The unveiling of the 2016 Panther-Lair Top 25 Poll continues today, and after Nos. 25-21 featured four WPIAL stars, Nos. 20-16 include the only freshman to make the top 25.
20. Bam Bradley
Bradley checks in at No. 20, two spots ahead of the player he split time with last season, Mike Caprara. Bradley and Caprara both worked at the Money linebacker position in 2015, with Caprara starting eight games and Bradley starting the other five. Caprara ultimately produced more - 49 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 5 sacks to Bradley’s 33 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 sack - but Bradley has more versatility than Caprara, which could lead to him seeing the field quite a bit in 2016.
Pitt needs someone to step in at the Star linebacker, which is something of a hybrid strong safety/outside linebacker position. Given Bradley’s history - he came to Pitt as a safety - he could potentially play there in his redshirt senior season.
Polling notes:
- Bradley appeared on 24 ballots but only cracked the top 10 twice.
19. Darrin Hall
Pitt fans are bullish on Hall, it seems. The sophomore running back played in 10 games last season and rushed for 257 yards on 64 carries (4.0 ypc), but he missed time due to some injuries. Plus, he played behind the eventual ACC Rookie of the Year, so carries weren’t exactly plentiful.
Still, he came to Pitt with quite a bit of hype and impressed the coaches a great deal in training camp. The backfield situation isn’t going to be any less crowded this season - five running backs received votes in this poll and Hall is one of three to crack the top 25 - but Hall should have some opportunities.
Polling notes:
- Hall was on 23 ballots - one fewer than Bradley - but he got some high rankings. Three ballots had Hall inside the top 10 and six more placed him between 11 and 15. Hall’s highest ranking was No. 7.
18. Reggie Mitchell
Mitchell started the season opener last year but missed seven games due to injury. He was pretty solid in 2014, though, and he figures to see plenty of action this year, either as the primary starter at free safety or splitting time with Terrish Webb.
Polling notes:
- Mitchell was on 24 of the 31 submitted ballots and had three votes inside the top 10 (he was ranked 7, 8 and 10).
17. Tyrique Jarrett
Expectations were high for Jarrett in 2015, but he didn’t quite reach the level that the coaches expected. Jarrett played 12 games and started eight, but he recorded just seven tackles for loss and two sacks.
The nose tackle position isn’t always going to be a productive one, but the coaches were hoping for more out of Jarrett. Those hopes have carried over to this season, where Jarrett returns as a senior and the elder statesman among a defensive tackle group that will feature quite a few young players.
Polling notes:
- Jarrett made it onto 25 ballots and received a trio of top-10 votes, even making it as high as No. 6 on one ballot.
16. Damar Hamlin
Quite a few freshmen received votes in the poll, but none got as many votes as Hamlin, who is the only freshman to make the top 25. The Central Catholic star comes to Pitt with a lot of hype and quite the pedigree after earning a four-star ranking from Rivals.com.
Hamlin will be in the mix for the starting job at cornerback and is a virtual lock to see the field in 2016.
Polling notes:
- Hamlin’s youth didn’t scare the voters, as all but five put him on the ballot. Hamlin was in the top 15 on 13 ballots and made it into the top 10 on five of those ballots, ranking as high as No. 7.
THE POLL SO FAR
25. Rori Blair
24. Alex Bookser
23. Terrish Webb
22. Mike Caprara
21. Quadree Henderson
20. Bam Bradley
19. Darrin Hall
18. Reggie Mitchell
17. Tyrique Jarrett
16. Damar Hamlin
