2017 Pittsburgh Panthers football team

2017 Pittsburgh Panthers football
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Division	Coastal Division
Record	5–7 (3–5 ACC)
Head coach	Pat Narduzzi (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Shawn Watson (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Josh Conklin (3rd season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Heinz Field

2017 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Atlantic Division
No. 4 Clemson xy$^		7	–	1					12	–	2
No. 23 NC State		6	–	2					9	–	4
Boston College		4	–	4					7	–	6
Louisville		4	–	4					8	–	5
Wake Forest		4	–	4					8	–	5
Florida State		3	–	5					7	–	6
Syracuse		2	–	6					4	–	8
Coastal Division
No. 13 Miami (FL) xy		7	–	1					10	–	3
No. 24 Virginia Tech		5	–	3					9	–	4
Georgia Tech		4	–	4					5	–	6
Duke		3	–	5					7	–	6
Pittsburgh		3	–	5					5	–	7
Virginia		3	–	5					6	–	7
North Carolina		1	–	7					3	–	9
Championship: Clemson 38, Miami 3
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2017 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers were led by third-year head coach Pat Narduzzi and played their home games at Heinz Field. They were a member of the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). This was Pitt's fifth season as a member of the ACC. They finished the season 5–7, 3–5 in ACC play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place.

Recruiting

Position key

Back	B		Center	C		Cornerback	CB		Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE		Defensive lineman	DL		Defensive tackle	DT		End	E
Fullback	FB		Guard	G		Halfback	HB		Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR		Offensive tackle	OT		Offensive lineman	OL		Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS		Punter	P		Punt returner	PR		Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB		Safety	S		Tight end	TE		Wide receiver	WR

Recruits

The Panthers signed a total of 24 recruits.

College recruiting information (2017)
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Paris Ford S	Munhall, Pennsylvania	Steel Valley HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Oct 16, 2015
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Kyle Nunn S	Findlay, Ohio	Findlay HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	196 lb (89 kg)	Apr 16, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Kenny Pickett QB	Oakhurst, New Jersey	Ocean Township HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Jun 4, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Cameron Bright LB	Montgomery, Alabama	Park Crossing HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Jun 5, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Darian Street WR	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	Liberty HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Jun 6, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Owen Drexel C	Montclair, New Jersey	Montclair HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Jun 15, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Todd Sibley RB	Akron, Ohio	Hoban HS	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	202 lb (92 kg)	Jun 15, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Carson Van Lynn OT	Columbus, Ohio	Kilbourne HS	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	255 lb (116 kg)	Jun 22, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Albert Tucker LB	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	St. Thomas Aquinas HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	197 lb (89 kg)	Jun 28, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Dontavius Butler WR	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	American Heritage HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Jul 31, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Gabe Houy OT	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Upper St. Clair HS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	Aug 1, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Kirk Christodoulou K	Melbourne, Australia	Proquick Australia	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Aug 2, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Tyler Sear TE	New Castle, Pennsylvania	Neshannock HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Aug 18, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Grant Carrigan TE	Gibsonia, Pennsylvania	Pine-Richland HS	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	Aug 18, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Carter Warren OT	Wayne, New Jersey	Passaic County Tech	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	315 lb (143 kg)	Oct 8, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Charles Reeves TE	Steubenville, Ohio	Steubenville HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Oct 26, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jerry Drake Jr. OT	Palm Beach Gardens, Florida	Palm Beach Gardens HS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	310 lb (140 kg)	Dec 15, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Deslin Alexandre DE	Deerfield Beach, Florida	Deerfield Beach HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Dec 16, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Damarri Mathis CB	Lakeland, Florida	Lakeland HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Dec 22, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jason Pinnock CB	Windsor, Connecticut	Windsor HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jan 17, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Michael Smith WR	Vero Beach, Florida	Vero Beach HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Jan 18, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Kamonte Carter DT	Germantown, Maryland	East Mississippi Community College	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	305 lb (138 kg)	Jan 22, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jaylen Twyman DT	Washington, D.C.	Woodson HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Feb 1, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
A.J. Davis RB	Lakeland, Florida	Lakeland HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Feb 1, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Pittsburgh Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "2017 Pittsburgh Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017.

