The 2015 Pitt Panthers were dealt a surprising blow when starter James Conner went down with a season-ending MCL injury in the team's opener against Youngstown State. That thrust several players into the spotlight, including eventual starter Qadree Ollison.
Despite the loss of Conner, the running backs proved to be capable. Ollison led the way with a 1,000-yard season (1,048 yards) and ten touchdowns to go along with a 5.1 yard-per-carry average (204 carries), and was named a second-team All-Conference player. His totals could actually have been a little higher if he didn't share as much of the workload as he did.