The Panther-Lair Top 25 Poll: Nos. 5-1
Panther-Lair.com readers voted for the top 25 players on the 2016 Pitt football team, and here it is: the top five.
5. Ejuan Price
Aside from a certain freshman safety, Price was the breakout defensive star for Pitt in 2015. Always full of potential but never able to stay healthy, Price finally spent a full season on the field last year and made the most of it, recording 11.5 sacks - the most by a Pitt defender since 2000.
Price wasn't totally consistent in his production - he tended to get sacks in bunches - but he led the charge on an improved Pitt pass rush and earned All-ACC first team honors in the process. And as a bonus for Price and Pitt, the NCAA granted him a sixth year of eligibility, so he'll get one more season as a Panther.
Polling notes:
- As with everyone in the top five, Price was listed on all 31 submitted ballots, and only one of those ballots had him outside the top 10. He was ranked as high as No. 3 on five ballots.
4. Adam Bisnowaty
Another All-ACC performer - voted to the first team by the coaches and the second team by the media - Bisnowaty is a big part of the high expectations for Pitt's offensive line this season. In fact, he said himself that he thinks the Panthers should have the best line in the nation; if that happens, much of it will be due to the redshirt senior from Fox Chapel anchoring the left side of the line. He has started 30 games over the last three seasons and figures to hear his name called in next year's NFL Draft.
Polling notes:
- Like Price, Bisnowaty had one vote outside the top 10, but unlike Price, Bisnowaty also received a first-place vote to go with two No. 2's and nine No. 3's.
3. Dorian Johnson
Another big piece of the puzzle for Pitt's expected strength along the offensive line this season, Johnson has come a long way since being thrust into the lineup at left tackle as a true freshman against Georgia Tech in 2013. Now he's arguably the top pro prospect on a line that has more than a few. He has started 27 consecutive games and figures to be a rock in the interior of the line as a senior.
Polling notes:
- Johnson placed higher than Bisnowaty, but not by much, as only 13 points separated the two offensive linemen. Like Bisnowaty, Johnson got a first-place vote, but he was also No. 2 on six ballots and No. 3 on eight ballots. Of 31 submitted ballots, 26 had Johnson in the top five.
2. James Conner
The 2015 season opener was a long time ago, and Conner has been through a lot since then. But a knee injury, a long layoff and - last but not least - a bout with cancer haven't diminished the fans' expectations for him. And, from the sound of things, those ordeals haven't diminished Conner's expectations either.
If Conner gets even close to his pre-injury/cancer form, there won't be a better story in Pittsburgh sports, if not all of sports. As it stands, his story already looks like one of the best in the sports world, and that's the biggest truth: no matter what he does on the field in 2016, he already beat cancer. So he already won.
Polling notes:
- The readers of Panther-Lair.com believe in Conner. 13 of the 31 submitted ballots had him at No. 1, and of the other 18, seven had him at No. 2. A few voters weren't sure what to expect from Conner, so he ranked No. 10 on one ballot and No. 12 on another. But overall, the expectations are high.
1. Jordan Whitehead
Given Conner's situation, Whitehead was probably a no-brainer at No. 1. Coming off the best freshman year by a Pitt defender since Darrelle Revis, Whitehead enters 2016 as Pitt's best overall player and one of the best players in the ACC. He was the conference's Rookie of the Year in 2015, earned All-ACC third-team honors and was named a Freshman All-American by six different selectors.
Pitt is still rebuilding its defense with Pat Narduzzi, but Whitehead is a key component in that process who figures to be a playmaker - potentially on both sides of the ball again - in 2016.
Polling notes:
- Conner took 13 of the first-place votes, Bisnowaty and Johnson got one each and Whitehead received the other 16. And of the 15 voters who didn't have him at No. 1, 13 put him at No. 2. His other two votes: No. 4 and No. 5. The polling wasn't unanimous, but it was a pretty clear consensus that Whitehead is expected to be the best player on th team this season.
THE FULL PANTHER-LAIR TOP 25 POLL
1. Jordan Whitehead
2. James Conner
3. Dorian Johnson
4. Adam Bisnowaty
5. Ejuan Price
6. Nate Peterman
7. Dewayne Hendrix
8. Avonte Maddox
9. Jaryd Jones-Smith
10. Scott Orndoff
11. Dontez Ford
12. Qadree Ollison
13. Alex Officer
14. Brian O'Neill
15. Matt Galambos
16. Damar Hamlin
17. Tyrique Jarrett
18. Reggie Mitchell
19. Darrin Hall
20. Bam Bradley
21. Quadree Henderson
22. Mike Caprara
23. Terrish Webb
24. Alex Bookser
25. Rori Blair