As training camp rolls along, inevitably some things start to crystallize, but maybe others seem more tenuous.
That was the case Wednesday morning with Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, who seems to be getting a better idea of which Panthers will be able to help him -- especially newcomers -- while continuing to manage players’ workloads through two-a-days, the heat and more. And it was again the case in the afternoon, when offensive coordinator Jim Chaney -- who’s been around the block at this level a time or two -- came right out to the media prepared to answer some questions about his quarterback(s).
Calling it a position “battle” between Chad Voytik and Nate Peterman might not be quite right, as Chris mentioned in Tuesday’s practice report, but quarterback “competition” seems accurate.
“Here’s the deal: Chad is the incumbent starting quarterback and remains the starting quarterback at Pitt,” Chaney said. “Right now, there’s three other people in my room that are fighting their butts off to take his job. And next year, there’ll be an incumbent starting quarterback back and everyone will be trying to take his job. Nothing’s going to change. There’s competition in that room, and we continue on. As we sit here today, Chad is still the starting quarterback at Pitt.”
So that more or less defuses things, right? When Chaney mentions the other three quarterbacks in his room, he’s including redshirt freshman Adam Bertke and true freshman Ben DiNucci, but mostly the situation hinges on Peterman, the transfer from Tennessee.
Peterman knows Chaney well from being recruited by him in high school and then joining him when both were with the Volunteers (in case you forgot, Chaney was offensive coordinator there from 2009-12). So there’s absolutely a connection between the current “backup” quarterback and the man in charge of the offense, but with Chaney calling Wednesday Voytik’s “best day” of camp so far, the returning starter is still in good shape even as Peterman pushes him.
“Nathan’s been doing a heck of a job. He’s been doing everything i asked him to do, and that’s what we’ll continue to do, try and push this thing as far as it’ll go,” Chaney said. “Nate’s a veteran player, he’s been around a lot, he’s learning quickly, but I think all our guys are picking things up. The last two days, we’ve played a lot better at that position.”
Peterman himself spoke glowingly about his relationship with Chaney, but downplayed any pressure he might put on Voytik when asked about it after practice.
“I’m just going out there and doing my best. I don’t really know if I am or if I’m not. I think that’s up to the coaches, but I’m just going out there doing my best, trying to have a good time playing football,” Peterman said.
As for Voytik, he sort of gave the sense that Peterman has more of the physical tools necessary to challenge for the job, which is something of a new experience for Voytik.
“Trey Anderson is a great kid,” Voytik said of his backup last year, who has since transferred, “I love the kid and he pushed me just as well, even more so in the film room. And Nate’s doing the same thing, he’s pushing me and it’s already made me so much better as a quarterback, so I couldn’t ask for anything else.”
Well, perhaps it wouldn’t be a stretch to ask for a definitive declaration from the coaching staff before the season opener Sept. 5, but Narduzzi said he’ll have that answer and that he will more-or-less formally name a starting quarterback rather than keep everyone guessing until the first real snap of the 2015 season.
“I guess we will. You guys will see a two-deep. Haven’t thought much about it, to be honest with you, but yeah, we’ll name a starter,” Narduzzi said.
Freshman plans
Keeping with the offensive competition theme, and that of some decisions starting to become clearer for the coaches, Narduzzi brought up a couple of freshman playmakers -- wide receivers, to be exact -- in his morning briefing, and may have his sights set on deploying those two in more than just special teams situations their first year.
“The one guy you constantly notice every day: Tre Tipton. Him and Quadree Henderson, both are guys that have a chance,” Narduzzi said when asked about the receiving corps. “And they haven’t hit the wall after 10 practices so far. … They’ve done a nice job and shown that they may have a chance to play for us this year.”
Possibly the key thing with those comments from Narduzzi is that he singled out both freshmen unprompted. Tipton was brought up first, as a player who’s standing out in the battle for snaps at wideout, but Narduzzi seems pleasantly surprised by Henderson as well.
When he says they haven’t yet “hit the wall,” he means that from a mental standpoint rather than a physical one -- which, given the nature of training camp, could seemingly happen at any time, and we’ll touch on that a little later in this post. But Narduzzi acknowledged that despite all the information freshmen must process as they transition to this level, Tipton and Henderson haven’t had their athletic ability slowed down by mental hangups, which is “really impressive.”
