Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi must oversee a complete overhaul of his linebacker position this offseason now that Cam Bright, a starter on the outside and a co-captain, announced Monday that he has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will use his final season of eligibility elsewhere.
I am Officially in the Transfer Portal. Thank You Coaches & Teammates For a Lifetime Of Memories. My Next Chapter Begins Now! pic.twitter.com/GULaEt6361
— Cam Bright (@_cam38) January 3, 2022
Bright is the third Pitt player to leave the program since the end of the season Thursday, joining running back Todd Sibley and wide receiver Shocky Jacques-Louis. But Bright is the most significant loss of the three, and not just because he made the biggest splash play on defense in the Peach Bowl, returning a fumble 26 yards for a touchdown that give Pitt a 21-10 lead early in the third quarter.
Bright’s value to the defensive unit dates back to the 2019 season when he played in all 13 games, starting three. He also started 17 of the 25 games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, including the Peach Bowl. In the last five games of ‘21, however, he alternated starts at the star position with senior John Petrishen.
But Bright (6-foot, 220 pounds) provided speed from the outside (star) linebacker spot where he recorded 3 1/2 sacks and five quarterback hurries this season. He finished sixth on the team in overall tackles (58), including six for a loss.
Pitt is preparing to lose most of its linebackers from this season’s regular rotation, making that position perhaps the most intriguing on defense when spring drills open in two months.
Petrishen, Phil Campbell III and Chase Pine exhausted their eligibility, and former starting middle linebacker Wendell Davis entered the transfer portal during the season. Starting middle linebacker SirVocea Dennis, a junior, is set to return after leading the team in tackles (87) this season, with 9 1/2 for a loss. He will be joined by Brandon George, whose playing time increased after Davis left the team. Also, sophomores Bengally Kamara and Solomon DeShields will get ample opportunity to climb the depth chart this spring.
Look for Narduzzi to attempt to add some necessary depth to the position as he scans the portal for experienced linebackers.
