This is the second in a weekly series ranking the top starters or position groups in the ACC.
Last week: Quarterbacks
Todd Sibley already committed to Pitt in 2017 by the time the Under-Armour All-American game was played, and the recruiting win was seen as a big one for the Panthers.
A three-star recruit according to Rivals, Sibley held offers from Michigan and Ohio State. The recruiting website listed him as the No. 24 high school running back in the nation. He was a powerful, bruising runner -- the type Pitt has so much success with in recent seasons.
And he helped Pitt land another heralded running back.
A.J. Davis, another Under-Armour All-American selection that year, held a slew of offers. We're talking powerhouse programs such as Florida, Georgia, Auburn and Michigan. A four-star recruit, Davis announced his commitment to Pitt on ESPN2, and it sent the Panthers' coaching staff into a frenzy. Rivals listed Davis, a native of Lakeland, Florida, as the No. 14 running back in the nation.
It sure seemed Pitt had its next great running backs in place, the guys who would carry the tradition established by Tony Dorsett, Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, Curtis Martin, LeSean McCoy, James Conner and company.
Pitt still is waiting for Davis and Sibley to continue that tradition.
In 2018, the pair waited in the wings as Quadree Ollison and Darrin Hall topped 1,000 yards each in leading the Panthers to an ACC Coastal Championship. Last season, the first under pass-heavy offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, Davis and Sibley had opportunities along with freshman Vincent Davis. The results were mixed.
As a junior, A.J. Davis led Pitt with 530 yards (4.2 average) to go with four touchdowns. Sibley, who will be a redshirt junior, rushed for 249 yards and no scores, while Vincent Davis posted 314 yards with five touchdowns and showed the most burst among the team's top three backs.
Injuries played a role. A.J. Davis missed games against Delaware and Duke because of injury. His best game came against Syracuse, rushing for 103 yards on 16 carries. He also was a factor in the passing game with 23 receptions for 269 yards, including seven for 94 yards against Penn State.
Sibley rushed for 106 yards against Delaware, but was hurt in the fourth quarter against Miami and did not travel to Virginia Tech.
Vincent Davis, listed at 5-foot-8, 175 pounds, missed games against Duke and Delaware, but emerged late in the season. He rushed for a team-high 69 yards in the Quick Lane Bowl win over Eastern Michigan, and his 61-yard touchdown against Georgia Tech was Pitt's longest run of the season.
The play of the offensive line, which allowed 76 tackles for loss, also contributed to the running game's struggles. But Pitt will need more from its running backs in 2020 to be mentioned among the ACC's best.
1. TRAVIS ETIENNE, CLEMSON
This is as much a no-brainer as Tigers' quarterback Trevor Lawrence topping last week's list.
Many believe Etienne is college football's best running back, and the hype is warranted. The explosive, dynamic playmaker is a factor in all phases of Clemson's offense -- he finished last season with 37 receptions for 432 yards -- and he gives Clemson two preseason Heisman Trophy hopefuls. Etienne rushed for 1,614 yards and 19 touchdowns, and he averaged 7.8 yards per carry as a junior.
Opposing coaches must have quivered when the 5-10, 210-pound Etienne opted to return for his senior season.
Travis Etienne: 2021 first-round pickpic.twitter.com/m8wIkI9z2l
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 14, 2020