Coaching staff

2017 Pittsburgh Panthers football staff
Coaching staff Pat Narduzzi – head coach Shawn Watson – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks Josh Conklin – Defensive coordinator Andre Powell – Running backs/special teams Charlie Partridge – Defensive line John Peterson – Offensive line Renaldo Hill – Cornerbacks Tim Salem – Tight ends Kevin Sherman – Wide receivers Rob Harley – Linebackers/recruiting coordinator			Support staff Chris Lasala – Associate Athletic Director/football operations Bob Junko – Director of player development and High School Relations Ben Mathers – Director of football operations Mark Diethorn – Director of Recruiting Ben Cotton – Offensive graduate assistant Joshua Lott – Defensive graduate assistant Rob Greene – Offensive graduate assistant Phil Decapito – Defensive graduate assistant			Strength and conditioning staff Dave Andrews – Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Freddie Walker – Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach Austin Addington-Strapp – Assistant strength and conditioning coach

Roster

2017 Pittsburgh Panthers football roster
Quarterbacks  3 Ben DiNucci – sophomore (6'2, 220)  4 Max Browne – senior (6'5, 230)  7 Thomas MacVittie – freshman (6'5, 225)  8 Kenny Pickett – freshman (6'2, 215) 19 Jake Zilinskas – sophomore (6'2, 210) Tailbacks 21 A.J. Davis – freshman (6'0, 205) 22 Darrin Hall – junior (5'11, 220) 23 Todd Sibley Jr. – freshman (5'9, 215) 26 Chawntez Moss – sophomore (5'11, 210) 36 Shawn Wood – freshman (6'0, 210) 37 Qadree Ollison – junior (6'2, 230) 39 Kyle Vreen – freshman (5'10, 190) Fullbacks 35 George Aston – junior (6'0, 245) 40 Colton Lively – senior (6'0, 235) 47 Ryan Sliwoski – junior (5'11, 230) 49 Erik Sellers – sophomore (6'1, 235) Wide receivers  5 Tre Tipton – sophomore (6'0, 190)  6 Aaron Mathews – sophomore (6'4, 205)  9 Michael Smith – freshman (6'1, 205) 10 Quadree Henderson – junior (5'8, 190) 11 Ruben Flowers III – freshman (6'3, 205) 34 Mark Bernsdorff – senior (5’11, 195) 46 Michael Vardzel – freshman (5'11, 190) 48 Kellen McAlone – junior (6'2, 205) 80 Dontavius Butler-Jenkins – freshman (6'0, 205) 82 Rafael Araujo-Lopes – junior (5'9, 190) 83 Darian Street – freshman (6'1, 180) 84 Garrett Bickhart – freshman (6'5, 190) 85 Jester Weah – senior (6'3, 210) Tight ends 19 Charles Reeves Jr. – freshman (6'5, 280) 45 Devon Edwards – senior (6'4, 275) 81 Nathan Bossory – senior (6'3, 240) 84 Grant Carrigan – freshman (6'7, 275) 86 Tyler Sear – freshman (6'4, 245) 87 Chris Clark – sophomore (6'6, 260) 88 Matt Flanagan – senior (6'6, 260)		Offensive linemen 54 Justin Morgan – freshman (6’6, 350) 55 Jaryd Jones-Smith – senior (6’7, 320) 56 Brandon Ford – freshman (6’5, 310) 57 Gabe Houy – freshman (6'6, 280) 58 Brandon Hodges – senior (6’4, 315) 60 Owen Drexel – freshman (6'3, 270) 63 Alex Officer – senior (6’4, 340) 67 Jimmy Morrissey – freshman (6’3, 295) 68 Brian Burgess – freshman (6’2, 295) 69 Kenny Rainey III – freshman (6'3, 330) 70 Brian O'Neill – junior (6’6, 305) 71 Bryce Hargrove – freshman (6’4, 310) 72 Tony Pilato – sophomore (6’5, 320) 74 Jerry Drake Jr. – freshman (6’5, 315) 76 Connor Dintino – junior (6’3, 315) 77 Carter Warren – freshman (6'5, 325) 78 Alex Bookser – junior (6’6, 315) Defensive linemen  5 Kam Carter – sophomore (6'4, 295)  8 Dewayne Hendrix – junior (6’4, 260) 10 Keyshon Camp – freshman (6’4, 290) 17 Rashad Weaver – freshman (6’5, 265) 31 Kaezon Pugh – freshman (6’1, 250) 34 Amir Watts – sophomore (6’3, 285) 40 James Folston Jr. – junior (6’4, 250) 51 Jim Medure – sophomore (6’2, 225) 55 Jaylen Twyman – freshman (6'2, 315) 59 Carson van Lynn – freshman (6'5, 255) 66 Mike Herndon – junior (6’4, 310) 86 Julian Desire' – freshman (6’3, 215) 90 Rashad Wheeler – freshman (6’3, 290) 91 Patrick Jones II – freshman (6’5, 245) 93 Shane Roy – junior (6’4, 280) 95 Greg Sizemore – freshman (6'1, 230) 96 Allen Edwards – senior (6’4, 255) 97 Deslin Alexandre – freshman (6'4, 255) Punters 18 Ryan Winslow – senior (6'6, 225) 98 Kirk Christodoulou – freshman (6'1, 215)		Linebackers 23 Oluwaseun Idowu – junior (6’0, 225) 25 Elijah Zeise – junior (6’2, 230) 28 Anthony McKee Jr. – sophomore (6’2, 215) 30 Albert Tucker – freshman (6'1, 210) 36 Chase Pine – freshman (6’2, 240) 38 Cam Bright – freshman (6'0, 210) 39 Saleem Brightwell – sophomore (6’0, 220) 41 Jalen Williams – junior (6’2, 215) 44 Elias Reynolds – freshman (6’2, 235) 47 Kyle Nunn – freshman (6'3, 200) 48 Peyton Deri – freshman (6’1, 225) 53 Brian Popp – junior (6'0, 235) 58 Quintin Wirginis – senior (6'2, 245) Defensive backs  2 Maurice Ffrench – sophomore (5'11, 190) (+WR)  3 Damar Hamlin – sophomore (6’1, 190)  4 Therran Coleman – freshman (6’0, 195)  7 Henry Miller – freshman (6’3, 205)  9 Jordan Whitehead – junior (5’11, 195) 11 Dane Jackson – sophomore (6’0, 180) 12 Paris Ford – freshman (6'0, 175) 14 Avonte Maddox – senior (5’9, 180) 15 Jason Pinnock – freshman (6'0, 190) 16 Damarri Mathis – freshman (5'11, 185) 20 Dennis Briggs – junior (5’10, 195) 21 Malik Henderson – sophomore (6’0, 190) 22 Kollin Smith – freshman (5'10, 170) 24 Phil Campbell – freshman (6’1, 195) 27 Bricen Garner – freshman (6’1, 180) 32 Phillipie Motley – junior (5’10, 175) 35 Rob Boatright – senior (5’10, 190) 43 Jazzee Stocker – sophomore (6’2, 190) 46 Rimoni Dorsey – sophomore (6’0, 195) Placekickers 49 Ian Troost – junior (6'6, 200) 92 Jake Scarton – freshman (6'3, 180) 97 Alex Kessman – freshman (6'3, 190) Long snappers 61 Cal Adomitis – freshman (6'1, 210)

