Versatility and athleticism define Pitt's LB corps

How much did Pitt lose from its linebacker corps this offseason?

The numbers are striking.

With three players running out of eligibility and five leaving as transfers, the Panthers lost more from the linebackers than any other position. Those eight departures accounted for 264 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and five interceptions last season. And while most of that production came from three key players, the overall losses have created one of the biggest holes to fill during training camp.

Two of the biggest holes, as a matter of fact, since Pitt is bringing back team leader SirVocea Dennis but no other returning starters from the linebackers. And while Dennis can play any of the three linebacker positions, somebody has to line up next to him. That’s the challenge for the staff over the next four weeks.

“With our depth the way it is, figuring out the pieces of the puzzle and replacing the production of last year will continue throughout camp to figure out who those pieces are,” linebacker coach Ryan Manalac told Panther-Lair.com at the start of training camp.

The most likely scenario is that Dennis stays at middle linebacker, where he started 11 of the 13 games he played last season (he started the other two at Money linebacker, the position that plays to the boundary on the short side of the field). If Dennis does continue to work in the middle, the coaches need a pair of outside linebackers to step up.

The first candidates that come to mind are third-year players Bangally Kamara and Solomon DeShields. Both were the talk of spring camp with their impressive size and athletic ability, and while there have been growing pains along the way, Manalac likes what he has seen from them.

“Both of those guys made tremendous strides in the spring, but certainly they had their share of learning experiences as well,” Manalac said. “But I’m pleased with both of them, their movements, the competitive edge they bring every day and their mental capacity is growing. I feel better where they are now than when they started spring ball.”

Pitt also added two transfers at linebacker. Shayne Simon came to the Panthers from Notre Dame, where he played in 32 games but only recorded 27 total tackles. Tyler Wiltz joined Pitt this summer as a transfer from Missouri State; he was an all-conference performer at the FCS level after he had 106 tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss last season.

“I’m really pleased with both of those guys,” Manalac said. “Maturity, coming in and becoming brothers with the rest of the room, understanding that chemistry situation and gelling and building relationships while learning the scheme and how we kind of do things and operate. So I’m pleased.”

The ultimate goal for the staff is to find the three best players from that group, which also includes senior Brandon George, junior Buddy Mack and redshirt sophomore Aydin Henningham. Fortunately for Manalac, defensive coordinator Randy Bates and head coach Pat Narduzzi, that process will be aided by the versatility of the players. Dennis can play any of the three linebacker spots. Simon and George can play Money linebacker or middle linebacker. Wiltz can play Money or Star, which is on the wide side of the field. Henningham has been learning all three spots. And Kamara, who was named the most improved player on defense this spring, has expanded his capabilities by adding Star responsibilities to the work he has already done at Money.

“In the spring, having been an unproven guy, he did mostly Money stuff but showed he could be a very productive player for us,” Manalac said. “So he learned both all summer, and we’re going to give him a chance to season a little bit at Star. It makes his value increase and gives us more versatility, so we were putting more on his plate all summer to learn and he’s excited about that opportunity to do some things from the field at the Star position. And he knows he has to continue to learn both and balance both in his preparation.”

The versatility and athleticism of the linebacker corps this season is enticing for the Pitt coaching staff. But the focus right now is on knowledge and making sure that the linebackers don’t end up as weak links between the strengths of the defensive line and the secondary.

“I feel really good,” Narduzzi said last week. “Those guys are athletic, they can run…There’s some athletes there that can run. We’ve just got to get them running in the right direction.”