Carter Warren was the talk of the offseason in 2019 surrounding the Pitt football program. Heading into his sophomore season, Warren was one of the stars of spring practice and cemented his role as the starting left tackle in fall camp. He went on to start all 13 of Pitt’s game last season with some mixed results.

Warren had some bright spots in 2019, but the Pitt offense as a whole struggled with the offensive line proving to be weak spot at times. Heading into his junior season, Warren has a new outlook with some starting experience under his belt.

“It’s been totally different,” Warren said about this offseason compared to last. “I know what to work on now. I know what to pay attention to here and there and I feel like with the coronavirus in a way it kind of helped me out, just learning the different defenses and stuff like that. I just think it’s been an advantage to me. I’m a lot stronger, I’m playing at 315 now and I think I came a long way. I’m excited and ready to get it going.”

The 2020 offseason has been anything but normal to say the least, but head coach Pat Narduzzi talked about how his team really took advantage of video meetings on Zoom, and Warren was able to confirm that.

“We did some things in the offseason just during that quarantine at the time when they were home,” Narduzzi said. “We weren’t on the road recruiting in May as coaches, so all we had was our kids. We didn’t have them in our meeting rooms, but we had them.”

Those Zoom meetings with offensive line coach Dave Borbely really helped enhanced a more mental aspect of Warren's game. He believes he is seeing the whole field better now because of it.

“I feel like the biggest thing I learned was just looking down the field towards the safeties,” Warren explained. “Just looking at a loaded safety is telling you where the blitz is coming from. I feel like Borbs just implemented that through these Zoom meetings. Just learning different defenses, just so much stuff. I feel like it really helped me.”

Warren is back at left tackle, along with left guard Bryce Hargrove and center Jimmy Morrissey. On the right side Gabe Houy and Jake Kradel both have starting experience as well. Even with some disappointing moments last season, Warren feels the continuity will help the line move forward this season.

“I feel like it’s an advantage,” Warren said of the returning starters. “We’re a family and we’ve been battling together for a while now. I feel like when we take the field it’s one band, one sound. We go out and give it all we got.”

One of the best things going for the Pitt offense is working against the Panthers’ defense, which is expected to be one of the best in the ACC. Narduzzi noted the defense won the scrimmage on Saturday, but the offense was in it until the end. Warren in particular is matched up with defensive ends Patrick Jones and Rashad Weaver more often than not, arguably Pitt’s top two overall players.

“Pat Jones and Rashad Weaver, just two excellent guys that come out and go to work everyday and just give it all they got,” he said of the Pitt defensive ends. "It’s been fun going up against them - two first rounders, it don’t get no better than that.”

The offense hung around in the scrimmage on Saturday, but Narduzzi believes there is room for improvement from his linemen.

“I would say Coach Borbs would have gave the line a ‘C’ on Saturday, which I like,” Narduzzi said. "If he’d have given them an ‘A’ they probably would come out and lay and egg on a Tuesday. But he’s constantly pushing those guys to be better.”