Inside The Panthers

Opening AP Poll Slots Pitt Football at No. 17

AP poll voters chose the Pitt Panthers as the No. 17 team in the country.
Stephen Thompson|
Opening AP Poll Slots Pitt Football at No. 17
Opening AP Poll Slots Pitt Football at No. 17

In this story:

Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH -- The Associated Press released their first top 25 poll of the 2022 college football season on Monday and voters placed the Pitt Panthers at No. 17, down one spot from their No. 16 ranking in last week's preseason coaches poll. This is the first time the Panthers have been ranked in the preseason AP poll since 2010. 

Pitt is the fourth highest-rated ACC team in the poll, with No. 4 Clemson leading the pack followed by No. 13 NC State and No. 16 Miami, then the Panthers. Wake Forest rounds out the ACC contingent in the poll at No. 22. North Carolina also received votes and non-conference opponent Tennessee received the most votes of teams not in the top 25. 

The Panthers return 74% of their snaps from a team that won 11 games and an ACC Championship in 2021 but the losses they did sustain were substantial, which accounts for their four-spot drop off from last season's final poll. 

The record-setting quarterback-receiver duo of Jordan Addison and Kenny Pickett is a thing of the past and the offensive coordinator, Mark Whipple, is too. Top cover corner Damarri Mathis now plays for the Denver Broncos and four of the team's top five linebackers have either transferred or graduated. 

Pitt feels they have enough talent waiting in the wings - acquired either through development or the transfer portal - to account for those losses. A litany of upperclassmen starters returning to man the trenches on both sides of the ball also contributed to a rosy outlook for this year's team. 

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and so much more!

Former Pitt Basketball F Mouhamadou Gueye Signs Training Camp Deal With Mavericks

Aydin Henningham, Solomon DeShields Talk Open Competition Among Pitt Football LBs

Pat Narduzzi's Friday Briefing: Scrimmage Prep and Special Teams Claims

Pitt Football Practice Takeaways: An Easy Friday Morning

Friday Pitt Football QB Notebook: Narduzzi Bars Scrimmage Hits

Back-ups Applying Pressure to Starters Along Pitt Football's Offensive Line

Thursday Pitt Football QB Notebook: Biggest Test of Camp Approaches

Pitt Football Preparing for First Training Camp Scrimmage

Tylar Wiltz Thriving in Early Stages of FCS-FBS Jump with Pitt Football

Published
Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

Share on XFollow stephenethom
Home/Football