have done a lot for Pitt over the last handful of seasons.
Some of the seniors have spent more than half a decade in Pittsburgh, and Pat Narduzzi said that there was an emphasis put on recognizing those seniors this week leading up the Senior Night festivities at Acrisure Stadium Thursday night.
“Our focus in our team meeting today was gratitude,” Narduzzi said Monday at his weekly press conference. “Just talked about how grateful we are, not only to the seniors and the guys playing their last game at Acrisure Stadium but also to really everybody in this room.
“But the seniors mean a lot, and there are a lot of guys that won an ACC championship in here. Regardless of what happens in ’22 or ’23, the one thing about most of these guys up front is they’ve helped us win an ACC championship, and no one can ever take that away from them. That’s something impressive.”
Williams, who is in his sixth and final season at Pitt, has already expressed how surreal it feels to be entering his final home game as a Pitt Panther. Narduzzi acknowledged that sadness, watching a few key members of the Pitt squad play their final home game, and he wants nothing more than to send Williams — and all the seniors — off with a final victory at home. One more Victory Lights.
But, of course, walking on Senior Night isn’t a surefire indication that a player is playing in his final home game. Although it is for some. Kradel, Zubovic, Green, Danielson, Bentley, Williams, Phil Jurkovec, C’Bo Flemister, Malcolm Epps and Shayne Simon are in their sixth — and final — seasons. And A.J. Woods is in his fifth and final season. This is the end.
There are 14 seniors, with further eligibility, who are able to return for another season in 2024. And just because a player does or does not walk doesn’t necessarily indicate a decision has been made one way or the other.
Jared Wayne and SirVocea Dennis didn’t walk last season, and Kradel and Zubovic did. So, you never know. And Narduzzi raised another rather important example.
“As you guys know, Senior Day, some guys walk and come back,” Narduzzi said. “I think Kenny Pickett walked on Senior Day, and he came back. So, just use that as one good example. Everybody has got decisions to make in the future, what’s best for them, and we understand that, and we’ll help guide them in the best way we possibly can.
So, while who walks and who doesn’t will certainly bear monitoring, that decision doesn’t mean everything. So, here are the seniors on this season’s squad and what their decisions were.
Did Walk
WR Bub Means
QB Phil Jurkovec
TE Malcolm Epps
CB A.J. Woods
CB M.J. Devonshire
CB Marquis Williams
WR Josh Junko (non-scholarship)
LB Brandon George
OL Jake Kradel
OL Blake Zubovic
DL Tyler Bentley
DL Devin Danielson
DL David Green
RB C’Bo Flemister
LB Shayne Simon
OL Matt Goncalves
Didn’t Walk
LB Bangally Kamara
S Buddy Mack
DE Dayon Hayes
DL DeAndre Jules
RB Daniel Carter
DE Nate Temple
TE Karter Johnson
OL Jason Collier Jr.
DE Bam Brima
OL Ryan Jacoby
Please let Cignetti walk next!