Notable losses: The Panthers should gradually improve defensively under Narduzzi, who built a brilliant unit at Michigan State, but will have to overcome a number of important departures to be a contender in 2017.
Pittsburgh will have to replace five starters on a front seven that ranked eighth nationally in sacks and 12th in yards allowed per rush. The massive loss is Price, who was a force in the opponent’s backfield with 13 sacks and 23 tackles for loss a year ago.
Leading tackler Matt Galambos will be another big loss from the linebacker spot, and Shakir Soto provided 10 tackles for loss to support Price and company. While the secondary returns a good chunk of talent, Terrish Webb and Ryan Lewis are two more departed starters, bringing the total for the unit to seven.
DE- Dewayne Hendrix, redshirt junior
NT – Jerimiah Taleni, redshirt senior
DT – Amir Watts, sophomore
DE – Rori Blair, senior
Expecting the same amount of production out of the defensive line in 2017 might be unfair, but Narduzzi at least has some talent to work with.
The key piece on the line will be Hendrix, an athletic 6-4, 260-pound transfer from Tennessee who hasn’t appeared in a game since 2014. Senior Rori Blair is capable enough of holding down the opposite end spot after recording 14 tackles for loss and 10 sacks over the past two years.
Taleni flashed promise with three sacks in seven games of action and will need to be the anchor in the middle of Pittsburgh’s 4-3 alongside the inexperienced Watts. Losing so many starters will undoubtedly hurt depth, but the Panthers have some upperclassmen backups like Allen Edwards and Shane Roy ready to join the rotation.
MONEY – Saleem Brightwell, sophomore
MIKE – Quintin Wirgins, senior
STAR – Oluwaseun Idowu, redshirt junior
With Price and Galambos gone from the unit, linebacker could be the biggest question mark for the Panthers’ defense in 2017. Pittsburgh will rely heavily on Idowu, who ranked third on the team last year with 75 tackles along with two forced fumbles.
Conklin’s defense utilizes a “moneybacker,” a hybrid between a strong safety and linebacker. Brightwell started two games at the position as a true freshman and appeared in 10 others, showing promise with three tackles for loss, two sacks and a crucial interception in the upset win over Clemson.
Wirginis also has some experience over the past three years and quietly racked up four sacks in part-time duty in 2016. Elijah Zeise will feature prominently in the rotation, with other underclassmen like Chase Pine and Anthony McKee next in line.
CB – Avonte Maddox, senior
SS – Jordan Whitehead, junior
FS – Jay Stocker, redshirt sophomore
CB – Dane Jackson, redshirt sophomore
Nickel – Damar Hamlin, sophomore
Pittsburgh’s secondary was awful last season and will need to make huge strides in 2017 behind a pair of talented returning players.
The big key will be Whitehead, a 2015 freshman All-American who was limited by injuries last season but will be Pittsburgh’s best defender if he can stay healthy. Maddox also battled through injuries to record three interceptions and 8.5 tackles for loss, giving the Panthers at least a solid foundation.
Jackson made an appearance in 12 games as a redshirt freshman, giving him a leg up for the job opposite Maddox for the other starting corner position. Stocker is more of a question mark with primarily special teams experience in his career, although Narduzzi singled him out as a player who could show great improvement this season following the Pinstripe Bowl.
Hamlin will be the player to watch in the secondary, as he was ranked the No. 14 cornerback in the nation in the class of 2016 but barley saw the field due to injuries. If the secondary struggles once again, Hamlin could easily move up from nickel into a starting role.
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PK – Alex Kessman, redshirt freshman
P – Ryan Winslow, redshirt sophomore
KR – Quadree Henderson, junior
PR – Quadree Henderson, junior