The revelation of Carter Warren being out for the season is just the tip of the iceberg of problems to confront Pitt this season.
The redshirt senior left tackle has a leg injury that's set to cause more of a shuffle than we have already seen -- or would like to see -- from the Panthers' offensive line, and now the team will have to make due without an All-ACC talent and a sure NFL prospect.
Warren's injury sustained on Sept. 24 against Rhode Island prompted a shift along the line, with redshirt sophomore Branson Taylor inserted into the game in the second half. Taylor started each of the Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech games going into Pitt's open week, and he figures to be the mainstay at the position. Pat Narduzzi suggested that a rotation could be used on the left side with redshirt junior Matt Goncalves and redshirt senior Gabe Houy, but the pair have split time on the right side all season while Houy worked back from a preseason Achilles injury.
Pitt also had to fill in for center, with redshirt senior Owen Drexel going down toward the end of the Tennessee game on Sept. 10. There is now some stability from the interior perspective, as redshirt senior Jake Kradel slid over from his starting right guard spot, and redshirt senior Blake Zubovic was inserted into the right guard slot. Zubovic has started five of Pitt's six games, with the Tennessee game being the exception.
There is no question that this unit has been depleted, and at times it has affected the Panthers' offense from within he passing game, all while running back Israel Abanikanda continues to wreak havoc on opposing defenses. With Warren out for the season and Drexel still sidelined, let's examine the rest of Pitt's options across the line:
TACKLES
• Houy, Goncalves, Taylor, Jason Collier Jr. (R-Jr.); George French II (R-So.); Trey Andersen (R-Fr.); Ryan Baer (Fr.); Isaiah Montgomery (Fr.); Terrence Enos Jr. (Fr.).
ANALYSIS: Let's talk about Baer. Is there a realistic chance that the top-rated recruit Narduzzi brought in from the 2022 class could play -- or dare we say start? -- now that Warren is officially down?
I wouldn't expect it either way. Narduzzi has already said he wants to have Baer retain his redshirt.
Can you blame him? Baer (6-foot-7, 335 pounds) has gobs of potential to build into an NFL prospect given his frame as a true freshman, and he is a cornerstone player for Pitt's offense for the next four seasons (or until he goes to the NFL, if he does).
"He will learn how, and he is learning how, but it's the same value as everyone has," offensive line coach Dave Borbely said of the prospects of redshirting Baer. "You learn how to play the game, you learn how to practice, you learn how to play with an edge. Just another year of growth and maturity, I think he's going to be a tremendous player. I probably could've played him from the very beginning, but at that time I didn't need to because I had Carter, I had Branson, I had Gabe, I had Goncalves. So he's the fifth guy, and at guard, in the interior, I was set.
"So it's like, let's find four games that we can play him in. I didn't want to do that early in case we did have injuries. I didn't want to get him to two games and then all of the sudden we only have two left, if we want to redshirt him."
Otherwise, the intriguing options here that haven't been discussed yet are French and Andersen. Particularly with French, who walked on to Penn State out of high school, transferred to Maine to play in the spring season in 2021, and then walked on to Pitt. Andersen doesn't have much playing experience, after redshirting last season. He has played in Pitt's las two games on special teams.
Though, Collier is listed as the Panthers' third right tackle behind Houy and Goncalves on the depth chart leading into Saturday's game at Louisville. He has logged time in five of Pitt's six games and has seen time on the line and within the field goal unit. He originally signed with Pitt out of high school as a three-star tight end but made the transition to the line in 2020. Last season, Collier played in 13 games as a reserve.
GUARDS
• Kradel, Zubovic, Marcus Minor (R-Sr.), Dakota Peters (R-Sr.); Ryan Jacoby (R-Jr.).
ANALYSIS:
Minor is obviously the new and clear leader of the offensive line with the absence of team captain Warren. He has been the most consistent within that unit, and if Pitt's line has any sustained success this season, it will largely be because of Minor.
Jacoby has been used sparingly as a sixth lineman and has even registered a reception as a tight end. His versatility will likely remain so within Pitt's run-heavy offense.
That leaves us with Peters, who joined Pitt in 2020 as a walk-on transfer from Akron. He has not yet played this season.
The Panthers' official depth chart lists Minor and Jacoby as the starter and backup a left guard, while Zubovic is tabbed as the backup to Kradel.
CENTERS
• Drexel, Matt Altsman (R-So.); Terrence Moore (R-Fr.); Matt Metrosky (R-Fr.).
ANALYSIS: It was Moore who subbed in for Drexel when he went down against Tennessee, but Narduzzi made the call to remove him in favor of the Kradel/Zubovic pairing at center and right guard, respectively. Aside from Drexel, Moore is the lone center to gather any playing time this season, as he has checked into all six of the Panthers' games.
Altsman and Metrosky are each former walk-ons. Each have played in one career game.
So, the depth within the center position is a little odd to dictate beyond Drexel/Kradel and Moore. But, if you're on to your third and fourth center, you have larger problems to account for, than just that.
How comfortable are you with this depth? As long as no more bruises surface, I think Pitt has plenty to sustain. Maybe we see Baer in action, if absolutely needed at left tackle.
The trenches are undoubtedly going to be a massive focus in this weekend's game against Louisville, so look for more on the offensive line in my Kickoff feature later this week.