Schedule

The Panthers schedule was released on January 24, 2017.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	1:00 p.m.	No. 9 (FCS) Youngstown State*	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA	ACCN Extra	W 28–21 OT	40,012
September 9	3:30 p.m.	at No. 4 Penn State*	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	ABC	L 14–33	109,898
September 16	12:00 p.m.	No. 9 Oklahoma State*	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA	ESPN	L 21–59	38,952
September 23	12:20 p.m.	at Georgia Tech	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA	ACCN	L 17–35	40,211
September 30	12:00 p.m.	Rice*	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA	ACCRSN	W 42–10	33,051
October 7	12:30 p.m.	at Syracuse	Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY (rivalry)	ACCRSN	L 24–27	33,290
October 14	12:00 p.m.	No. 20 NC State	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA	ACCRSN	L 17–35	41,124
October 21	12:20 p.m.	at Duke	Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC	ACCN	W 24–17	22,621
October 28	12:30 p.m.	Virginia	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA	ACCRSN	W 31–14	30,889
November 9	7:30 p.m.	North Carolina	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA	ESPN	L 31–34	34,056
November 18	12:20 p.m.	at Virginia Tech	Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA	ACCN	L 14–20	58,948
November 24	12:00 p.m.	No. 2 Miami (FL)	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA	ABC	W 24–14	35,978
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

Youngstown State

Youngstown State at Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 OT Total No. 9 (FCS) Penguins 0 0 7 14 0 21 • Panthers 14 7 0 0 7 28 Date: September 2 Location: Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA Game start: 1:03 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:18 Game attendance: 40,012 Game weather: 66°F • SE 9 • Mostly Cloudy Referee: Jeff Flanagan TV announcers (ACCN Extra): Play-by-Play: Robert Lee Analyst: Dustin Fox

See also: 2017 Youngstown State Penguins football team

At Penn State

Pittsburgh at Penn State

1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 0 3 3 8 14 • No. 4 Nittany Lions 14 0 7 12 33 Date: September 9 Location: Beaver Stadium University Park, PA Game start: 3:41 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:20 Game attendance: 109,898 Game weather: 65°F • W 5 • Sunny Referee: Jerry Magallanes TV announcers (ABC): Play-by-Play: Joe Tessitore Analyst: Todd Blackledge

