QB race heating up spring

It’s been a torturous wait for Pitt football fans.

Three years of high hopes, expectations… It’s been a torturous wait for Pitt football fans.

Three years of high hopes, expectations and a whole lot of talk have resulted in, well, not a lot. And now three seasons removed from its last bowl game, Pitt is on a mission.

Panthers fans, you’ve been waiting to hear these words for a while. Take them seriously, but know there’s still work to be done.

Pitt will be in a bowl game next season.

Why? There are two things that make this year’s team different than last year’s: depth and competition.

While the defense is by far the strongest unit on the team, depth and competition on the offensive side will make the difference.

Think about it like this: With virtually no passing game last season, Pitt was one-dimensional. The Panthers relied heavily on freshman tailback LeSean McCoy and quick wide receiver screens. There was no deep-ball threat and opposing teams knew it.

Because of this, teams often brought their safeties into the box and played tight one-on-one coverage on the outside.

For good passing teams, this is a dream come true. It sets up play-action, which many times leads to a big gain. After a big pass, the team can run the ball again and set up the pass once more.

That is what Pitt couldn’t do last year. Despite constant defensive stops, the offense rarely took advantage of opportunities.

To contain McCoy and the rest of the running game, teams loaded the box against Pitt. And although McCoy had a great year, it wasn’t nearly as great as it could have or should have been.

Imagine what McCoy could have done last year with a reliable passing game. How about if Pitt had any passing game at all? The opposing safeties would stop creeping up and the holes would open. You should be getting the idea.

But that passing game, even if it’s not great, has finally emerged. And it has emerged because there’s solid competition and depth at both the quarterback and receiver positions.

There are four quarterbacks competing for the starting job right now, with a potential fifth coming along in the summer. And as crazy as it might sound, all four of them have a shot at winning it.

As of now, Bill Stull is the leading candidate. But he can’t let up, because Kevan Smith and Pat Bostick are right behind him. Smith, who lost the starting job to Bostick last year, may be one of the most improved players on the team. His reps were limited early in the spring, but he impressed Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt enough to work his way up.

In Saturday’s scrimmage, Smith went 5 for 7 with a touchdown. He and Bostick are now splitting time with the second-team offense.

After Smith and Bostick comes Greg Cross, a junior college transfer from Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. Cross had his strongest performance of the spring Saturday afternoon, displaying his great speed and an improved accuracy. He was 3 for 6, throwing for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Cross is still learning the system, and the more snaps he gets, the better he’ll be. He hasn’t shown that he’s an every-down quarterback, but even if he doesn’t, there will still be a spot for him. He has the mobility to come in to the game in certain situations and make plays with his feet.

Still, as Wannstedt told me last week, Stull is the frontrunner. He has been running the first-team offense all spring and looks like he can be the man. His leadership is good and his arm is as strong as ever. But there’s a lot of time left before the opener and each quarterback has a shot at success, even incoming freshman Tino Sunseri.

That shot at success partially due to the depth at receiver. Derek Kinder, who tore his ACL in the first week of training camp last year, said his knee is back to full strength. With Kinder back in the lineup, Pitt could have the top receiving unit in the Big East.

Maurice Williams has emerged this spring as a favorite target, along with Cedric McGee. Oderick Turner, who led Pitt in receiving last year, is also back. Adding blue-chip recruit Jonathan Baldwin ensures there will be a playmaking receiver on the field at all times.

I know it’s early and there’s a lot of time to go. But more time is a good thing. It will be an opportunity for the right guys to step into their roles and get comfortable on the field.

And if these guys play to their potential, Pitt will win a lot of games.

Just take my word for it.