Pitt's Pat Narduzzi names starters at most positions, but still likes the depth of his roster

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi thinks and acts like almost all of his coaching brethren.

They all follow these strict tenets:

• Don’t give up too much information.

• Be as vague as possible when discussing personnel and strategy.

• Keep alive the notion of competition at every position.

Yet when he issued the first depth chart of the regular season Monday in advance of Pitt’s opener Saturday night against Virginia, he named unquestioned (for now) starters at 24 of 29 positions, including seven on special teams. He used the conjunction ‘or’ on five starting spots — only one on offense — while claiming his indecision is largely a product of roster depth.

The depth chart could change over the course of the week, but that would indicate a situation arose that coaches weren’t expecting.

Here’s a look at each ‘or’ position:

Running back (A.J. Davis or Todd Sibley) — Because of the large number of running plays in Pitt’s gameplan, the position is inherently built to be shared.

“We’re replacing four linemen up front. Run the football, eat up the clock and do what a tough Pittsburgh team does,” Narduzzi said. “When we do throw it, let’s complete it.”

Narduzzi promises the split won’t be 80/20 run but will be closer to 60/40 or, ideally, 50/50.

“We’re going to throw it better, and we’re going to throw it more often,” he said.

That is his plan, but he also doesn’t mind planting a seed in the minds of the Virginia coaches.

By all accounts, Davis and Sibley performed well in training camp, especially near the end, but Narduzzi openly has praised freshman Vincent Davis. If that was just talk to divert Virginia’s attention, we’ll find out Saturday at Heinz Field.

Defensive tackle (Keyshon Camp or Amir Watts) — Both players were freshmen in 2016 — Watts started in the upset of Clemson that year — but Camp is a redshirt junior, and Watts is a senior. Both have exhibited good run-stuffing abilities, and each has two career sacks.

Camp (6-foot-4, 285 pounds) missed the last seven games of 2018 with an upper-body injury, but he has recovered and will share snaps with Watts (6-3, 295).

With five games scheduled before Sept. 29 when the weather can be summer-like, line coach Charlie Partridge prefers to rotate his players.

Middle linebacker (Elias Reynolds or Saleem Brightwell) — Reynolds replaced Quintin Wirginis at midseason last year and made seven starts while finishing fourth on the team with 49 tackles. Brightwell is in his last year of eligibility and also has played outside linebacker.

Star linebacker (Cam Bright or Phil Campbell III) — Bright has played linebacker exclusively at Pitt, and Campbell is a converted safety. Being able to trust two players at both linebacker positions is a plus for the coaching staff.

“A year ago, it was Seun Idowu (starting at star), and I wasn’t sure who was going to go in next,” Narduzzi said.

Cornerback (Jason Pinnock and Damarri Mathis) — Narduzzi believes he has three starters for two cornerback positions. Dane Jackson (Quaker Valley) is on the other side. The same situation exists at safety, with starters Damar Hamlin (Central Catholic) and Paris Ford (Steel Valley), backed up by Jazzee Stocker.

There are three more ‘ors’ next to backups, including quarterback. Of that situation, Narduzzi told reporters, “You can figure that one out.”

Senior Jeff George Jr. was the backup last season and likely will remain in that role ahead of redshirt freshman Nick Patti.

The other three ‘ors’ are backup right guard, with Jake Kradel (Butler) and Chase Brown; defensive tackle behind starter Jaylen Twyman, with redshirt freshmen David Green (Central Catholic) and Tyler Bentley; and defensive end, with John Morgan and Kaymar Mimes.

Here is the entire depth chart:

Wide receiver — Taysir Mack, Aaron Mathews

Wide receiver — Tre Tipton, Dontavius Butler-Jenkins

Wide receiver — Maurice Ffrench, John Vardzel

Tight end — Will Gragg, Nakia Griffin-Stewart

Left tackle— Carter Warren, Carson Van Lynn

Left guard — Bryce Hargrove, Brandon Ford

Center — Jimmy Morrissey, Owen Drexel

Right guard — Gabe Houy, Jake Kradel or Chase Brown

Right tackle — Nolan Ulizio, Jerry Drake Jr.

Quarterback — Kenny Pickett, Nick Patti or Jeff George Jr.

Tailback — A.J. Davis or Todd Sibley

Defensive end — Patrick Jones II, John Morgan or Kaymar Mimes

Defensive tackle — Jaylen Twyman, David Green or Tyler Bentley

Defensive tackle — Keyshon Camp or Amir Watts, Devin Danielson

Defensive end — Deslin Alexandre, Habakkuk Baldonado

Money linebacker — Kylan Johnson, Chase Pine

Middle linebacker — Elias Reynolds or Saleem Brightwell

Star linebacker — Cam Bright or Phil Campbell III

Strong safety — Paris Ford, Jazzee Stocker

Free safety — Damar Hamlin, Therran Coleman

Cornerback— Dane Jackson, Erick Hallett

Cornerback — Jason Pinnock or Damarri Mathis

Placekicker and kickoffs — Alex Kessman, Sam Scarton

Punter — Kirk Christodoulou, Jared Campbell

Holder — Kirk Christodoulou, Kenny Pickett

Long snapper — Cal Adomitis, Jack Hansberry

Kickoff returner — Maurice Ffrench, Taysir Mack

Punt returner — Maurice Ffrench, Taysir Mack, Paris Ford