Pitt makes changes to two-deep for Duke game

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As Pitt comes out of the off week and heads into the final five games of the season, the coaching staff released its two-deep for this week's game against Duke. Here's a look at the notables from the depth chart.

On offense, the coaches made one change from the two-deep they published prior to the Notre Dame game: at tight end, former starter Tyler Sear was removed and redshirt Grant Carrigan was inserted as the first-team option.

Sear started the first six games of the 2018 season but left the team under something of a mutual decision prior to the Notre Dame game. In the loss at South Bend, Pitt used redshirt freshman offensive lineman as an extra blocker lined up at tight end, and he started the game there.

Carrigan has played in every game but primarily sees his snaps on special teams. He does not have a catch this season. Redshirt junior Will Gragg, a graduate transfer from Arkansas, is listed as Carrigan's backup this week; he has caught four passes for 28 yards this season.

The defensive two-deep had several moves. The first was at middle linebacker, where redshirt senior Quintin Wirginis was removed from the depth chart after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the week leading up to the Notre Dame game. Redshirt sophomore Elias Reynolds started in place of Wirginis and recorded three tackles while playing most of the game.

Fellow redshirt sophomore Chase Pine has been the reserve behind Reynolds at middle linebacker this season, and he's now listed as the top backup.

The coaches also adjusted the two-deep at safety, moving redshirt sophomore Bricen Garner from the No. 3 spot at free safety to the No. 3 position at strong safety and inserting redshirt sophomore Therran Coleman as No. 3 free safety behind junior starter Damar Hamlin and redshirt junior Jazzee Stocker.

Coleman did not play on defense in the loss at Notre Dame, but he had a game-clinching play the previous week against Syracuse when he recorded an interception in overtime.