Torlan Pittman surprised some observers in 2008 when he earned playing time in 11 games as a true freshman defensive tackle for the Mustangs. He was less heralded coming out of high school than some of his teammates, but he impressed his coaches with his strength and high-revving motor.

As spring workouts get underway, however, Pittman expects to make a more significant contribution in the upcoming 2009 season. He has a year of maturity and working with the SMU coaching staff, but he also said he should benefit from the coaches’ decision to slide him from defensive tackle out to defensive end, and from the shift from the 4-3 to the 3-4 as the base defensive alignment.

Torlan Pittman is moving back to defensive end, where he earned District 13-5A Defensive Player of the Year honors as a high school senior (photo by SMU athletics).

Pittman is big for a defensive end – at 5-foot-11, he’s not overly tall, but he carries a solid 276 pounds on his powerful frame. He also is more comfortable at his new position and in the Ponies’ new defensive alignment; as a 3-4 defensive end at Bryan (Texas) High School, Pittman was named District 13-5A Defensive Player of the Year in his senior season.

“I like playing d-end better,” Pittman said. “It might be a little easier playing the nose, because you’re right over the ball and can see the ball when it’s snapped. But at the end, you’re over the tackle, and you have a little more room to run.”

Despite his stocky frame, Pittman relies heavily on quickness, and while many players drop weight over the course of a season while running in the heat, Pittman actually grew last season, from 260 to 280 pounds. Now at 276, he said he hasn’t lost any quickness, and said his combination of speed and additional bulk should only increase his effectiveness in 2009.

“I’m stronger this year, and I think I’m faster, too,” Pittman said. “I played inside last year, but I can rush the passer. Moving out to defensive end – I think it’s a good move.”

The shift in defensive alignments is unlikely to faze Pittman, who played in the 4-3 only in his sophomore year of high school. Other than that year, he played in the formation – and at the position – where he now finds himself.

“This is the defense I’m used to playing in, and the position I’m used to,” Pittman said. “There’s some different terminology than what we used (at Bryan), but the concepts are pretty much the same. As a defensive tackle in the 4-3, you get double-teamed a lot more than you do in the 3-4, especially when you move out to end. I should see more single blocks, and hopefully I can take advantage of it."