The Pitt defense has garnered a lot of attention in recent years for its strong play on the field. Pitt’s defensive line has attracted a lot of the attention, and with three players drafted in April, the hype has certainly been warranted there. The Panthers have also had some strong play in their secondary in each of the past two seasons. Those performances also led to three draft picks in the past two years.
Perhaps the unsung heroes of the defense all along have been the linebackers. The depth and experience at the position has been growing for years, and in 2021 the unit may vault forward and be the catalysts of the defense for this upcoming season.
“I feel like every year is always our time, but I think it’s our responsibility: we lead the defense and it starts with me as the middle linebacker, then the other guys too,” Pitt junior linebacker Wendell Davis said following Tuesday’s practice. “So we have to go out there and lead our defense and have everyone else rally around us.”
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi acknowledged that this is the deepest group he has ever had at linebacker during his time with the program. He reflected to when he first got to Pittsburgh, wondering where all the linebackers were for his team.
“A few years ago I remember looking out at that field right under that clock and I was like, ‘Where is everybody? Like where are they?’ We didn’t have any,” Narduzzi recounted of his linebacker depth those first few years. “But yea it’s a deep group and you try to get a good look at a lot of guys.”
Narduzzi wondered where all of his the linebackers were a few years ago. He shouldn’t have that problem as his team prepares for the 2021 season. Pitt returns five linebackers with starting experience, some veteran depth options, and a promising group of rising players to help make it arguably the most well-rounded position group on the team.
Davis, a 6’2” 240-pound junior, opened last season as the team’s starting middle linebacker. He started two games before an injury ended the remainder of his 2020 campaign. The Virginia native is looking to get back to his starting spot, but realized the depth and the competitiveness among the linebackers won’t make that easy.
“We have a lot of great players in the room,” Davis said. “We’re probably about three-deep of guys who can really go out there and actually play and do well. So it brings competition everyday and we just have to be on our A-game.”
Davis is a middle linebacker, and he’s fighting off senior Chase Pine as well as fellow junior Brandon George. Pine started the remaining nine games last season in his absence, and posted a career-high 43 tackles and seven tackles for loss. George has appeared in 22 games in his first two seasons, and has been an asset on special teams and as a reserve.
“We’re just splitting up reps,” Davis said of the battle at middle linebacker. “Each guy is getting their own set and working us in there in a rotation.”
Of course, there is competition at the other spots as well. SIr’Vocea Dennis was a third-team All-ACC pick a season ago after compiling 14.5 tackles for loss. Despite the production, Dennis technically wasn’t a starter, and perhaps that might be the case again. Phil Campbell has started 24 consecutive games at Pitt’s ‘Money’ linebacker spot and has been highly productive with 141 career tackles and 10 sacks as a Panther.
Cam Bright was the starter for all 11 games in 2021 at Pitt’s ‘Star’ linebacker spot and he posted 53 stops and 8.5 tackles for loss. Seventh-year senior Johnny Petrishen is already in his third season at Pitt after transferring from Penn State, and he’s been receiving strong praise as a reserve behind Bright since the spring.
“We’re always pushing each other,” Davis said of the linebackers. “Guys like Sir’Vocea, Chase. Everyone’s battling it out so that makes me want to play harder, because at the end of the day we can only play three out there in the game. So the best man - not even the best man, but the most consistent man has to be the one out there. It makes me want to hone in on my technique and get in the film room more and just keep working and go out there and play hard.”
With all the upperclassmen to consider, it should be worth noting second-year players like Bangally Kamara and Solomon DeShields look like players filled with potential, as is third-year player Leslie Smith.
It’s a lot to sort out for playing time for the coaching staff and these next three weeks of fall camp will be important. Pitt’s deepest and most competitive position group is being manned by first-year coach Ryan Manalac.
Manalac played for Narduzzi at Cincinnati and worked under him at Michigan State. His knowledge of this defensive scheme after having played it has gotten the respect of the players.
“He brings a ferocious attitude to the room,” Davis said of Manalac. “We have a saying, ‘Point the thumb’. As the mike linebacker, I’m the quarterback of the defense, so if a D-end messes up a play that’s on me because I have to get it right. Even if I said, I have to make sure everything is right. So he really teaches us about accountability. He was a former player too, so he knows what it’s like to play and be in our spot and it just brings everything together.”
