John Heller, Post-Gazette Bill Stull is the QB unless camp proves otherwise. Click photo for larger image. Related coverage: Camping with ... Penn State Nittany Lions Camping with ... W. Virginia Mountaineers

Coach: Dave Wannstedt, 2006 W-L: 6-6

Pitt will begin its third training camp under Dave Wannstedt Tuesday and for the first time in his tenure the majority of the starters (at least 13 of 22) will be players he recruited. That means the pressure to reverse the trend of the past two bowl-less seasons is higher and it is time for his excellent recruiting classes of the past two years to begin to show dividends on the field. However, if the Panthers are going to get back to a bowl game this season, they'll have to find a few answers to some of their most pressing questions.

Here is a look at the top five questions facing Wannstedt and the Panthers heading into training camp in their order of importance.

1) Who will play outside linebacker?

Yes, there is a higher-profile position battle going on (which we'll get to later), but in terms of importance to the team's ability to succeed, outside linebacker is a far more pressing issue. The Panthers left spring drills with no real answers at outside linebacker and need redshirt freshman Nate Nix, redshirt sophomore Shane Murray (a converted safety) and sophomore Dorin Dickerson (a converted running back/receiver) to emerge and prove they are capable of playing the position at a high level. Wannstedt must solidfy this position for the Panthers' defense to have a chance to be good.

2) Can the new starting quarterback perform?

Regardless of who wins the starting job, the coaching staff has said it will make the offense as quarterback friendly as possible so the new starter won't be asked to carry the team. The job should be junior Bill Stull's to lose and, if he continues to progress from where he was in the spring, he'll most likely be the man. But if Stull slips a little or hasn't progressed enough to separate himself from redshirt freshman Kevan Smith and true freshman Pat Bostick, the competition could get very interesting in a hurry.

3) Who will snap the ball?

Coaches were uneasy with the way the centers struggled in the spring but believe if this position is shored up the offensive line could be a team strength. The emergence of sophomore Jason Pinkston at right tackle means coaches have the luxury of moving fifth-year senior and three-year starter Mike McGlynn to center or to right guard if junior C.J. Davis proves to be the best option at center. Fifth-year senior Chris Vangas and redshirt sophomore John Bachman will also battle for the center spot and both are capable of playing other positions if necessary.

4) Is LeSean the real McCoy?

The starting quarterback's job will be made much easier if junior running back LaRod Stephens-Howling is healthy and able to stay healthy throughout the season and if heralded freshman LeSean McCoy is as good as advertised. The Panthers have improved slightly running the ball in the Wannstedt era but need to make a big jump in that area this year and coaches believe the combination of Stephens-Howling and McCoy, along with the continued development of sophomore Kevin Collier, will give the Panthers a dangerous stable of tailbacks.

5) Are Phillips and Thatcher ready to go?

Strong safety Mike Phillips had a tough season last year as he was coming off a major injury from the year before and was never fully healthy. Free safety Eric Thatcher was perhaps Pitt's best defensive player for the first five games of last season, but a broken ankle kept him out for the rest of the year. Both are healthy again and both played excellent football in the spring, but there is a little depth, especially given the suspension of Elijah Fields, so the Panthers can't afford to lose either.