Trio prepares to replace McCoy

As LeSean McCoy prepares for the NFL Draft and meets with his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, the… As LeSean McCoy prepares for the NFL Draft and meets with his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, the Pitt football team is forced to fill the offensive void McCoy leaves behind. Besides McCoy’s production ‘mdash; 1,571 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns ‘mdash; the Panthers also lose his superstar swagger and game-breaking ability. With McCoy in the backfield, the Panthers were a competitive team against any opponent. To make the situation more difficult, Pitt doesn’t have a seasoned backup ball-carrier it can turn to during this transition. LaRod Stephens-Howling is graduating, and he’s taking his starting experience and reliable rushing with him. Together, McCoy and Stephens-Howling accounted for 2,324 yards on the ground and through the air ‘- 52 percent of the Panthers’ total offense. They also tallied 26 of the 39 offensive touchdowns the team scored last season. Statistically, the departure of McCoy and Stephens-Howling appears catastrophic, especially with Pitt’s futility during the Sun Bowl still looming in the minds of Pitt fans. However, losing players to the NFL and graduation is part of college football. Now, Pitt gets to find out who’s ready to climb up the depth chart and grasp the opportunity. Shariff Harris, Kevin Collier and Chris Burns are slated to compete for the starting position in the spring. Combined, Harris, a redshirt freshman, and Collier, a redshirt sophomore, totaled 46 rushing yards on 16 attempts during ‘mop-up’ time this past season. Those numbers aren’t overwhelmingly impressive, but both backs have more in-game experience than Burns, who spent his freshman season on the sideline. On the bright side, each back shows intriguing potential. During limited time, Harris has flashed the ability to run people over, something rarely seen from McCoy or Stephens-Howling. Collier displayed his shiftiness and lateral quickness at the end of the Syracuse game this past season. Burns’ role in the offense is still unclear. Some people around the program who have seen him practice indicate that he has the playmaking ability to become Pitt’s feature back. His development and performance during the spring will be eagerly examined by Panther fans. Coming out of high school, Scout.com ranked Burns the 14th best back in the nation, while Rivals.com listed him 15th. High-school prowess aside, Burns will have to beat out two more experienced runners to claim the starting role. Early on, the most likely scenario involves all three backs getting touches and receiving an opportunity to make plays. Considering McCoy’s immense talent, it isn’t hard to imagine that three people are needed to replace his production. Regardless of who is carrying the ball for the Panthers next fall, it’s fair to say that they’ll need assistance from the passing attack to be effective. McCoy shouldered the entire offensive workload on several occasions throughout his Pitt career. It is too much to expect Harris, Collier or Burns to find success against defenses that are selling out to stop the run on every play. If the Panther running-back corps, and offense as a whole, hopes to find success in the future, it will have to discover a way to establish a balanced offensive attack. To do that, Pitt needs more from the quarterback position, which, between Bill Stull and Pat Bostick, generated 10 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions. The numbers indicate that Pitt’s ability to score points will be the paramount question surrounding the team as it moves through the offseason. Certainly, a great deal can change between now and August, but as players continue to train and prepare for spring football, it will be crucial for them to keep in mind that McCoy isn’t walking through those locker-room doors ‘- the onus is on them.