There's no disputing the tradition.
When it comes to producing running backs, few do it better than Pitt.
At the top of Pitt's all-time list is Tony Dorsett, the 1976 Heisman Trophy winner who led the Panthers to a national championship and left school as the NCAA's all-time rushing leader. Dorsett is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, but he's not the only Pitt running back enshrined inside the Canton, Ohio, facility. Curtis Martin also has a place among the game's all-time greats.
The late Craig "Ironhead" Heyward has been nominated for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, and LeSean McCoy made the NFL's all-decade team for the 2010s.
James Conner was a former ACC Player of the Year and a Pro Bowler for the Steelers. Dion Lewis won a Super Bowl with the Patriots. Fullback Lousaka Polite had a long NFL career.
It's quite the tradition, and when it comes to naming a "Running Back U," Pitt often earns some sort of mention. In April, ESPN ranked Pitt as the sixth-best school for running backs of the BCS and College Football Playoff era, behind Alabama, Wisconsin, LSU, Oklahoma and Miami.
From the BCS to the CFP era, who's your No. 1 for Quarterback and Running Back U? pic.twitter.com/8tkWmVPKdv
— ESPN (@espn) April 11, 2020
NFL.com placed Pitt 10th in its June rankings based on the past 20 years.
Pitt's tradition was alive and well in 2018, when Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall each rushed for more than 1,000 yards and helped the Panthers win the ACC Coastal Division.
The run game took a significant step backward last season, ranking 118th nationally in yards gained, 100th in rushing attempts and averaging a paltry 3.5 yards per carry. Part of it had to do with a pass-happy offense under first-year coordinator Mark Whipple, but the offensive line struggled and the run game lacked explosive plays. The Panthers had just nine rushes of 20 yards or more.
Pitt is going to need more balance in 2020, or whenever the season is played. Can a bevy of running backs, many of whom were high-profile recruits, provide what was missing last year?
A.J. DAVIS
Davis was a four-star recruit coming out of high school in Florida, and the senior-to-be has appeared in 29 games over three seasons. He has one career 100-yard game, and it came last season in a win at Syracuse when he rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
Not exactly what Pat Narduzzi and the coaching staff envisioned.
Davis, who missed two games because of injury, did lead Pitt in rushing last season with 530 yards and 127 carries, but he made more big plays in the passing game (23 receptions, 269 yards).
VINCENT DAVIS
Another Florida product, Davis was Pitt's most effective runner toward the end of the season and particularly down the stretch of the Quick Land Bowl victory against Eastern Michigan.
Davis is 5-foot-8, 175 pounds, so the rigors of being an every-down back in the ACC might prove difficult, but early returns suggest he can provide sizzle to an otherwise toothless running attack.
His 61-yard touchdown on a direct snap against Georgia Tech was Pitt's longest run of the season, and he had a 28-yard catch against Eastern Michigan. As a freshman, Davis played in 11 games and led the team with five rushing touchdowns.
At the very least, Davis deserves more looks as a change-of-pace back.
Vincent Davis || Pitt Panthers Running Back || 2019 Highlights@VeeDee_II @Pitt_FB
📼: https://t.co/yKXsgpnCQ1 pic.twitter.com/J5sY7qvTBb— The Breakshot (@TheBreakshot) June 18, 2020
TODD SIBLEY JR.
Sibley only had 50 carries on the season, but the 5-9, 225-pound bruiser is tough to tackle, and he averaged 5.0 yards per carry. Most of that output came against Delaware, when he had 22 attempts for 106 yards.
Sibley was highly sough-after coming out of high school in Ohio, and he rushed for 7,433 yards at Archbishop Hoban in Akron.
He's had a difficult time staying healthy, but he could provide the pop between the tackles that Pitt lacked last season.
DANIEL CARTER
Carter is another in a line of heralded running back recruits from Florida at Pitt. He played in four games last season, which preserved a redshirt, mostly at fullback.
Given his upside, the 5-10, 220-pound Carter could in line for more playing time at tailback, but he also could the solution to Pitt's search for an effective fullback.
ISREAL ABANIKANDA
Abanikanda enrolled at Pitt early and impressed enough during the team's three days of spring practice that he's already being viewed as a possible solution to the run game's problems.
Either Abanikanda looked that good or it's an indictment on the running back situation.
There's a good chance the Brooklyn native nicknamed "Izzy" looked that good, and even a better chance he's the fastest running back on the roster.
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