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We're in the middle of the basketball postseason, but it's hard to ignore football completely right now. Pitt opens up its spring practice session on Sunday and now that it's here, I figured I'd take a look at some of the big questions surrounding the team.
5. Coaching Adjustments - Pitt had a slew of coaching changes in the offseason and this will be the first time these guys get to break in at their new positions. New running backs coach, new receivers coach, new quarterbacks coach, more emphasis on special teams ... just lots to consider here. In addition to the new ones, it will be interesting to see if defensive coordinator Matt House makes any early changes after a lackluster year for the defense.
4. 2nd Wide Receiver - Tyler Boyd returns as the top threat at wide receiver for 2014, but with the graduation of Devin Street, someone's got to play opposite him. Freshman Adonis Jennings is a guy that could come in and do that, but we won't see him until the Fall. In the spring, it will likely be mostly about Manasseh Garner and Kevin Weatherspoon. Ronald Jones, Dontez Ford, and Chris Wuestner could also figure in.
3. James Conner Position - Running back James Conner had a lot of success as a true freshman last season, but there were rumblings that he may be moved to defense. His use at defensive end in the bowl game began that experiment and the question is if he will again line up on that side of the ball at all in the spring.
2. Replacing Aaron Donald - Let's face it - no one is going to legitimately replace Donald on the defensive line. That said, physically, someone will take his spot. Darryl Render looks like he could get the first crack here, but it will be interesting to see if anyone else steps up early on and impresses the coaches.
1. Chad Voytik - Pitt will have its third quarterback in three seasons with the graduations of Tino Sunseri and Tom Savage and the job is Chad Voytik's to lose. He hasn't seen much game action but did get significant playing time in Pitt's bowl game against Bowling Green and is in his third year in the program. The biggest question of all is if he's ready to run the offense on a full-time basis.
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