Notable losses: Pittsburgh’s offense will likely be made up of mostly upperclassmen, but could still struggle to match last year’s sheer production with four important starters gone from the 2016 team.
The most important change will come under center, as two-year starting quarterback Nathan Peterman ran out of eligibility. Following an inconsistent 2015 campaign, Peterman was effective enough last season with 2,855 passing yards and 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
While the Panthers are well stocked at the running back position, replacing James Conner will also not be an easy task after the longtime starter left a year early for the NFL Draft. Conner successful recovered from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma to pile up nearly 1,400 total yards and 20 touchdowns, capping a fantastic career that included the 2014 ACC Player of the Year award.
Both new starters will be playing behind a weakened offensive line, which might be the biggest concern on the unit. First-team All-ACC guard Dorian Johnson is off to the Arizona Cardinals, while two-time all-conference selection Adam Bisnowaty joined the New York Giants.
QB – Max Browne, senior
The USC transfer will finally get a chance to fully prove himself after deciding to join the Panthers in mid-December and immediately taking over the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.
Browne was the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the class of 2013, but played for four different head coaches in four years at USC, throwing for only 650 yards and two touchdowns across 14 appearances. The emergence of Sam Darnold early on in 2016 left Browne without any playing time in Los Angeles, and he joined a Pittsburgh team that had little competition at quarterback.
Three-star redshirt freshman Thomas MacVittie is viewed as the likely quarterback of the future and would take over should anything happen to Browne.
RB – Qadree Ollison, redshirt junior
FB – George Aston, redshirt junior
As difficult as Conner is to replace, the Panthers have some decent returning experience at running back.
Ollison was the starter during Conner’s recovery season in 2015 and turned in a solid campaign with 212 rushes for 1,121 yards and 11 touchdowns. Chawntez Moss and Darrin Hall will be in the rotation and combined for 78 carries a year ago, while explosive receiver Quadree Henderson figures to have around five touches on the ground per game,
The Panthers are one of the few teams in the nation to still use a fullback, and Aston happens to be one of the best in the nation. Aston scored five touchdowns on just 22 carries a year ago and could be counted on even more to replace Conner in short-yardage situations.
WR – Jester Weah, redshirt senior
WR – Quadree Henderson, junior
Pittsburgh’s receivers will be counted on to aid the new faces on offense, as both are coming off strong 2016 campaigns.
Henderson was one of the most versatile playmakers in the country last year with 26 receptions for 287 and a touchdown, to go along with 60 carries for 631 yards plus four scores on special teams. Weah is just as speedy and piled up over 24 yards per reception in 2016, giving Browne excellent athleticism to work with all over the field.
Beyond those two, Pittsburgh will rotate in a number of rather inexperienced players, including sophomores Tre Tipton and Aaron Matthews.
TE – Chris Clark, redshirt senior
While perhaps not the biggest loss for the team, Pittsburgh still has some big shoes to fill at tight end after losing a solid starter in Scott Orndoff.
Orndoff was the Panthers’ second-leading receiver behind Weah with 35 receptions for 579 yards and five touchdowns. The starting job now likely belongs to Clark, a promising athlete who has appeared in all of one career game with UCLA back in 2015.
Clark’s top backup will be senior Devon Edwards, who has just two games of experience in his career and played on the defensive end a year ago.
LT – Brian O’Neill, redshirt junior
LG – Alex Officer, redshirt senior
C – Connor Dintino, redshirt junior
RG – Alex Bookser, redshirt junior
RT – Jaryd Jones-Smith, redshirt senior
Pittsburgh ranked seventh in the nation with a three percent sack rate allowed and opened up holes for the run game well but will face the challenge of replacing its two best offensive linemen.
The good news is that the Panthers return a fair amount of experience considering the situation. O’Neill and Bookser were both on the All-ACC team a year ago while Officer started every game over the past two seasons, leaving center and right tackle as the big question marks.
Jones-Smith at least appeared in eight games last season although has yet to show he’s fully recovered from a major knee injury and the Panthers could move Officer or Dintino around depending on how things shake out. Any significant injuries could be a problem, as the Panthers’ reserves are largely made up of freshmen like Brandon Ford, Justin Morgan and Bryce Hargrove.
All-purpose – Tre Tipton, redshirt sophomore
Henderson won’t be the only versatile playmaker on the Pittsburgh offense, as the Panthers figure to give Tipton a few more touches in 2017.
After earning All-State honors as a quarterback, running back and defensive back in high school, Tipton received a medical redshirt in 2015 due to a knee problem. The Panthers eased Tipton back into action last year, and he received 23 touches for 203 total yards and a touchdown as a running back/wide receiver hybrid.
With so much attention focused on Henderson and Weah, Tipton can provide yet another big play threat for the Pittsburgh offense.