It was an up-and-down year for the Pitt linebacking corps in 2023, as was the case for just about every unit offensively and defensively, but the emergence of youth in the latter half of the season will likely pay dividends for seasons to come.
After all, Pitt will need to replace at least Shayne Simon and Brandon George in 2024.
George announced Monday that he will enter the transfer portal and finish his collegiate career outside Pittsburgh, which doesn’t come as that much of a surprise after he walked on Senior Night earlier this month, but it does leave a hole in the heart of the defense.
With Shayne Simon exhausting his eligibility, and George entering the portal, Pitt does not currently have a natural Mike linebacker on its roster.
Of course, that could change throughout the offseason as the coaching staff molds a rather deep collection of talented young linebackers, too. SirVocea Dennis wasn’t shy in voicing his enjoyment of playing outside, but he filled a pressing need inside as a Mike linebacker, who was capable of playing all three spots.
A young linebacker typically begins his career at Pitt as a Star linebacker, adapting to the defense at a position that fits a lot of the safety-hybrids that Pitt tends to recruit. And over time, they’ll cross-train at both Star and Money. It’s not uncommon for a linebacker to be able to switch fluidly between Star and Money or Mike and Money; it’s less common for a linebacker to be able to play all three spots.
The Mike linebacker serves as the communicator of the defense, bridging the gap between the defensive line and the secondary and providing a unique mix of run-stopping and pass-rushing. I don’t know if Bangally Kamara — who appears likely to return in 2024 — or Solomon DeShields fit that role. And both started started on the outside this season.
Jordan Bass, Braylan Lovelace, Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles all saw the field, with Bass and Louis even earning a start in 2023, but it remains to be seen whether any of the four will be moved inside. Nick Lapi and Aydin Henningham are depth options that likely will not be called upon for heavy workloads.
Davin Brewton, a three-star linebacker commit from New Jersey, is being recruited as a Mike linebacker, but it would be rash to start a true freshman at a key position. It seems likely that one of the current linebackers will be groomed for an inside role, and the transfer portal will be utilized to bring in a true Mike ‘backer.
That injection of veteran production and leadership will be important for a linebacking corps that, outside of Kamara and DeShields, is incredibly young. Bass, Lovelace and Biles will all be true sophomores, Louis a third-year sophomore, and then there’s the true freshman trio of Brewton, Cam Lindsey and Jeremiah Marcelin.
|
Games |
DEF snaps |
Tackles (Solo) |
TFLs |
Sacks |
INT |
PD |
FF (FR) |
| Bangally Kamara |
10 |
504 |
55 (23) |
6.5 |
2.0 |
0 |
1 |
0 (1) |
| Solomon DeShields |
12 |
594 |
58 (27) |
8.0 |
2.0 |
0 |
1 |
0 (0) |
| Jordan Bass |
10 |
114 |
11 (6) |
2.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Braylan Lovelace |
11 |
160 |
24 (10) |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 (1 TD) |
| Kyle Louis |
9 |
177 |
19 (5) |
1.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 (0) |
| Rasheem Biles |
9 |
8 |
2 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Nick Lapi |
10 |
88 |
10 (4) |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Aydin Henningham |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
DeShields rounded into form down the stretch for Pitt, playing his best football at the end of the season as an impactful run defender and consistent presence in the backfield, and Kamara has all the tools to develop into a star linebacker — it just hasn’t happened yet. And his growth, which may have been impacted by an early-season injury, will be important.
Pitt felt the loss of Dennis — obviously — in 2023. It will be hard to find another linebacker like Dennis, who impacted a football game in so many ways, but Kamara and DeShields will be tasked with carrying on his leadership and production.
And it’s hard not to be excited about the young linebackers. Lovelace and Bass played serious football as true freshmen, learning on the fly, but both are incredibly talented linebackers who should see even more playing time in 2024. Biles didn’t see as much time on defense, but he did block three punts on special teams.
Louis, who unfortunately suffered a mid-season injury that held him out of the lineup for a few weeks, is another young linebacker who made serious strides last season.
If there’s an area where the unit needs to improve, it’s in the run defense. Poor run fits, shoddy communication and straight-up missed tackles plagued the unit in 2023. If the defense wants to get back to the heights it achieved in previous seasons, serving as one of the best run defenses in college football, it will require an improvement from the linebackers.
There will be growing pains in 2023, certainly, as the unit is still quite young, but the in-game experience gained this season should only help Ryan Manalac’s unit grow.
And I’d expect the coaching staff to target a veteran linebacker in the portal, too.
Potential Linebacker RotationÂ
Star — Solomon DeShields — Kyle Louis OR Jordan Bass — Aydin Henningham
Mike — ??
Money — Bangally Kamara — Braylan Lovelace — Rasheem Biles — Nick Lapi
Incoming LinebackersÂ
Cameron Lindsey — four-star linebacker from Aliquippa, Pa., 6-foot-2, 190 pounds
Jeremiah Marcelin — three-star linebacker from Miami, Fl., 6-foot-2, 220 pounds
Davin Brewton — three-star linebacker from Red Bank, N.J., 6-foot, 220 pounds
It feels unlikely that Pitt will go back-to-back seasons without redshirting a linebacker, but the class of 2024 — which will not be signed until Dec. 20 — is very strong on paper. And as previously mentioned, there’s a hole at Mike for someone like Brewton.
