We are officially halfway home in Pitt's 2022 football season, which means it's time for the classic report card story that tends to surface through this time of the year.
Pitt is 4-2 overall and 1-1 within the ACC after avenging its ugly loss to Georgia Tech by riding Israel Abanikanda's record-setting day to a victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.
After six games, let's see where the Panthers stand.
Pitt opened the season with a gutsy victory in the Backyard Brawl, led by M.J. Devonshire's heroic pick-six off the shoulders of a Kedon Slovis-led touchdown drive which tied the game late and prior to the pick.
The Panthers then nearly pulled off an unlikely upset over a now-top 10 Tennessee team, after losing Slovis at halftime and while playing with a banged-up backup QB Nick Patti for the fourth quarter.
In Week 3, it was the Nate Yarnell "Beethoven" special at Western Michigan, then an expected-but-not-dominant victory over the Football Championship Series Rhode Island in the Pat Narduzzi reunion game against his alma mater, in which Abanikanda shouldered the load for four rushing touchdowns.
Then came the all-time clunker in the Narduzzi era, in a defeat to 22-point underdog Georgia Tech last week, followed by the Abanikanda encore on Saturday.
I'm going to "borrow" our friend Cory Giger's report card format which he used to grade the other Pennsylvania Power Five college school on Saturday during their open week. Why? Because I can.
Let's get to it. If I missed anybody, or if there is any unit that you would like to see graded, mention it in the comments.
Grade A+
• RB Israel Abanikanda: Obviously. Maybe give him an A++. He has been Pitt's best player by a long shot through these six games. (Or the five and a half, notwithstanding the second half he missed against Georgia Tech.)
Abanikanda is the Football Bowl Subdivision leader in rushing touchdowns (12), total touchdowns (13), points scored (78), and all-purpose yards (1,117). He is the ACC leader in rushing yards per game at 138.3, which is nearly 20 more per game than second place (Syracuse's Sean Tucker at 109.2 YPG). Abanikanda's 13.0 points scored per game leads the ACC, and his 6.4 rushing yards per game are third in the ACC. He has been nothing short of spectacular and will only be aided down the road with a hopeful return of Rodney Hammond Jr. following Pitt's off week.
• DT Calijah Kancey: Even while drawing numerous double teams and gaining the Aaron Donald treatment from opponents, Pitt's preseason All-American is on pace to have a better season than the one he put on paper last year. Kancey is second in the ACC with 8.5 tackles for loss, with seven of those being from solo stops. He has added three sacks to his season total, as well. He's quietly put these numbers up, too, which is a scary thought as ACC play forges on. It almost seems as if he has room for more.
Grade A
• S Erick Hallett II: Pitt's ball-hawking safety has been the secondary's most consistent playmaker. His nine pass breakups and three interceptions are each tied for the ACC lead, and there was room for at least one more interception on the first play against Georgia Tech, had he hauled in the pass after jumping a route. Hallett has been a solid anchor for the Panthers' boom-or-bust approach within the secondary.
• LB SirVocea Dennis: The defensive signal caller has been the steady cog within the middle of that unit, even while the Panthers at times had to work through injuries or rotations on all three levels of the defense. Dennis's four sacks are one-half off of the ACC lead, and he has totaled five tackles for loss. His 44 tackles pace the team.
• LB Bangally Kamara: Kamara has been a fine replacement at outside linebacker, as Pitt lost three starters from within the room from a year ago. His 28 total tackles are third on the team, and his four pass breakups in six games have given indication of his growth as a defender in pass coverage. He has also recorded two quarterback hits.
GRADE A-
• TE Gavin Bartholomew: I wish I could rank him lower, but hear me out for a moment. When -- when -- his number has been called, Bartholomew has delivered. He hauled in a pass on a clutch sliding grab on the drive in the Backyard Brawl in which Pitt later tied the game, leading to Devonshire's pick-six.
Then there was the highlight-reel hurdle and TD against Tennessee that sparked the Panthers. And, he caught a touchdown in the first half against Georgia Tech that was one of Pitt's best pass plays in that game. The numbers don't explode off the stat sheet -- 14 catches for 229 yards -- but Pitt's top tight end has largely been effective and reliable when targeted.
• LG Marcus Minor: For as much of a revolving door as Pitt's offensive line has been this season, Minor has been the only constant to play in every game and nearly every snap for the Panthers.
• DE John Morgan III: Morgan has played well, with injuries to Haba Baldonaldo, Deslin Alexandre, and Nate Temple (out for the season) causing a shuffle on the line. Morgan has forced two fumbles, registered four tackles for loss, and has racked up five QB hits this season.
