Pitt releases a weekly depth chart on Monday of each week. If you have followed the Pitt football program for a while, you would know the depth chart does not change much from week to week throughout the year.

On Monday, there was a notable change, however. Pitt senior linebacker Tylar Wiltz was listed as a co-starter at the star linebacker position with Bangally Kamara. The 6’1” and 210-pound transfer from Missouri State has been one of Pitt’s most consistent players of late, and his play has earned him more recognition and playing time.

“Tylar Wiltz has done a great job,” Pitt defensive coordinator said of the senior. “Tylar Wiltz is one of our top producing players and so that’s why you’re seeing him get more snaps.”

The production is noticeable. Wiltz finished with six tackles last week in the team’s 24-10 loss to Louisville. He was the fourth-highest graded defensive player in the country by Pro Football Focus for the week.

For the season, Wiltz has 26 tackles, 2 pass break-ups, a forced fumble, and a quarterback hurry. After not seeing much playing time in the season opener against West Virginia, WIltz has come on strong of late. There was an adjustment period coming from an FCS program to a power five school, but Wiltz has taken a day-by-day approach to get better.

“One thing I will say that helps me a lot is that we get goal cards at the beginning of every week,” Wiltz told reporters earlier this week. "I know my last goal is to beat the opponent every play. My first goal is to be faster and stronger than the week before and I try to make it as consistent as possible every week. It’s been showing and it’s been going the way I want it to go. Usually when things work out the way you want it and the way you expect it, you’ve just got to keep on building.”

Wiltz has been building to be better with each passing day. Pitt’s linebackers were a question mark heading into the season, but with the steady play of senior SirVocea Dennis and the improvement of both Wiltz and fellow transfer Shayne Simon, the unit has gotten better each each week.

Wiltz said he feels more sure of himself on the field.

“The confidence level goes up and you play faster and feel stronger,” he said about getting more reps. “Actually I feel more part of the team like I’m helping more with my production and I feel like not only me, but the team can’t be stopped.”

In last week’s game against Louisville, the Panthers lost 24-10 but the defense only surrendered 17 points themselves. Pitt was very good at getting off the field on third downs and laid some big hits on Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham. Saturday’s challenge will be a little different.

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is the leading passer in the ACC with 2,283 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes. He is more known as a thrower than Cunningham, but Wiltz said the defense’s approach will remain the same.

“I don’t want to say we look at each opponent the same, but we look at it the same because we’re athletic just like them and we work hard just like them,” he said of the challenges of playing North Carolina. “We’re going to go out and hit him hard just like we hit Malik and if he don’t get up then by all means that’s not our problem, but we’re going to do what we do as a defense.”

The Pitt defense may have felt more pressure this season. The Panthers are struggling on offense and only produced one touchdown last week. It leaves little room for error, but Wiltz said the defense is not pointing fingers, but rather trusting that the offense will figure things out sooner rather than later.

“If we don’t trust them, then we’re not a whole team,” he explained. "To win, we’ve all got to be together.”

Wiltz believes that will happen this weekend down in Chapel Hill against the 21st ranked Tar Heels.

“It’s going to click this weekend,” he said.

Wiltz has worked through a lot to get to this point, starring for an ACC defense. He played for Independence Community College at the start of his college career, the same program that was featured in Netflix’s Last Chance U. From there, he went to Missouri State of the FCS where he was an All-Conference performer at that level.

The 2022 season with Pitt is his the final stop in his collegiate journey. He does not know what will happen next, but is appreciating getting to a level he always dreamed of playing at when he was younger.

“Every morning, being able to wake up and come play with these guys and play on an ACC level, live out my dreams…it may be the end, you never know, I may have a chance at the next level, but I’m going to continue to give myself the best chance to continue to play the sport that I love,” WIltz said.