No slowdown for construction
New- look Pitt offensive line takes shape
Pitt offensive line coach Dave Borbely didn’t know what to expect five months ago, at the start of spring camp.
A year removed from replacing three starters, Borbely was tasked with surrounding center Jimmy Morrissey with four new faces. Tackles Alex Bookser and Stefano Millin and guards Connor Dintino and Mike Herndon were All- ACC linemen in 2018, and the quartet combined for 83 career starts before leaving the program.
That kind of transition — an overhaul, really — had fans and coaches alike asking questions. But spring camp showed Borbely what he was working with.
“Sometimes in spring ball, when you lose three or four seniors, guys are hesitant to step up. They’re still waiting for Mike Herndon to come back. They’re still waiting for Stef Millin to show up,” Borbely said Friday at media day. “But these [ freaking] guys jumped right in. From my perspective, we didn’t miss a beat. These guys were ready, like, ‘ It’s my [ freaking] time. Let’s go.’ ”
And now, 24 days until the start of the 2019 season, those at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex believe in the starting five
Borbely has assembled.
On day one of camp, Morrissey — a third- team All- ACC pick last year — manned center, as expected. On the left side, Carter Warren and Bryce Hargrove slotted in at tackle and guard, respectively. To Morrissey’s right, Gabe Houy took reps at guard with Michigan graduate transfer Nolan Ulizio at tackle.
On Day 5, when the Panthers had live contact for the first time, that starting five remained the same.
Things could change. Carson Van Lynn is pushing Warren. Brandon Ford is slotted behind Hargrove, and Chase Brown — a redshirt senior — is currently Houy’s No. 2. “I told him, ‘ This [ expletive] is wide open for you,” Borbely said of Brown.
But at this point, Warren-Hargrove- Morrissey- Houy-Ulizio appears to be the group that will line up to protect Kenny Pickett come Aug. 31.
“I’m impressed, really, with where we are,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said of the offensive line. “I know it was one of our biggest question marks, given that it’s a young group with a lack of experience.”
Warren, a redshirt sophomore, never has played in a game for the Panthers. Houy started once in 2018 in place of an injured Bookser against Albany. Hargrove ran with the first- team line for the three games last season, and Ulizio made six starts in four years at Michigan.
Growing pains likely await the Panthers offensive line. Pitt lost two seasoned, 1,000yard rushers and is set to break in a new offense. And in the first four weeks of the season, the Panthers face two teams, Penn State ( No. 6) and UCF ( No. 8), that ranked in the top 10 in tackles for a loss in 2018.
As it stands, five practices into fall camp, there’s optimism for Pitt’s starting line.
Pitt defensive line coach Charlie Partridge said, “You can really feel the whole room developing,” when asked about watching Borbely’s guys go up against his. One of Partridge’s starters, defensive tackle Amir Watts, noticed something different, too.
“I see more communication with those guys. A couple years ago, they weren’t saying much,” Watts said Wednesday afternoon. “I mean, you’ve got Bryce out there talking, and I ain’t never heard him say nothing. I’m in my stance, and I’m like, ‘ Uhh, OK.’ That’s what we need.”
Morrissey was quick to address that last week at media day, preaching how necessary it is to work “as one cohesive unit,” which, with an inexperienced line, takes time. Thankfully for Pickett and Pitt’s ballcarriers, Morrissey and Co. have the rest of camp to make sure that commu- nication continues to grow.
“We have an entire camp to be together, and, hopefully, we build a good bond,” Morrissey added. “I think we’ll be fine.”