Way-Too-Early Pitt Depth Chart: Early Transfer Portal Moves

It’s early January, the 2025 season is still many months away — it’s early even for the early enrollees. But it’s never too early for an offseason Pitt depth chart.

A lot will change between now and the spring season in a couple of months, let alone now and the start of summer camp in August, but there have been some exits and arrivals now via the transfer portal. And there’s a good idea of who is set to return.

So, while this is a very tentative exercise, considering the uncertainty of college football and future movement in the transfer portal, it’s still a look into how the Panthers could line up next season. But again, this is just a potential look into how the two-deep could look.

Most position groups have some very interchangeable projections as they stand, too. A lot will be decided in the spring and summer.

Quarterback

There are only three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, and yes, David Lynch was the No. 3 late in the season, but we all saw how that went down. There’s always a chance that the coaching staff could add a veteran option, someone to be a No. 2 or 3 guy behind Eli Holstein, but there’s potential in the three scholarship quarterbacks.

Holstein is the guy, unquestionably, and Dugger and Heintschel have a lot of potential. Did Dugger do enough in the bowl game to earn the No. 2 job? We will see.

Running Back 

Desmond Reid is back for another season, and that’s a massive boost for the offense. He will be on the field as often as humanly possible next season. But behind him? It’s a little uncertain.

Derrick Davis Jr. is somewhat of a veteran now, and Juelz Goff has a whole lot of potential. The sky is the limit for Goff. But it’s a young group, with three true freshmen also arriving this offseason. Reid is firmly in place, but there’s still some uncertainty behind him. The running backs room is waiting for someone to step up and take the No. 2 role.

Wide Receiver 

Kenny Johnson hasn’t officially announced that he will return next season, but it’s expected that he will. He should be the No. 1, but it’s less certain behind him.

Poppi Williams showed flashes at times this season, but he was wildly inconsistent as the season wore on. He’s still the leader in the slot, with Tyreek Robinson primed for a much bigger role next season. Pitt added Florida State transfer Deuce Spann and Florida transfer Andy Jean this offseason, and it wasn’t to have the pair ride the pine. They both offer a little bit of size (a lot of size in Spann’s case) and some serious speed. It will be intriguing to watch how they integrate into the offense.

Censere Lee Jr. will be in the mix, coming off a gnarly season-ending injury, and Zion Fowler-El and Cameron Monteiro are also in the fold.

I don’t think there’s a true No. 1 on the roster, but if Spann and Jean are able to step into starting roles, it’s a unit that has the potential to be better than last season. But there are still a lot of question marks.

Tight End 

Gavin Bartholomew is gone, which opens the door for Jake Overman to emerge as the leader in the tight ends room. He was impressive this season, way more so receiving-wise than perhaps anyone expected. He’s a big, physical target with plenty of yards-after-catch ability.

Malachi Thomas showed flashes as a true freshman and should be used more often next season. He’s a prototypical receiving tight end. It’s a nice 1-2 duo.

Jake Renda didn’t play this season as he dealt with injuries, but he’s a nice receiving tight end.

Offensive Line 

Pitt has added two offensive linemen from the portal, a tackle and a guard, and I think that’s it — for now, of course. Ryan Baer, Lyndon Cooper and BJ Williams will return to their starting spots on the line, and Richmond transfer Keith Gouveia and Charlotte transfer Kendall Stanley look like plug-and-play additions right now.

The coaching staff wanted to upgrade the offensive line this offseason, but the bidding wars for offensive linemen were fierce. Still, Stanley at tackle and Gouveia at guard are nice additions.

The depth still isn’t great though. Isaiah Montgomery, Terrence Enos Jr. and Jackson Brown struggled in the lineup this season, and while they will all be a year older and more experienced, it’s hard to rely on potential on the offensive line.

It’s a unit that struggled mightily this season, and only time will tell if the additions will pay off. It may take further reconfiguration this offseason to solve some problems. But that will also require more bodies from the portal.

Defensive Line 

The defensive line as a whole wasn’t good enough last season, so while there have been some losses (especially at defensive end), the rising freshmen and portal additions offer some hope.

Blaine Spires and Joey Zelinsky slot immediately into the defensive end rotation, alongside Jimmy Scott and Nate Temple (who appears to be returning next season, despite no official announcement). There’s not much experience looking beyond that group, not any really, but that unit is filled with plenty of experience. I like the addition of Spires, who seems to be a great fit in the system.

There are a lot of reasons for optimism with the interior defensive linemen. Nick James and Sean FitzSimmons formed a strong duo this season, and Francis Brewu, Isaiah Neal and Jahsear Whittington are all back. I like the starting potential — and what the young linemen can offer.

Linebacker 

Here we go. This is a strong unit. Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles will likely flank Braylan Lovelace in the middle, forming one of the best linebacking corps in the country.

I’d expect that trio to play a whole lot of snaps next season, but then there’s the class of 2023 (Cam Lindsey, Jeremiah Marcelin and Davin Brewton) waiting for a chance to crack the lineup, too. There is a lot to like here.

Defensive Back

Pitt was hit pretty hard with the losses of Donovan McMillon and P.J. O’Brien at safety and Ryland Gandy, Tamarion Crumpley, Noah Biglow and Jaremiah Anglin Jr. at cornerback, but the coaching staff has added a few defensive backs from the portal.

Rashad Battle and Tamon Lynum appear pretty locked in at cornerback, and Javon McIntyre and Cruce Brookins are a solid unit (despite maybe not being the most complimentary players). Shadarian Harrison is in line for an increase in snaps, with Division II All-American Rashan Murray added for better depth — and the potential for more.

Ohio State transfer Jayden Bonsu is a very intriguing addition at safety. He’s big enough to slide down to Star, but he’s also a big, hard-hitting boundary safety. Both Javon McIntyre and Cruce Brookins are probably more suited for boundary, too, though. There are a lot of moving pieces at safety, especially with UC Davis transfer Kavir Bains in the mix.

Special Teams 

James London was brought in to replace Ben Sauls, which is a tall task, but he was very good at Murray State. Caleb Junko is still the starting punter, but it’s likely that the coaching staff will add another punter to challenge him.

No change at long snapper, and the kick and punt returner are still largely up in the air.