Three week ago, we asked five key questions that were facing the Pitt Panthers heading into training camp. Camp is over now and the Panthers are gearing up to play Eastern Michigan Saturday.

Here is a look at those five questions and whether they've been adequately answered.

1 Who will play outside linebacker?

The answer, at least early in the season, is Shane Murray (Central Catholic) and Adam Gunn (Kiski Area), with Nate Nix (Thomas Jefferson) and Dorin Dickerson (West Allegheny) as their backups. Given the upside potential of both backups, it is clear Gunn and Murray will have to perform at a high level in order to remain the starters. The good thing for Pitt is that Gunn and Murray have been two of the most consistent players at camp and having that stiff competition has driven all the linebackers to work harder and has accelerated their improvement since the spring.

2 Can the new starting quarterback perform?

Junior Bill Stull (Seton-LaSalle) will be the starting quarterback and that's not a surprise given that he's the most experienced player at the position. Stull is an accurate passer and has a good grasp of the offense, but he needs to become more consistent throwing the deeper passes. However, he has clearly become the leader of the offense and is respected by his teammates, and the coaches believe they can win a lot of games with him. He also has plenty of talented players around him so he has all the tools in place to be successful. So far, he has performed well but this question won't get answered until the season begins.

3 Who will snap the ball?

Good question. At this point it is senior Chris Vangas, who has fought off the competition and will get the first crack at the starting job when the Panthers line up Saturday against Eastern Michigan. But can he hold onto the spot? He has improved as camp has dragged on and has slowly gained the confidence of the coaches, so it is clearly his job to lose. Still, senior Mike McGlynn has been getting more and more snaps every day in anticipation of his full recovery from shoulder surgery. McGlynn will certainly find a spot in the starting lineup when he's healthy, and center is the spot, if Vangas doesn't perform well, that would make the most sense.

4 Is LeSean the real McCoy?

The definitive answer won't be known until the regular season starts, but he has been awfully impressive in training camp. In fact, McCoy has been far more impressive, on and off the field, than coaches could have even imagined given his lofty rankings as a prospect and his decorated high school career at Bishop McDevitt in Harrisburg. Obviously a lot of his ability to succeed depends on the offensive line, but he does have special ability.

5 Are Phillips and Thatcher ready to go?

No question both safeties are back and 100 percent healthy. Both players have had to come back from injuries and have. Phillips is back running in the 4.5-second range in the 40, and Thatcher is slimmer and quicker than he was in the spring. Both players have had excellent camps and have solidified the secondary, and the coaches expect them to have big seasons.