Pitt’s defense took a major blow on Friday when Pat Narduzzi announced that redshirt junior defensive end Rashad Weaver will miss the 2019 season due to injury.

Weaver is a key piece in the Panthers’ defense, a returning starter at end who had 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season. Those stats were the most by a Pitt player in either category, and he also led the team in fumble recoveries with three.

He was tied for eighth in the ACC in total sacks last season and was 10th in the league in tackles for loss. And his 2018 sack total ranks third in the conference among returning players.

Simply put, Weaver entered 2019 with expectations of being not just Pitt’s best defensive player, but one of the best in the ACC.

Now the Panthers will have to replace him. Patrick Jones II was set to step into a starting role opposite Weaver; now he’ll be called upon to lead the position group. Redshirt sophomore Deslin Alexandre, who played 75 snaps on defense last season and recorded five tackles and one tackle for loss, is the top candidate to replace Weaver in the starting lineup, as he was the projected No. 3 end with Weaver healthy.

If Alexandre moves into the starting lineup, redshirt freshman John Morgan would likely move into the No. 3 spot. He redshirted while appearing in three games last season. For the rest of the depth, Pitt will have to turn to young and inexperienced players like Kaymar Mimes and Habakkuk Baldonado. True freshmen Bam Brima and Nate Temple could also be pressed into action if the depth is further tested.