For Pittsburgh tight end Dorin Dickerson, it was never a question of his talent.

The senior came to Pittsburgh as the No. 4 wide receiver prospect out of the class of 2006 according to Scout.com, but initially struggled to find his place on the Panther depth chart.

Dickerson played wide receiver, running back, and even linebacker during his freshman and sophomore seasons. But after those two years, he only had 30 total offensive yards, 15 tackles and a touchdown to show for his five-star rating.

‘It’s been good and bad at the same time,’ Dickerson said. ‘I had to fight through a lot of adversity when I was younger and I was pretty immature. I didn’t know how to do stuff. It was tough at first but I just kept working and trying different positions.’

Dickerson spent all of last season as the backup tight end and it looked like he was primed for another marginal season this year.

Instead, the 6-foot-2, 230 pound utility man has turned himself into one of the most lethal red-zone threats in the country for the No. 8 Panthers. He currently is No. 1 in the nation for tight ends in touchdown receptions with 10, nine of which have come from within the 30-yard line.

The 10 touchdown receptions are also a new school record among tight ends, eclipsing Kris Wilson’s nine touchdowns in 2003. On the year, Dickerson has 43 receptions for 496 yards.

The on-the-field production has generated attention for Dickerson, who has said it’s his unique blend of size and speed that has allowed for him to find the red zone so easily this year.

‘I love scoring touchdowns,’ Dickerson said. ‘In the red zone, it’s all about match ups. When I’m matched up on a linebacker, it’s hard for a linebacker or a corner to cover me. I’m usually lined up in the slot and it’s just good match ups for me.’

West Allegheny (Pa.) High School head coach Bob Palko said he remembers the freakish displays of athleticism that Dickerson would showcase during practice on almost daily basis. It’s what helped him become one of the most highly-touted prospects in the state of Pennsylvania.

These ‘wow moments’ became synonymous with Dickerson’s play and garnered him scholarship offers from football powerhouses like Louisiana State, Michigan, and Ohio State.

‘You just watch him in practice and he just does these things. You just go ‘Wow, did he really just do that?” Palko said. ‘He did it so often his senior year it’s hard to pick one moment. I mean he did it all the time. He’d take a three-yard loss and turn it into an eight-yard gain and that would be a ‘wow’ moment. He is just a special athlete.’

When he arrived at Pitt, the expectations were sky high for Dickerson. He didn’t pan out as either a running back or a wide receiver as a freshman, and his talent seemed to be wasted as a back up linebacker when he was a sophomore.

It wasn’t until his junior year that Dickerson started to live up to the hype.

The tight end position was a perfect fit for Dickerson. Instead of playing a traditional tight end role, he plays more of an H-back position that allows for him to find open field and exercise his superior athleticism.

An H-back is the hybrid of a fullback and tight end. Instead of always lining up down on the line, as an H-Back, Dickerson occasionally lines up in the backfield or in the slot.

‘He is kind of a hybrid offensive player and we use him in multiple positions,’ Pittsburgh head coach Dave Wannstedt said. ‘I think that our offensive coaches have done a great job of moving him around and putting him in position to make plays.

‘But then you got to give Dorin a lot of credit. He’s made the plays when the opportunities have been there. He is one of those tight ends that can play at wide receiver and get lined up on a defensive back, and because of his skill he can create mismatches.’

Even though it appeared that Dickerson had finally found his position there was still another hurdle to clear.

The Panthers already had a proven tight end in Nate Byham.

Byham was selected All-Big East First Team last year, and Dickerson made just one start throughout the year.

But Dickerson’s ability to create mismatches was something that the Pittsburgh coaches just couldn’t ignore.

‘He is a match-up nightmare,’ Palko said. ‘Who you going to cover him with? You can’t cover him with a linebacker. Shoot, not even most safeties can cover him. He cause mismatches for defenses.’

After three years of waiting Dickerson is finally getting his chance to silence the critics.

He said he probably would have some regrets if it weren’t for this year, but the journey has made the results that much sweeter.

‘Just showing people that I’m really what I came in as, and to prove people wrong,’ Dickerson said. ‘That always feels good.’

Game of the Week

Connecticut at Notre Dame

Saturday, 2:30 p.m., NBC

The Huskies are desperate for a win.

Connecticut has yet to lose a game by more than five points this year, yet they still stand at 4-5 (1-4 Big East) and are ranked at the bottom of the conference.

This week’s trip to South Bend, Ind. is magnified by the fact that the Huskies have yet to reach bowl eligibility. If the Huskies lose this game then they must win out in games against Syracuse and South Florida to extend their season.

Notre Dame is not in prime position either.

The Irish have lost two straight games and need a victory to ensure that they finish above .500.

The game will mark the first meeting between the two programs, and is vital to both team’s chances of making it to post season play.

rwmarfur@syr.edu

Published on November 16, 2009 at 12:00 pm