Four Early Season Breakout Players for Pitt

The Pitt Panthers are 3-0 after defeating Syracuse for their first ACC win of the season. After an offseason full of longtime players transferring away, it was necessary for others to step up in their place.

Several players indeed have stepped up to help the Panthers get three wins so far, but it's not the players that were fully expected.

Damon Ferguson Jr.

Sophomore Ja'Kyrian 'Boosie' Turner was expected to be Pitt's main weapon in the running back room after a great freshman year. But an injury has kept him out the past few games, so the coaching staff has turned to true freshman Damon Ferguson Jr.

Ferguson, so far, has three touchdowns, 183 rushing yards and 51 receiving yards on the season. He's the only Panther to score a touchdown in each of the team's three games so far.

In a gritty win over UCF that was played during a rainstorm, Ferguson was given the ball on 20 carries for 59 yards and the team's only touchdown of the game. The true freshman served as the Panthers' main offensive unit despite only getting nine touches the week prior.

His performance against Syracuse was even better, getting 102 rushing yards in just 10 carries. Even after all the carries he's had to take over the first three games, Ferguson has always gotten back up and been ready for the next snap.

Boosie Turner should be ready to play again soon, but when he does come back, Pitt knows they still have reliable options in the running back room.

Cruce Brookins

After losing the 'Shark' linebacker duo of Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis, other players on defense had to step up to keep Pitt's defense as dominant as in past seasons.

Senior defensive back Cruce Brookins has been on the team his entire collegiate career, but this season, he has really been a leading force on the defensive end.

Brookins has put up 18 total tackles and a pass breakup so far this season. The numbers might not stand out as anything crazy, but what is really noticeable about Brookins is how hard he can hit.

No other player comes flying out of nowhere to make a tackle like Brookins has. While Pitt only has three interceptions on the season so far, the explosive plays have come from stopping the run or taking down a receiver the moment after they catch a pass.

Nick James

Fifth-year senior Nick James is another player who's had to step up after transfer portal losses on the defensive line.

So far James has five total tackles, 2.5 tackles for 11 yards lost and an eight-yard sack. The sack came on a third-and-five at the end of the second half against Syracuse, forcing the Orange to settle for a field goal.

James has led a unit that's held Pitt's opponents to 60.7 rushing yards per game.

Antonio Chadha

Pitt's hot streak of recruiting kickers continues.

Fifth-year senior Antonio Chadha transferred to Pitt as a walk-on from Western Illinois. Pitt was in need of a kicker as they had just lost their breakout freshman kicker to the transfer portal.

Chadha's very first field goal of the season was a record-tying 58-yard kick at the end of the half against Miami (OH). Since then, he's made three more field goals, including a 42-yarder, and hasn't missed an extra point.

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