Pittsburgh Panthers Season Preview

Narduzzi and his new staff will welcome back 17 returning starters from last year’s team, eight on off ense and seven on defense, as well as both PK Chris Blewitt and P Ryan Winslow... Heading into the fall, the main priorities are to fi ll the gaps on the off ensive line and fi nd a receiver to complement Boyd...Th e line should be helped by the return of C Artie Rowell, who can play C or G and missed all but two games of last year with an injury...Rowell will join returning starters T Adam Bisnowaty, G Dorian Johnson and C Alex Offi cer...At the other tackle, sophomore Aaron Reese will be a viable candidate while redshirt freshman Alex Bookser, also a leading candidate to fi ll the vacant guard position, is a possibility at tackle as well...At WR, junior Dontez Ford (3 catches) sophomores Zach Challingsworth and Jester Weah are possibilities to take some pressure off Boyd who will be in line for national honors this fall... Conner leads a talented tailback corps that includes RB Chris James (437 yds, 5.0 avg.) ...With a year of experience under his belt, QB Chad Voytik should also be more consistent...Defensively, DT Darryl Render and NT Khaynin Mosley-Smith return inside... Senior DE Ejuan Price ended spring ahead of last year’s starter Shakir Soto at one end, while sophomore DE Rori Blair is at the other with junior NT Tyrique Jarrett battling Mosley-Smith for starting honors...MLB Matt Galambos (72 tackles) is the lone returning starter at linebacker, while Bam Bradley (36 tackles) and Nicholas Grigsby, who both saw action last year head to the fall as starter with Quintin Wirginis and redshirt freshman Jamal Davis competing for playing time...Th ree starters return to the secondary in CBs Lafayette Pitts and Avonte Maddox and FS Reggie Mitchell (62 tackles, 7 PBUs) with sophomore Pat Amara and junior Jevonte Pitts competing for the boundary safety position.