# 2017 Pittsburgh Panthers football team

The 2017 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers were led by third-year head coach Pat Narduzzi and played their home games at Heinz Field. They were a member of the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). This was Pitt's fifth season as a member of the ACC. They finished the season 5–7, 3–5 in ACC play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place.

## Recruiting
### Position key

| Back | B | Center | C | Cornerback | CB | Defensive back | DB |
| Defensive end | DE | Defensive lineman | DL | Defensive tackle | DT | End | E |
| Fullback | FB | Guard | G | Halfback | HB | Kicker | K |
| Kickoff returner | KR | Offensive tackle | OT | Offensive lineman | OL | Linebacker | LB |
| Long snapper | LS | Punter | P | Punt returner | PR | Quarterback | QB |
| Running back | RB | Safety | S | Tight end | TE | Wide receiver | WR |

### Recruits

The Panthers signed a total of 24 recruits.
US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Paris Ford S | Munhall, Pennsylvania | Steel Valley HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Oct 16, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Kyle Nunn S | Findlay, Ohio | Findlay HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | Apr 16, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Kenny Pickett QB | Oakhurst, New Jersey | Ocean Township HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jun 4, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Cameron Bright LB | Montgomery, Alabama | Park Crossing HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jun 5, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Darian Street WR | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Liberty HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jun 6, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Owen Drexel C | Montclair, New Jersey | Montclair HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Jun 15, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Todd Sibley RB | Akron, Ohio | Hoban HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 202 lb (92 kg) | Jun 15, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Carson Van Lynn OT | Columbus, Ohio | Kilbourne HS | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | Jun 22, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Albert Tucker LB | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | St. Thomas Aquinas HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | Jun 28, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Dontavius Butler WR | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | American Heritage HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Jul 31, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Gabe Houy OT | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Upper St. Clair HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | Aug 1, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Kirk Christodoulou K | Melbourne, Australia | Proquick Australia | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Aug 2, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Tyler Sear TE | New Castle, Pennsylvania | Neshannock HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Aug 18, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Grant Carrigan TE | Gibsonia, Pennsylvania | Pine-Richland HS | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | Aug 18, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Carter Warren OT | Wayne, New Jersey | Passaic County Tech | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 315 lb (143 kg) | Oct 8, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Charles Reeves TE | Steubenville, Ohio | Steubenville HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Oct 26, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jerry Drake Jr. OT | Palm Beach Gardens, Florida | Palm Beach Gardens HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 310 lb (140 kg) | Dec 15, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Deslin Alexandre DE | Deerfield Beach, Florida | Deerfield Beach HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Dec 16, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Damarri Mathis CB | Lakeland, Florida | Lakeland HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Dec 22, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jason Pinnock CB | Windsor, Connecticut | Windsor HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jan 17, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Michael Smith WR | Vero Beach, Florida | Vero Beach HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jan 18, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Kamonte Carter DT | Germantown, Maryland | East Mississippi Community College | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 305 lb (138 kg) | Jan 22, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jaylen Twyman DT | Washington, D.C. | Woodson HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| A.J. Davis RB | Lakeland, Florida | Lakeland HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Pittsburgh Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "2017 Pittsburgh Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. |||||||

## Schedule

The Panthers schedule was released on January 24, 2017.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 9 (FCS) Youngstown State* | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ACCN Extra | W 28–21 $^{OT}$ | 40,012 |
| September 9 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 4 Penn State* | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | ABC | L 14–33 | 109,898 |
| September 16 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 9 Oklahoma State* | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ESPN | L 21–59 | 38,952 |
| September 23 | 12:20 p.m. | at Georgia Tech | Bobby Dodd StadiumAtlanta, GA | ACCN | L 17–35 | 40,211 |
| September 30 | 12:00 p.m. | Rice* | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ACCRSN | W 42–10 | 33,051 |
| October 7 | 12:30 p.m. | at Syracuse | Carrier DomeSyracuse, NY (rivalry) | ACCRSN | L 24–27 | 33,290 |
| October 14 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 20 NC State | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ACCRSN | L 17–35 | 41,124 |
| October 21 | 12:20 p.m. | at Duke | Wallace Wade StadiumDurham, NC | ACCN | W 24–17 | 22,621 |
| October 28 | 12:30 p.m. | Virginia | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ACCRSN | W 31–14 | 30,889 |
| November 9 | 7:30 p.m. | North Carolina | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ESPN | L 31–34 | 34,056 |
| November 18 | 12:20 p.m. | at Virginia Tech | Lane StadiumBlacksburg, VA | ACCN | L 14–20 | 58,948 |
| November 24 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 2 Miami (FL) | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ABC | W 24–14 | 35,978 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### Youngstown State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| No. 9 (FCS) Penguins | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
| • Panthers | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 28 |

### At Penn State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 |
| • No. 4 Nittany Lions | 14 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 33 |

### Oklahoma State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 9 Cowboys | 21 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 59 |
| Panthers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |

### At Georgia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| • Yellow Jackets | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |

### Rice

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| • Panthers | 21 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 42 |

### At Syracuse

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 24 |
| • Orange | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 27 |

### NC State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 20 Wolfpack | 14 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |

### At Duke

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Panthers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Blue Devils | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 |

### Virginia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cavaliers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • Panthers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |

### North Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Tar Heels | 14 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
| Panthers | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |

### At Virginia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • Hokies | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |

### Miami (FL)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 2 Hurricanes | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • Panthers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |

## 2018 NFL draft

| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
| Brian O'Neill | Offensive Tackle | 2 | 62 | Minnesota Vikings |
| Jordan Whitehead | Safety | 4 | 117 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Avonte Maddox | Cornerback | 4 | 125 | Philadelphia Eagles |