SHARON, Pa. -- Much of the excitement from the 2021 Pitt offense shifted to Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison, but lurking in support was a deep room of running backs which gave the Panthers offense more juice than perceived.
In 2022, with the pair of All-Americans now gone, the running backs room has potential to surprise as more than just a supplementary group.
Combined with a senior-laden offensive line, this group under offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. will provide balance while either Kedon Slovis or Nick Patti get their feet underneath as the incumbent starter. More on the quarterback battle will unfold in training camp, which begins on Monday.
Pitt's rushing offense ranked 11th in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 149.2 yards per game, but that shouldn't be taken as a slight. If anything, it showed that Pitt's offense wasn't totally dependent on Pickett and could run the ball, if necessary. The team's 26 rushing touchdowns tied for fifth-most in the ACC, and the team registered the third-most rushing attempts in the conference at 525 in 14 games.
RETURNERS: Vincent Davis (senior), Daniel Carter (redshirt junior), Israel Abanikanda (junior), Angelo Priore (redshirt sophomore), Rodney Hammond Jr. (sophomore), Taelen Brooks (redshirt freshman -- converted from defensive back).
DEPARTURES: Todd Sibley Jr., A.J. Davis.
NEWCOMERS: C'Bo Flemister (transfer), Justin Cullins (walk-on).
ANALYSIS
There is realistic potential for Abanikanda to break out as one of the top backs in the conference, after tying for 10th in the ACC with 5.3 yards per carry last season. He is expected to lead the Panthers' committee approach, with Vincent Davis (team-leading 142 rushes for 593 yards) working in a fair share.
Of the 1,817 net yards of rushing production from 2021 running backs, 97.7% of that returns to the 2022 roster. Sibley Jr. transferred to the University of Albany, and A.J. Davis transferred to James Madison in November, but the two combined for 40 yards on seven carries last season.
A wild card to Pitt's team -- not just within the running backs room -- is the addition of the Notre Dame graduate transfer Flemister. He spent his career as a reserve with the Fighting Irish and tallied 110 carries for 471 yards and 10 touchdowns in 25 career games.
Flemister wouldn't have joined Pitt if he wasn't going to see the field, given his status graduate student, so reps in camp could be telling of how much Pat Narduzzi and Cignetti truly want to utilize him through the early parts of a tough pair of nonconference games to open the season.
The future of the position is clearly Hammond, who as a true freshman last season tallied 102 carries -- one of three Panthers to carry the ball at least 100 times, along with Vincent Davis and Abanikanda -- for 504 yards. His five rushing touchdowns were tied for second on the team. Most impressive about Hammond is he lost a net 9 yards on his 102 carries.
Carter, listed at 5-foot-10 and 240 pounds, is Pitt's largest back and could be best served in third-down and a goal-line situations.
The rundown for Pitt position breakdowns ends on Sunday with a look into the quarterbacks and specialists.
Previous position breakdowns:
Monday: Defensive backs
Tuesday: Linebackers
Wednesday: Defensive line
Thursday: Offensive line
Friday: Wide receivers/tight ends
