Pitt Spring Report: Quarterback

Pitt will be starting a new quarterback this season after three years of Tino Sunseri. The new quarterback will certainly be a welcome change, as Sunseri was one of the more scrutinized players in Pitt football history. There will be four guys looking to take the job, but it appears to be locked into a two-man battle as most are suspecting.

Spring football is a great way to get a leg up for Fall camp. Obviously, the goal for these guys is to get those first team reps for the Spring game on April 12. Tom Savage is one of the two main players in this race. Out of high school, Savage was a heralded recruit with offers from a number of major programs. He chose to stay close to home and play for Rutgers, and had a very successful freshmen campaign in Piscataway in 2009.

Fast forward to now skipping over some injuries and transfers and 2013 will be his last chance. At 6-4 210 pounds, Savage has the strong armed, pro style quarterback build. He has significant game experience, unlike any other candidate, and he is the most mature. After seeing what coach Paul Chryst did with Russell Wilson for one season at Wisconsin, the hope is that Savage can be a repeat of sorts. Savage will get every opportunity to get this job.

Chad Voytik is a redshirt freshmen from Tennessee, and may be the only good thing to have come from the Todd Graham era. Voytik was another big recruit, but his size held him back in some regards. Standing at only 6-1, Voytik does not have the build that Savage does. His game is about making plays and keeping them alive. He is not a burner, but can make a play with his feet when he has to. Most accounts say he is a cerebral player and willing to make something happen when the team needs it. As a redshirt freshmen, it may be appealing to let him start and grow as a player throughout his career. The whole program may benefit down the line with an experience game quarterback.

The other two contenders figure to be longshots. Trey Anderson is a junior from Texas that did not come with a lot of fanfare. He guided his high school to great success, but standing under 6-0 tall did not generate much interest from colleges. Anderson has played sparingly in his time here, and there has been nothing to suggest he will be a real threat to take this job.

The other player could be intriguing - Tra'Von Chapman. Chapman is a true freshmen that enrolled early. He is the most athletic quarterback in the group and has a little more size than Voytik. He is the son of a coach, so his game knowledge should be pretty good. He may not pick things up this Spring right away, but he will not be lost come Fall practice either. Still, though, Chapman doesn't even sound convinced he'll challenge for the job, so if he's in the mix, it could be a big surprise.

It should be an entertaining race during Spring that will extend into Fall. Either way, as we said before, the position appears to be secure for the immediate future. Stick with Cardiac Hill throughout Spring practice for updates on the position.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics.