Jason Douglas could have easily transferred last year when it became clear that the two other freshman running backs on campus were solidly ahead of him on the depth chart and entrenched as the Panthers' backfield of the future.

But he didn't want to play anywhere else, so he decided to work as hard as he could and hoped one day his opportunity would come.

Sure enough, that opportunity has arrived: Sophomore Ray Graham, who is All-American candidate Dion Lewis' backup, has a knee injury.

With Graham out of the mix, at least for the short term, Douglas won the battle for the backup spot with redshirt sophomore Chris Burns.

Douglas has taken almost all of the snaps with the second team at tailback the past week at camp and will assume the role Sept. 2 at Utah if Graham is not able to play.

"I knew coming back this year that I was up against Ray and Dion and those two are great backs, the two best running backs I have ever seen," Douglas said. "But if you are a competitor, you still have to come out and compete for your spot every day. And now I got an opportunity, I just need to go out there and make the most of it. I just want to make some plays, help Pitt win football games.

"You never know when your opportunity is going to come so you have to stick with it."

Douglas' rise up the depth chart should not be a surprise because he has made a career out of proving doubters wrong.

He is listed generously at 5 feet 7, 170 pounds and always has had to answer questions about his size.

It is a subject he laughs about now but one that used to irritate him because he felt his production on the field is what really should matter.

"I've always known what people are saying about my height and my size but I don't care, it doesn't bother me," Douglas said. "I'm a football player and I just want to do my job. If I was the biggest person in the world, people would still be talking about my size. So it doesn't matter, I'm going to just go do the best I can do and after a while, you get used to it. I know I am small, but just judge me on what I do when I get the ball."

Douglas, a redshirt freshman from Opa-locka, Fla., was an All-County player as a senior at Cypress Bay High School after rushing for 1,048 yards (5.79 yards per carry) and scoring 15 touchdowns.

He came to Pitt last season along with Lewis and Graham and was clearly third on the depth chart. He showed a lot of the physical skills -- he is quick and very fast -- that led to him getting a scholarship throughout training camp when given the opportunity to run the ball.

In the offseason, however, he got much stronger and added some weight because, while his running is not a question, his ability to block was. In the Panthers' pro-style offense, a tailback must be able to block in order to play in all of the packages.

"I've gotten much better at standing guys up and blocking them," Douglas said. "I'm much stronger, plus I can do a lot of cut blocking with them as well, which is one advantage I have being as small as I am."

Douglas, who will also return kicks, has done pretty much all of the same plays that Graham would usually run even though he is a much different player than Graham. In fact, his size is a little deceiving because he is much more of a north-south runner than it would appear and he is strong enough now to shed tacklers as well.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said he is hopeful Graham is able to play against Utah but if he can't, Douglas will be the guy to give Lewis a break. He has faith that Douglas will get the job done.

"He can make big plays," Wannstedt said. "The biggest thing has been his dependability, he has shown that the past two weeks. He has an opportunity and hopefully he sees that and takes advantage of it. But he'll be ready to play, we know that."

NOTES -- Defensive end Greg Romeus (back spasms) worked a little bit more Monday. "He needs to be back Wednesday, there is no turning back, he's got to be ready," Wannstedt said. ...Graham ran in a straight line again and did some cutting, but not at full speed. "He ran the best today of any day since he got hurt," Wannstedt said. ... Pitt had its FanFest Monday night at Heinz Field.

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