Offseason moves keep Pitt football fans from boredom

Something is missing, isn’t it? Don’t you feel almost empty inside?

Well, I know I do. And… Something is missing, isn’t it? Don’t you feel almost empty inside?

Well, I know I do. And even though we’re in the heart of basketball season, Pitt’s first football game is just around the corner.

Well, 217 days around the corner. Nevertheless, a lot has happened since the Panthers’ dismantling of West Virginia almost two months ago, and it’s never too soon to start talking about what’s to come. So here we go.

First of all, the Pitt coaching staff has had some pretty significant changes. Wide receivers coach Aubrey Hill, secondary coach Chris Ball and defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads all left for other schools, and offensive line coach Paul Dunn was fired.

Graduate assistant Jeff Hafley replaced Ball, while Dunn’s spot was just recently given to New York Jets assistant Tony Wise, a long-time friend and colleague of Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt.

Wise looks to be a pretty good hire. This is the seventh time he and Wannstedt have been on the same staff, so naturally he’s familiar with his system. Not only that, but Wise has coaching experience at the NFL and collegiate levels, and he knows what it takes to get the job done.

Replacing Rhoads is the next big job for Wannstedt. Although Rhoads was a good coach, nothing has led me to believe he’s irreplaceable. Sure, he devised a masterful plan to contain West Virginia’s dynamite spread offense, but fans tend to forget that the Pitt defense did allow Navy, Virginia and South Florida each to score 44 points or more.

Now let’s get to the good stuff: recruiting.

Pitt has a talented and long list of commits, many of which could make an immediate impact in the fall. Signing day is on Feb. 6, but still, the Panthers have a pretty good idea of who will and who won’t be in a Pitt jersey come September.

There’s good news and bad news, so let’s start with the good.

Jonathan Baldwin, the No. 1-ranked tight end in this year’s class, could be a game-changer right from the start. At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, the kid has great size and is fast enough to play wide receiver. With Baldwin, Oderick Turner, T.J. Porter and a healthy Derek Kinder, Pitt could have one of the more dangerous receiving corps in the Big East.

With graduation cutting down the depth at offensive line, Lucas Nix, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound lineman from Jefferson Hills provides help. Nix has the ability to play either defensive or offensive line but is probably going to start on the offensive side of the ball, where he’d be more valuable.

The Panthers also landed defensive prospect Shayne Hale, a versatile guy who is motivated to play linebacker but has the size and strength to play defensive end if need be.

Running backs Cameron Saddler and Chris Burns, along with defensive back Jarred Holley could also end up being very recognizable names once the season starts.

Now for the bad news.

First, Aubrey Hill’s departure may have led to the de-commitment of Altoona star A.J. Alexander, who is one of the fastest kids in the state. Tough loss, but it happens.

And as much as it might hurt, Pitt fans need to come to the realization that Terrelle Pryor will not be in a Pitt jersey next year. The star quarterback from Jeannette High School recently created a buzz when he showed up at the Petersen Events Center to watch the Pitt men’s basketball team play Georgetown but said afterward that he had crossed Pitt off his list and was just there to support his old AAU teammate, DeJuan Blair.

But luckily for Pitt fans, Pryor likely won’t be heading to West Virginia after the departure of head coach Rich Rodriguez, so the Panthers won’t have to worry about stopping him unless they somehow meet in a bowl game.

Did I say bowl game? Wow, I actually did.

Although Pitt won’t be running through defenses with Pryor next year, the returning talent and the young prospects could catapult Pitt into its first bowl appearance since 2004. But there are still questions to be answered.

The quarterback situation may get a little messy. Greg Cross is a junior college transfer that could come in and run the option, while a healthy Bill Stull could come in and provide the passing.

Although Pat Bostick showed strides toward the end of his first year, he’ll have to play really well through the spring and in camp if he wants to beat out Stull for the starting spot.

The running backs again will be deep, headlined of course by LeSean McCoy, who at times last year looked like he was running against middle school defenses.

The defense should be strong, too, carried by linebacker Scott McKillop, who led the nation in tackles last season.

Still, there’s a lot to happen this winter, spring and summer.

And no one can tell exactly what the Panthers will look like when Bowling Green rolls into town for the opener on August 30.

But do your best to relax, and I promise that in 217 days college football will return once again. Then we can all be happy again