I’m sure you all know, but to repeat the news from this afternoon. Defensive End Ejuan Price has suffered a torn pectoral muscle and will require surgery. This will keep him out for the entire 2014 season. To say Price has had some issues with injuries is putting it kindly.
2012: Missed entire season with torn right pectoral muscle.
2013: Missed 7 out of 13 games with back problems.
2014 Will miss entire season with torn left pectoral muscle.
In a normal career, Price would be heading into his senior year. As it stands, he is looking at earning a rare 6th year for 2016. That’s about the only good news from a Pitt fan perspective.
When he is healthy, Price is an excellent DE that makes the whole D-line better. With him out, though, one of the very thin positions on the team is that much more precarious.
His injury depletes an already-thin position for the Panthers. Senior David Durham and sophomore Shakir Soto are the likely starters at defensive end, but Price’s absence could mean an increased role for redshirt freshman Luke Maclean or even freshman Rori Blair.
There is also redshirt freshman Justin Moody and freshman Shane Roy, but they didn’t play in the WPIAL so let’s not concern ourselves too much with them (and yes, I know neither did Maclean, but if you are going to ignore another redshirt freshman and true freshman that are considered about equal to mention a WPIAL player, well…).
Ugh.
I feel bad for Price. He’s had nothing but bad luck with injuries and their severity.
The entire defensive line was going to be a question mark after losing Aaron Donald and Tryon Ezell inside. We may be getting ready for 2013 mid-season level concerns about the O-line for the D-line heading into the season. NO! I’m not panicking. Really!
Now, Sam Werner at the P-G doesn’t think this means much of a change for James Conner. At least for this year.
Conner is a running back, first and foremost (and a good one, at that). Whatever role he plays on defense was always going to be determined by the workload he can physically handle, and that’s still the case. Unless the coaching staff has a very different vision for Conner’s future, I have a hard time believing they’d take a guy that ran for 799 yards as a true freshman and move him to the other side of the ball just to fill a numbers hole. He might have more of an opportunity to play some snaps based on Price’s injury, but I don’t think it means Conner will become a regular in the defensive end rotation.
I’m not so sure. There is ignoring the fact that Issac Bennett is still there, and up until the Pizza Bowl, he was not that different from Conner’s production. Plus incoming freshman Chris James. Then there is the fact that Conner himself, at least seems to be cautiously acknowledging that the longer term potential — NFL/economically — may be at DE.
I don’t know what the right choice on that aspect will be. I would hope that the Pitt coaches are emphasizing opportunities for any DEs they are recruiting for the 2015 class.
Also, don’t ignore Ibrahm as a RB who has shown some talent during his brief stints last year as a frosh
He was considered one of the best HS defensive players in Michigan in 2012. During his time at Pitt he has been a gym rat and has increased his strength without sacrificing his speed and quickness.
I’m not bragging on myself, but last year at this time while many we’re debating whether Chryst should have taken Shell back since our RB situation was so thin, I was exploring the option of playing a true Freshman named James Conner who looked like a man playing among boys on his HS highlight videos.
While I’m not as sold on Maclean as I was on Conner, I’m telling you that he and Soto are the future DE starters for the Panthers in 2015. Sorry about Price, he sure has had a tough road, but the next man up is Luke and I feel that he is going to take full advantage of this opportunity.
If this prediction pans out, Price will probably never see the field again in a Panther uniform.
I, for one, posted way back before Conner even signed with Pitt that despite all the talk of D-End… he would clearly make his mark at Pitt as a Runningback. NFL is another story.
And I’m sure there are others who predicted the same.
As for Maclean, you’re alone here. Don’t have an opinion as to how good he’s going to be.
Hope you’re right.
Let’s hope Dr Tom is right again! We need more pass rushers.
Not to say they will bring the same kind of production.
At 6 Foot and 255 lbs. and with a burst, Price created mismatches for taller O-Linemen trying to keep him out of the backfield.
That play against Miami where he nearly ran down the WR from behind was one of those “WOW” moments.
They’d be better off playing someone with some potential than a senior with none. imo
Personally, I would love to see our only Hawaiian recruit ever, Jeremiah Talini, have the chance to come to the table with some production this season. That is just too good a story to see passed up. The press would have a ball writing about this kid, who decided to go a very long way from home to play nature college football.
92 Rori Blair DE FR 6-4/230 Pittsburgh, PA (Upper St. Clair)
96 Devin Cook DE RS JR 6-4/240 Beaver Falls, PA (Beaver Falls)
76 Connor Dintino DT FR 6-3/295 Mashpee, MA (Choate Rosemary Hall (CT))
44 David Durham DE RS SR 6-1/240 Charlotte, NC (Christian)
66 Mike Herndon DT FR 6-4/320 Greenville, VA (Riverheads)
54 Tyrique Jarrett DT SO 6-3/335 Pittsburgh, PA (Taylor Allderdice)
55 Luke Maclean DE RS FR 6-5/260 Grand Blanc, MI (Grand Blanc)
56 Justin Moody DT RS FR 6-3/280 Philadelphia, PA (George Washington)
95 Khaynin Mosley-Smith DT RS JR 6-0/310 Pittsburgh, PA (Woodland Hills)
64 Trent Neavin DT RS FR 6-0/260 Martins Ferry, OH (Martins Ferry)
5 Ejuan Price DE RS JR 6-0/255 Pittsburgh, PA (Woodland Hills)
91 Darryl Render DT JR 6-2/275 Cleveland, OH (St. Edward)
93 Shane Roy DE FR 6-4/245 Reading, OH (Reading)
98 LaQuentin Smith DT SR 6-2/280 Orlando, FL (Dr. Phillips)
52 Shakir Soto DE SO 6-3/270 Wilkes-Barre, PA (G.A.R. Memorial)
94 Jeremiah Taleni DT RS FR 6-2/295 Kaneohe, HI (Kailua)
90 Hez Trahan DE FR 6-4/250 Philadelphia, PA (Roman Catholic)
Neither one of them are likely to see playing time this season though. RS for both of them while they get into the system during their Freshman year. The guys who’s turn it is are the likes of Tyrique Jarrett, Justin Moody and as I’ve already mentioned Taleni. K. K. Smith dodged a bullet last year, to even be remaining on the team after his association with the drug dealing bust that went down last year that resulted in both of the other players involved in the incident being given their walking papers off the team. Especially for Smith, his time is NOW! I sure hope that he doesn’t squander his opportunity to make a significant contribution to the DL cause, his services are dearly needed.
Another “Smith” might be ready to see action this season too, that would be LaQuentin Smith, so all told we have six legit players who have been in the system for at least a year, with K.K. and Darryl Render really being the seasoned older guys that have to be considered the incoming starters when fall camp begins. If we find four of those six who can be major contributors on a routine basis and they can keep the injury bug at bay for this year, then we’ll be just fine up the middle on defense.
Doc I don’t have anything to complain about except we need to invest in baseball or pay for a better coach neither of which I see happening.
