The tweets started rolling in around 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning. All four of Pitt's senior starting offensive linemen announced together that they will be using their extra year of eligibility and will be returning for one more season together at Pitt.
This news comes a day after USC transfer Kedon Slovis announced he has committed to Pitt. Coupling the commitment of Slovis, the return of the linemen, and the core of skilled players returning led by Jordan Addison and Izzy Abanikanda, the Pitt offense has a chance to be quite good again in 2022.
Pitt will of course will be without Heisman Trophy finalist Kenny Pickett and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, but the team has retooled in a big way in the past few days. The Panthers currently are third in the nation in scoring after they put up 43 points per game in 13 games this past season, and all the tools are in place to remain a high-powered offense again in 2022.
In a statement on his Twitter, Pitt starting left guard Marcus Minor wrote, "I am genuinely excited for what's to come in the next year," and he has every reason to feel that way. The Pitt offensive line gelled in 2021 and was a big part in the team collecting its first-ever ACC Championship and helped Pickett and Addison collect numerous postseason accolades.
Carter Warren, Pitt's senior left tackle, is the anchor of the bunch. He has started 34 games in his career and had a Senior Bowl invite on the table, suggesting he was likely to be drafted. Like Pickett, he is putting that opportunity aside to return for one more season. Warren was a second team All-ACC pick for his play this season.
Gabe Houy is also set to return. The Pittsburgh native has over 20 starts in his career and has battled through injuries in each of the past three seasons. Houy finally had a clean bill of health at the start of this season and seized the right tackle job in a camp battle over Matt Goncalves. Houy finally showed what he can do as he was a third team All-ACC pick this past season.
Minor's return is also significant. After starting his career at Maryland, and playing significant snaps for the Terrapins he was able to come to Pitt as a graduate transfer. He grabbed hold of the left guard role and started 12 games this season and was named a third team All-ACC selection.
Starting center Owen Drexel is also set to return. He did not walk for the team's Senior Day against Virginia, suggesting his decision was already made. Drexel spent most of his career as a backup to Jimmy Morrissey, but grabbed the starting role this season.
Those four, along with junior Jake Kradel will all be back. Kradel, a junior, missed the last couple of games with a leg injury. In his absence, underclassmen Blake Zubovic and Matt Goncalves stepped up and played a significant role down the stretch for Pitt.
In all, Pitt is set to return all seven of the offensive linemen that started a game for the team this past season. The team grabbed its starting quarterback last night, and is already set to return the Biletnikoff Award winner to lead the way. Pat Narduzzi has yet to name an offensive coordinator, but has an attractive offensive group to sell to any potential candidate.
