Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi talks Rachid Ibrahim

Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi dropped by for an hour-long interview with the team's flagship, 93.7 FM The Fan on Thursday. There wasn't a ton of substance there, but one thing I did want to mention was something I've wondered about myself - where junior Rachid Ibrahim fits into the backfield.

Ibrahim was out all last year with an ACL injury suffered in training camp. He's since been working his way back but didn't land on the preseason depth chart with four backs all ahead of him, including true freshman Chawntez Moss, who the coaches seem high on and who has apparently been told he will play this year.

I've talked before about where Ibrahim fits into such a crowded situation and Narduzzi addressed that a little bit. Sort of, anyway:

"We've got a great backfield back there...Rachid's a great back...Rachid's a good player. Throughout the spring he limped around.

Just a week ago watching him run, it's the first time I've seen him kind of get into a full stride without looking like he's limping. So I think he's finally through that. We're going to see how healthy he is when camp starts."

Ibrahim's health seems to be the reason why in part, for now, anyway, Moss has passed him up on the depth chart.

I've said this over and over, but I simply don't see him getting on the field much at all with so many players ahead of him barring some injuries. As we saw last year, that's more than possible. But it might be his best hope to play this season.

For what it's worth, he does add a different dimension compared to the other guys in that I think he can be effective catching passes out of the backfield. And Pitt has also talked about using three running backs on certain sets, so he could find his way onto the field. Still, with so much talent there, he could have his work cut out for him.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.