Anthony McKee Jr. – Noteworthy
Last year’s most improved defensive player for spring practices won’t win that award again this offseason. Anthony McKee, a redshirt senior outside linebacker, elected not to return to Pitt for his fifth year, coach Pat Narduzzi announced Thursday morning after a full-team conditioning session. McKee would’ve been in the mix to replace graduated starter Oluwaseun Idowu at the “star” position. “A little disappointing because I think Anthony had potential to be pretty good, but you know, you’ve got to want it right here,” Narduzzi said, tapping his heart. “You’ve got to want to have another year of it. But Anthony will graduate, and I’m happy for him.”
McKee, who had 14 tackles and one sack last season as a junior, is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound former three-star recruit from Columbus, Ohio. He never ascended beyond backup and special teams duty, but with three linebackers graduating, that group will need to find its next wave of playmakers. Despite finishing last season as Idowu’s No. 2 on the official depth chart, McKee wasn’t as much of a factor on game days as Cam Bright, who will be a redshirt sophomore. Bright now seems all the more likely to be Pitt’s new starting “star” linebacker, which requires a blend of tackling and coverage skills. But with McKee gone, a new contender has emerged – 6-1, 200-pound redshirt junior Phil Campbell, who until now has been a strong safety in Narduzzi’s defense. – Pittsburgh Post Gazette