Q: How do you see the running back and offensive line competitions shaping up this spring?

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Christian Ehehalt of Stamford, Conn.

ZEISE: I think it is way too early to tell who is doing what, but the guy that should benefit most this spring is Brandon Mason. For one thing, Tim Murphy isn't really participating because of various injuries and Marcus Furman has been in and out with bumps and bruises as well. And don't forget most of the freshmen tailbacks aren't on campus yet. That means Mason should get plenty of reps to show the new coaching staff what he can do and from what I see, I still can't understand why he didn't get more opportunity to play last year. He runs hard and physical and he has good speed for his size. He looks like the only true tailback for this system the team has right now. Ray Kirkley is obviously a good player as well, but he, along with Murphy, look more like fullbacks in this system than tailbacks. Both are obviously going to be in the mix at tailback, but it will be interesting to see how this all shakes out. Right now, the best tailback I've seen has been Mason. But there is a long way to go, Kirkley has proven that he can get it done when given a real opportunity. Things will likely change in the fall, however, because there are several high profile tailbacks in the freshman class - Shane Brooks, Conredge Collins and LaRod Stephens, who will get a look as well. Rashad Jennings is already at camp but I haven't seen enough of him to give you a real assessment of how he is doing and coaches have seen him for only two days in pads as well.

As for the offensive line, it is wide open right now. The only sure thing seems to be that Charles Spencer will be an excellent left tackle and Mike McGlynn will be the right tackle. The rest of the line seems to be up in the air, although Jon Simonitis, Joe Villani and Neal Tracey seem to be holding down the other three line jobs right now and Simonitis is a two-year starter so you'd think he'll rise to the top at right guard fairly quickly. Expect a lot of change here because this is an area of emphasis with this staff. There will be some shuffling going on until they find the right mix of the best five players. Coach Wannstedt said earlier this year he wouldn't be surprised if one or more of the young kids, like John Brown or John Bachman, finds his way into the lineup so that should give you some insight as to just how wide open the offensive line is.

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Q: I read the Blue-Gold game is going to be April 16 but where is it going to be held?

Angela Bumar of Latrobe

ZEISE: It is tentatively scheduled for April 16 at Heinz Field. That is where it will take place provided the playing surface is ready by then - and given the history of that field, that is not a given. If, for some reason it has to be moved, look for it to go to a high school site again.

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Q: Do you see Dave Wannstedt and Matt Cavanaugh building their offense around one running back who will get 25 to 30 carries or 2 or 3 running backs that will split the load?

Paul Didonato of North Carolina

ZEISE: There is no doubt they are looking for the most complete tailback they can find. They want a workhorse, one who can do it all, run, block and catch passes out of the backfield. They will use other players in situations, but they want to find that one player who can shoulder most of the load. If they don't have one, then they will go to a system of splitting time and duties, but the obvious disadvantage with that is, other teams will pick up what you are likely to do based on which tailback is in the game. If they can find one guy to do it all, they can run any play with him in the game and that makes calling plays a lot easier.

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Q: It is becoming clear that only one player from last year's team will be drafted (offensive tackle Rob Petitti). What are your predictions for the draft status of Pitt's juniors and seniors?

Chris Seftas of Carrick

ZEISE: It is real early, especially since none of these guys have even officially won a job yet, but there are some Panthers I'd say have a shot to get drafted. So I'll just focus on the seniors (or redshirt juniors). The best prospect right now among the upper classmen might be Charles Spencer, especially now that he is a tackle. He is 6-feet-5, 330 pounds and is an athlete. He can move. He also has a great wingspan and is going to receive first-class coaching over the next year. Charles is a guy who could blossom into a big-time player and in fact, Dave Wannstedt has said he expects him to play a lot of years in the NFL. Two other players who NFL scouts will watch are tight end Erik Gill and corner Josh Lay. Say what you want about Lay, be he has the size (6-feet-2) and speed and overall athletic ability that NFL scouts are looking for in a corner. I also think Thomas Smith, now that he is at the position which he is best suited for - defensive tackle - has a chance and don't be surprised if Phil Tillman has the kind of year that puts him on the radar as well. Both Tim Murphy and Ray Kirkley will at least be signed as free agents and get a shot to make a roster, but neither have shown quite enough to this point to get drafted. That is not to say they won't because both have a lot of ability and in this new offense, if showcased, could blossom into top running backs. One last player, who may not get drafted because of his position, but will at least get signed as a free agent and have a great shot of making a roster --- kicker Josh Cummings.

