A number of people have e-mailed and asked me - "where is the Q&A now that spring has started?" - and my answer was always the same - it is coming. Because I was on the road for the NCAA Tournament it didn't make much sense for me to try and answer questions about a football team that I hadn't seen.

Now that I've been back for a week and have watched practices and talked with players and coaches, I am ready to start fielding and (hopefully) intelligently answering your questions about Pitt football. So send as many questions as you'd like and check back in every day through the spring game and I will answer as many of them as I can get to.

My quick general observations from the first few days are these:

The defense should be excellent, perhaps the best in the Big East. The speed, strength and talent level of this defense especially with regards to some of the younger players is outstanding. The defensive line is loaded, the linebackers should be even better than they were last year and whoever wins the corner spot opposite Aaron Berry is going to be an upgrade at that position. And at safety both Dom DeCicco and Elijah Fields are going to make big contributions.

The offense is very talented as well - the key is the offensive line. No surprise there but I think most people would count the quarterback spot as a question. I, however, don't - I think Bill Stull is going to be fine - and if he gets beat out - whoever does it will have had to play at a very high level to do it.

Q: How is the O-line shaping up to this point? Do we need Nix to be more than advertised? Can Malecki pass block? From your initial observations and feel, will the new coach make a differnce?

Frank Stosic, Munhall

ZEISE: The offensive line is a work in progress to say the least. I know, I know - it seems to be an old story with this team and an annual question mark, so what else is new? Simple. For the first time in a long time I can see - if these guys all get healthy - a potentially good unit that actually has depth. I think if Pinkston gets back healthy (he won't until training camp begins) and C.J. Davis (who I didn't think had one of his better seasons last year) recovers as well, the starting unit will be solid. But more importantly - Jordan Gibbs at tackle, John Bachman and John Fieger at guard and you'd hope Chris Jacobson and Dan Matha - at the very least - means this team actually has some talented depth at the line. And those guys are mostly young or inexperienced, as is much of the starting unit, so it only figures to get better as the season rolls along. I really think that when healthy, this line will be pretty good.

Q: With the questions about the OL this spring, I haven't seen any mention of Chris Jacobsen. Is he still recovering from his injury and will he be healthy by fall? If so, do you think he will be a legitimate candidate for a starting position this fall?

Ron Frieben, Murraysville, Pa.

ZEISE: Jacobson is still limited with his injury and I don't know how much, if any, of the spring he'll actually participate in (likely nothing full contact). That being said he is on schedule and should be at full strength come training camp. I don't know that he'll be ready to start because he really hasn't played much at all since he left high school so he has a learning curve - but talent-wise he might be the best lineman on the team so I'd expect him to catch up quick, contribute this season and then take over as the starter at left guard next year when C.J. Davis graduates.

Q: How can John Malecki (a converted DT) instantly be thrown into being a starter on the OL where he has no college game experience? Is that saying he is that talented or is the OL situation at Pitt that bad where there is no one that could fill in? It would seem to make sence to me to have Bauchman play guard since he has seemed to do well last year and has more expericence, instead of backing up Houser at center.

Tom Mikeska, Indiana, Pa.

ZEISE: Well, this move was in the works when he was recruited - the Panthers just didn't have enough depth at defensive line to move him. Coaches think if they put him at the starting spot - give him all the reps he can get in the spring -- he'll be ready to go in the fall. Malecki is a tough guy, he is a hard worker, he is a good athlete so he'll be a good player. It also, I think, speaks to the quality of the upperclassmen at guard and why these last couple of recruiting classes are so important to the team's long term future.