Pitt Panthers Head Coach Todd Graham Making an Impact with Transfers

Pitt head coach Todd Graham has been finding different ways to mold the Panthers in his image.  That image is a high-octane offense and plenty of speed on both sides of the ball. While Pitt's list of commits for the 2012 season seems to get better by the week, one thing that shouldn't be overlooked are the amount of transfers Graham is getting to come to Pitt.

The latest of those comes from Penn State in offensive tackle Tom Ricketts. Ricketts attended North Allegheny High School and will have to sit out a season before playing for the Panthers in 2012. If the name sounds familiar, it should as his father Tom was a first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1989. The elder Ricketts was also a former offensive tackle for the Panthers.

Ricketts is a nice grab for the Panthers after redshirting at Penn State last season. He was one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school, ranking as the sixth best recruit in the state of Pennsylvania and ranked as one of the nation's top 200 recruits.

Overall, Ricketts becomes the fifth man to leave his former school and enroll at Pitt.

Both safety Ray Vinopal and cornerback Cullen Christian have transferred in from Michigan and wide receiver Brendon Felder has come in from North Carolina.

All four guys are expected to have an impact on the field for the Panthers in the future.

However one man, running back Zach Brown, is looking to make a more immediate impact.

Brown, a fifth-year senior and transfer from Wisconsin, was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA and will see the field this season for the Panthers.

Brown rushed for over 1,100 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in three seasons as a Badger before missing the 2010 season. He should be able to become a nice complement for starter Ray Graham, of whom the Panthers are expecting a big season.

Graham is starting to build a good thing at Pitt and he's getting it done in many different ways.