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Q: Is it true Pitt is changing its uniforms for the 2005 season?

Joe Spehar of Cranberry

ZEISE: Yes, but from what I understand the changes, while noticeable, will be more subtle than the rumors out there would suggest. This is not going to like 1976 or 1982. From what I was told it will look more like last year with some slight alterations to the numbers and the logo. You never know, though, the athletic department is trying to keep this secret until they have a grand unveiling later in the spring or early summer. You'd think by the way everyone is so hush, hush about it they were holding nuclear secrets or something.

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Q: How well is Dave Wannstedt being received by high school coaches in recruiting?

Gary Howarth of Johnstown

ZEISE: Tremendous. He is being given celebrity coach status almost everywhere he has been. That's the kind of respect and attention that is usually reserved for the big-name coaches out there. One assistant told me they used to walk in the back door of a lot of schools in Florida, for instance, and head straight to the coaches office. Now, they walk in the front and they are greeted by teachers and students looking to meet coach Wannstedt and even get his autograph. That kind of buzz is what the last regime lacked, although they obviously had success in a lot of areas as well. I think -- although the Penn State-conspiracy theories about certain high school coaches in this area are juvenile - it is significant that Wannstedt's first recruit for next year is from Gateway. The last staff seemed to shun and push away, rather than embrace and work with, Terry Smith because of his Penn State roots, which was a mistake. Pitt likely wouldn't have gotten Justin King anyway, but let me tell you, as many players as Gateway has and will have, this is certainly a coach you want on your side. So that's a great sign and it is an even better sign that I've seen Smith at practices this spring with some of his other players and I've talked to him and he really likes and respects Wannstedt and appreciates the way Pitt is doing things.

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Q: With specialty teams snapping being a problem last year, what are the options this year?

Ligori Lacey of Slippery Rock

ZEISE: The biggest problem last year was lack of experience. I think Mike McGlynn and Steve Buches both got significant experience last year and will be far better next fall. I don't anticipate any problems in this area.

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Q: What is the word on potential changes for next year?

Paul Mastilak of Blue Springs Mo.

ZEISE: Well, there will be plenty. Already, we've seen a number of players move positions, too many to give a complete list. Here are a few of the most significant changes: Thomas Smith from defensive end to defensive tackle; Charles Spencer from offensive guard to tackle; Joe Villani from reserve guard/tackle to possibly starting at center; Chris McKillop from fullback to defensive end; Tyler Tipton to linebacker; Michael Hearn from defensive tackle to defensive end; Darrell Strong from wide receiver to tight end and Rob Agnone from reserve quarterback to tight end. There are going to be plenty of others as the coaches continue to tinker with the lineup.

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Q: Do you know the time of the Pitt-Notre Dame game?

Jim Welser of Tinley Park, Ill.

ZEISE: No, not officially, but I would assume it will likely be in the evening. The Pirates originally had a home game scheduled for that day (Sept. 3rd) at 7:05 p.m. but it was moved up to 12:35, which says a lot about what is going to happen with the Pitt opener. The game is also going to be broadcast by ABC and if you remember, in recent years ABC has had a prime-time (8 p.m.) game - usually a split national broadcast -- in each of the first few weeks of the season (a few years ago Penn State-Nebraska played in prime time on ABC). I can't imaagine there is a bigger game from the standpoint of storylines - It is the opener for both teams, Notre Dame has a new coach with a big name and Super Bowl pedigree as does Pitt and the two coaches most recently competed in the same division, one was an offensive coordinator, the other a head coach with defensive roots. Therefore, I anticipate kickoff being at night, but I supposed the 3:30 p.m. spot is possible as well.

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Q: What members of last year's team will not be returning?

Rick Kalson of Fox Chapel

ZEISE: Surprisingly, not many. Kevin Harris, Joe Stephens and Darren McCray all had a year of eligibility left but will not be returning and I suppose if you count Jawan Walker, who is gone as well, that's four. Other than that, everyone with a scholarship who was supposed to come back, did.

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Q: What is the status of Windell Brown and Mike Webster's son? Will we ever see Brown at Pitt?