See also: 2017 Penn State Nittany Lions football team and Penn State–Pittsburgh football rivalry

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State at Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 9 Cowboys 21 28 7 3 59 Panthers 0 14 7 0 21 Date: September 16 Location: Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA Game start: 12:01 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:13 Game attendance: 38,952 Game weather: 75°F • E 2 • Mostly Sunny Referee: Cooper Castleberry TV announcers (ESPN): Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch Analyst: Greg McElroy

See also: 2017 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team

At Georgia Tech

Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech

1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 7 10 0 0 17 • Yellow Jackets 7 14 7 7 35 Date: September 23 Location: Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA Game start: 12:20 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:08 Game attendance: 40,211 Game weather: 83°F • ENE 6 • Clear and Sunny Referee: Jeff Heaser TV announcers (ACCN): Play-by-Play: Tom Werme Analyst: David Archer

See also: 2017 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team

Rice

Rice at Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total Owls 0 0 10 0 10 • Panthers 21 7 0 14 42 Date: September 30 Location: Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA Game start: 12:04 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 2:59 Game attendance: 33,051 Game weather: 56°F • NW 9 • Mostly Sunny Referee: Jeff Maconaghy TV announcers (ACCRSN): Play-by-Play: Evan Lepler Analyst: Takeo Spikes

See also: 2017 Rice Owls football team

At Syracuse

Pittsburgh at Syracuse

1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 0 10 3 11 24 • Orange 3 7 10 7 27 Date: October 7 Location: Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY Game start: 12:34 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:33 Game attendance: 33,290 Game weather: Dome Referee: Tra Blake TV announcers (ACCRSN): Play-by-Play: Wes Durham Analyst: James Bates

See also: 2017 Syracuse Orange football team and Pittsburgh–Syracuse football rivalry

NC State

NC State at Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 20 Wolfpack 14 0 7 14 35 Panthers 7 7 0 3 17 Date: October 14 Location: Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA Game start: 12:03 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:13 Game attendance: 41,124 Game weather: 72°F • SSE 6 • Mostly Sunny Referee: Riley Johnson TV announcers (ACCRSN): Play-by-Play: Evan Lepler Analyst: Takeo Spikes

See also: 2017 NC State Wolfpack football team

At Duke

Pittsburgh at Duke

1 2 3 4 Total • Panthers 7 0 7 10 24 Blue Devils 0 3 14 0 17 Date: October 21 Location: Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC Game start: 12:20 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:10 Game attendance: 21,621 Game weather: 66°F • NE 3 • Clear Referee: David Epperley TV announcers (ACCN): Play-by-Play: Tom Werme Analyst: David Archer

See also: 2017 Duke Blue Devils football team

Virginia

Virginia at Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total Cavaliers 0 7 0 7 14 • Panthers 7 14 7 3 31 Date: October 28 Location: Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA Game start: 12:34 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 2:54 Game attendance: 30,889 Game weather: 55°F • S 7 • Light Rain Referee: Duane Heydt TV announcers (ACCRSN): Play-by-Play: Wes Durham Analyst: James Bates

See also: 2017 Virginia Cavaliers football team

North Carolina

North Carolina at Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total • Tar Heels 14 10 3 7 34 Panthers 3 14 7 7 31 Date: November 9 Location: Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA Game start: 7:31 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:21 Game attendance: 34,056 Game weather: 43°F • WSW 10 • Partly Cloudy Referee: Jeff Heaser TV announcers (ESPN): Play-by-Play: Dave Flemming Analyst: Joey Galloway, Booger McFarland

See also: 2017 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

At Virginia Tech

Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech

1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 7 0 0 7 14 • Hokies 7 3 0 10 20 Date: November 18 Location: Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA Game start: 12:20 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:11 Game attendance: 58,948 Game weather: 57°F • WSW 2 • Cloudy Referee: Jeff Flanagan TV announcers (ACCN): Play-by-Play: Brock Bowling Analyst: Renaldo Wynn

See also: 2017 Virginia Tech Hokies football team

Miami (FL)

Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total No. 2 Hurricanes 0 7 0 7 14 • Panthers 3 7 7 7 24 Date: November 24 Location: Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA Game start: 12:07 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:21 Game attendance: 35,978 Game weather: 43°F • S 8 • Sunny Referee: Gary Patterson TV announcers (ABC): Play-by-Play: Bob Wischusen Analyst: Brock Huard

See also: 2017 Miami Hurricanes football team

2018 NFL draft

Main article: NFL Draft

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL club
Brian O'Neill	Offensive Tackle	2	62	Minnesota Vikings
Jordan Whitehead	Safety	4	117	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Avonte Maddox	Cornerback	4	125	Philadelphia Eagles