Grade B+
• RG/OC Jake Kradel: In the same vain as I'm grading Minor, I have to give credit to Kradel for adjusting to taking over at center for the last three games in absence of Owen Drexel. He has meshed well with each of Yarnell and Slovis and hasn't made any errors snapping to either, while providing a near-seamless transition as Blake Zubovic takes over at right guard.
• CB M.J. Devonshire: The hero of the Backyard Brawl has been an amazing story following his transfer from Kentucky. He has taken over as the starting cornerback opposite Marquis Williams, and he has taken the role as the team's primary punt returner over Konata Mumpfield. He has also returned an interception and a punt for a touchdown this season, becoming the first Panther to do so since fellow Aliquippa native Darrelle Revis. Devonshire has also broken up six passes this season, which is tied for second on the team.
GRADE B
• WR Jared Wayne: He is Pitt's leader in receiving yards with 390, and he is one catch behind Mumpfield for the team lead. Part of the dip in what Wayne's potential production could have been through six games has been affected by some of the game flow and with the team's success at running the ball, but he -- like Bartholomew -- has largely been reliable when targeted.
• S Brandon Hill: He could be graded higher, but I like to think of this grade as a baseline for Hill, which he has played at this season. The expectations for Hill to make plays alongside Hallett has been matched by production -- his 38 total tackles are second on the team -- but he hasn't made as massive of an impact on the deep passing game as perhaps projected at the beginning of the season.
GRADE B-
• DE Haba Baldonaldo: He missed a game with an injury, but I think there is still more to come from Pitt's other NFL-caliber defensive lineman. Baldonaldo has totaled 17 tackles, but he has only gathered one-half of a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, and three QB hits in five games, despite Kancey drawing double teams as often as he has. There is a heightened expectation around Baldonaldo, and I think there is still room for more from him.
• LB Tylar Wiltz: The Missouri State transfer has a tough role within the Panthers' linebacker room as a rover and first substitute off the sidelines, but Wiltz has assumed the role well. His 20 total tackles are third among linebackers, and he has recorded a couple of pass breakups. Those have all been produced while he plays snaps on special teams, as well.
GRADE C+
• Pat Narduzzi: I think we've seen a very up-and-down job from Narduzzi this year. His players always play hard for him, and you have to at minimum give him that. And the Tennessee game was well navigated given the circumstances. But, the Georgia Tech loss simply never should have happened. Pitt was able to respond against Virginia Tech on the shoulders of Abanikanda, but it's clear that Pitt has not put together a complete four quarters of football in six games. That falls back onto the head coach.
• Frank Cignetti Jr.: It's also been an up-and-down start to Cignetti's offense this season. While the running game has been there, the passing game -- a watermark on Cignetti's lengthy career spanning the college and pro ranks -- has been lackluster to begin. Credit should be given for his adjustments made to keep Pitt in the Tennessee game, but there have been plays left on the field which could have turned into points on the board.
GRADE C
• QB Kedon Slovis: He has not been the quarterback we thought he could have been after transferring over from Southern California, and there are some factors that can be attributed to that. There have often been times where Slovis missed a secondary read or made the decision to dump the ball off short instead of reading through a progression, and that has impacted Pitt's offense for better or worse at times. He has largely been average at best this season, and that could be to a fault at times with some of the play-calling and game flow, but Slovis' major knock as of now is the decision making and the lack of willingness to throw the ball down the field.
• WRs Konata Mumpfield and Bub Means: The pair of transfers are grouped in here because of a lack of consistency. Mumpfield is the team leader in catches, but he is barely averaging over 10 yards per reception. Mumpfield's volume is largely from working from underneath, which Slovis has often settled for, away from a potential open and deep option.
Means had a rocky start to his season, recording major drops in each of the West Virginia and Tennessee games, and he has largely been inconsistent since. Means has just 16 catches for 154 yards in six games.
GRADE C-
• CB A.J. Woods: I had more expected from Woods, and this perhaps is a harsh grade for good reason. While his seven pass breakups lead the team, there still have been moments where Woods has been burned deep in coverage and has allowed explosive plays. He also gets a downgrade here after Devonshire supplanted him from his starting spot in the depth chart earlier in the season.
INCOMPLETE
• RB Rodney Hammond Jr.: We've only seen one game of Hammond, and it was the breakout 74 yards and two TDs in the Backyard Brawl. He has missed every game since, but Narduzzi hinted at the idea of Hammond being ready to play following Pitt's open week.
• LT Carter Warren: The NFL-caliber left tackle has missed each of Pitt's last two games, but even while he has played, Warren has shown there is some room for improvement within his pass blocking of his quarterback's blind side.