Scott Artis of Monongahela

ZEISE: I spoke with Duquesne football coach Pat Monroe about Windell Brown and he said he is going to enroll in another junior college in the fall and he is still working on getting his academics in order so he can get to a Division I school. From what I understand, Webster is not at Pitt. Someone also asked about whether or not former Perry star Kelvin Drewery has transferred from Towson to Pitt. I can't speak to what his situation at Towson is, but I can say, so far, he hasn't shown up at Pitt so the answer is no he hasn't transferred to Pitt, although, that could obviously change.

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Q: Did Pitt retain its strength and conditioning coach?

Bernard Chamberlain of Fairfax, Va.

ZEISE: Yes, Mike Kent and his assistant Darren Honeycutt were retained, which may have been the best news of all to come out of the coaching change. I thought these two did a tremendous job last year with the team and now that they've had a year to put their offseason workout and their weight training and conditioning program in place, the team's level of strength and overall fitness should take off. There is no doubt that Kent is one of the best in the business at what he does and Honeycutt should be ready to take over his own program some day.

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Q: Coach Wannstedt said the tailback position is wide open. What does this mean for Ray Kirkley?

Mike Sanders of Pittsburgh

ZEISE: It means Kirkley will have to work hard to prove he deserves to be the starter and that he'll have plenty of competition. If Kirkley is the best running back at the end of training camp, he'll start against Notre Dame. If there is someone better, he won't. In fact, the same is true for all of the tailbacks. They're all in the same boat.

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Q: Whatever happened to Tony Zimmerman from Pitt?

John Burnes of Valley Forge, Pa.

ZEISE: He transferred to Duquesne, had a stellar career and is now playing for the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League. He has completed 78 of 130 passes for 809 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions thus far this season. Strangely - and these are some of the things that make you go hmmmmm about the last regime - the guy Zimmerman splits time with in Nashville at quarterback is Leon Murray, who, like Zimmerman, was a Johnny Major-recruit that transferred out of Pitt after Walt Harris replaced Majors. Murray left Pitt in the summer of 1997 and went on to star at Tennessee State and has had a nice career in the Arena League ever since.

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Q: What I don't understand is how Pitt could pull the scholarship offer of a two-time player of the year Eugene Jarvis? Who do they think they are, Florida State or Ohio State?

Trevor Williams of Pittsburgh

ZEISE: I think we've been through this before. Eugene Jarvis was a great player of unique ability. Unfortunately, LaRod Stephens has similar ability and is almost the same exact player as Jarvis is. Pitt offered them both scholarships and basically said, the first one to commit gets the scholarship. Stephens wanted to come to Pitt so he almost immediately committed. Jarvis wanted to wait and see and in this case, waiting was not the right approach. They had one scholarship to give for that particular type of athlete and once it was filled, that's it. Such is life. Jarvis will likely be a tremendous player in the Mid-American Conference, so it isn't like he was left out in the cold. He got a scholarship, he's playing Division I football. I think it is time to move forward now.

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Q: What happened to Greg Hough from Pine-Richland?

Tim Zeffiro of Sewickley

ZEISE: Hough is a walk-on at Pitt and he is there working hard every day. I think they have used him some at fullback this spring and I've even seen him used some as an H-back (which, when was the last time Pitt used an H-back in any formation). He works hard and has a good attitude, which is what coaches expect from a walk-on, so he'll be around for as long as he wants to. It will be tough for him to break into the lineup, though, as that position, tailback, is loaded and looks like it will be for the foreseeable future.

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Q: I recall hearing how Pitt picked up an offensive linemen from the Air Force Academy Prep school. Is he still with Pitt and how is he doing?

Shawn Mason of Cincinnati, Ohio

ZEISE: Dominic Williams has so far been one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of spring football. Williams, who is listed at 6-feet-4, 300 pounds, has earned rave reviews from Wannstedt, who said he thinks he can become a big-time player for Pitt. That says a lot because Wannstedt has been very careful about handing out compliments until he sees what guys are really capable of. Williams has played mostly guard, but he does have some experience at center as well. He could become the starting left guard before it is all said and done.

Again, to try and craft a depth chart of offensive linemen at this point is foolish because so many players are going to have an opportunity to showcase their skills and some of them aren't even on campus yet.