Pitt mailbag: Where will the Panthers fall in the preseason ACC rankings?

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
nhiles@post-gazette.com
JUL 25, 2023 9:30 AM
Al: Why does it seem like Pitt football doesn’t have a great chance to be picked in the top five of this year’s ACC preseason poll — I’ve seen many preview polls that have them in the middle of the pack?
Hiles: I think it has to do with the many players the Panthers are replacing on defense. Pitt said goodbye to four guys who were drafted last spring and three more that earned rookie camp invites. That’s a lot of talent for any team to replace on one side of the football. Then on offense, the team is without its leading receiver and rusher from last season, along with a few very talented linemen. I’m not saying the Panthers don’t have the players capable of replacing that production on either side of the ball, but it looks like a bit of a tall task on paper. I’m very curious as to where Pitt lands in this preseason poll. I’ve seen national outlets have them anywhere from third to ninth in the league. As I said a few times last week, I intend on picking them somewhere between third and fifth in the ACC, which is about where they finished last year.
Members of the Pitt football team smile before a charity golf outing at Quicksilver Golf Club in collaboration with long snapper Byron Floyd's "Snapper49" initiative.
Mike: You talked about the thinnest areas on Pitt football’s roster, but which position group is the deepest this year?
Hiles: I’d probably go with cornerback. I’d argue that M.J. Devonshire might be the best NFL prospect on this year’s team — at least for now. He and Marquis Williams should be one of the best cornerback duos in the ACC, which includes a few other notable pairs. Those two, plus veteran A.J. Woods, make for a very experienced trio. Together, they’ve played 133 collegiate games, including numerous Bowls and the 2021 ACC Championship. Pitt’s defensive line usually headlines the defense, but the corners should be very strong this fall.
Roger: You mentioned in your story Sunday that ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips was listed as a defendant in a new lawsuit against Northwestern. Do you expect this to loom over the ACC Kickoff?
Hiles: I’m not sure. I think Jim will be asked about it. If no one else wants to ask him Tuesday morning, when he’s scheduled to speak, you can bet I will. But I don’t think he will have much to say about it, as is the case for anyone connected to the Northwestern hazing scandal.
Willie: I saw on Twitter you played in the Loyal Sons golf outing Sunday. Who was the best golfer on the Pitt football team that participated in the event?
Hiles: Oh, wow. That’s a great question. I didn’t get a chance to see most of the guys play a ton, but I know a few are pretty solid golfers. The general consensus is that Ben Sauls is one of the best golfers on the team. Byron Floyd told me he is an 11 handicap despite having just started playing two years ago, which I think is pretty impressive (I’m a 20, and I’ve been golfing for double that amount of time). I did have the chance to see Phil Jurkovec hit a few shots, however, and he looked solid. Gavin Bartholomew absolutely crushes the ball off the tee, but I’m not sure how the rest of his game is. Overall, the Panthers could put together a decent foursome that could hold its own in an ACC gridiron scramble.
Hank: What would the team need to see during the Spain trip for them to believe they will get back to the tournament?
Hiles: I don’t know if it would be fair to judge a team off its performance against any opponent three months before the regular season starts. I think the Spain trip is more about building chemistry than improving the team on the court, which is very important with this young group. Unlike last year, this year’s Pitt basketball team is very, very young. Traveling and competing together overseas will allow them to grow closer both on and off the court, which is so important in today's era of college basketball.