But impressive enough to eschew a redshirt year for two guys on the slighter side at 170 pounds? Well, maybe…
“The first thing we’re going to look at is make sure they can do something on offense or defense,” Narduzzi said. “If you’re going to play 25 snaps, 30 snaps on special teams a game, that’s great, but the first thing they better be able to do is play on that side of the ball. Right now, as it looks -- every day’s a different day -- they look like they can help you on offense.”
Chaney, too, said those two “continue to show up” when he was asked about the receivers in general, while Voytik remarked that the freshmen have stepped up admirably if needed because some older guys are banged up (Chaney noted that redshirt sophomore Zach Challingsworth has been out with some injuries).
Continued in the next post ...
That was the case Wednesday morning with Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, who seems to be getting a better idea of which Panthers will be able to help him -- especially newcomers -- while continuing to manage players’ workloads through two-a-days, the heat and more. And it was again the case in the afternoon, when offensive coordinator Jim Chaney -- who’s been around the block at this level a time or two -- came right out to the media prepared to answer some questions about his quarterback(s).
Calling it a position “battle” between Chad Voytik and Nate Peterman might not be quite right, as Chris mentioned in Tuesday’s practice report, but quarterback “competition” seems accurate.
“Here’s the deal: Chad is the incumbent starting quarterback and remains the starting quarterback at Pitt,” Chaney said. “Right now, there’s three other people in my room that are fighting their butts off to take his job. And next year, there’ll be an incumbent starting quarterback back and everyone will be trying to take his job. Nothing’s going to change. There’s competition in that room, and we continue on. As we sit here today, Chad is still the starting quarterback at Pitt.”
So that more or less defuses things, right? When Chaney mentions the other three quarterbacks in his room, he’s including redshirt freshman Adam Bertke and true freshman Ben DiNucci, but mostly the situation hinges on Peterman, the transfer from Tennessee.
Peterman knows Chaney well from being recruited by him in high school and then joining him when both were with the Volunteers (in case you forgot, Chaney was offensive coordinator there from 2009-12). So there’s absolutely a connection between the current “backup” quarterback and the man in charge of the offense, but with Chaney calling Wednesday Voytik’s “best day” of camp so far, the returning starter is still in good shape even as Peterman pushes him.
“Nathan’s been doing a heck of a job. He’s been doing everything i asked him to do, and that’s what we’ll continue to do, try and push this thing as far as it’ll go,” Chaney said. “Nate’s a veteran player, he’s been around a lot, he’s learning quickly, but I think all our guys are picking things up. The last two days, we’ve played a lot better at that position.”
Peterman himself spoke glowingly about his relationship with Chaney, but downplayed any pressure he might put on Voytik when asked about it after practice.
“I’m just going out there and doing my best. I don’t really know if I am or if I’m not. I think that’s up to the coaches, but I’m just going out there doing my best, trying to have a good time playing football,” Peterman said.
As for Voytik, he sort of gave the sense that Peterman has more of the physical tools necessary to challenge for the job, which is something of a new experience for Voytik.
“Trey Anderson is a great kid,” Voytik said of his backup last year, who has since transferred, “I love the kid and he pushed me just as well, even more so in the film room. And Nate’s doing the same thing, he’s pushing me and it’s already made me so much better as a quarterback, so I couldn’t ask for anything else.”
Well, perhaps it wouldn’t be a stretch to ask for a definitive declaration from the coaching staff before the season opener Sept. 5, but Narduzzi said he’ll have that answer and that he will more-or-less formally name a starting quarterback rather than keep everyone guessing until the first real snap of the 2015 season.
“I guess we will. You guys will see a two-deep. Haven’t thought much about it, to be honest with you, but yeah, we’ll name a starter,” Narduzzi said.
Freshman plans
Keeping with the offensive competition theme, and that of some decisions starting to become clearer for the coaches, Narduzzi brought up a couple of freshman playmakers -- wide receivers, to be exact -- in his morning briefing, and may have his sights set on deploying those two in more than just special teams situations their first year.
“The one guy you constantly notice every day: Tre Tipton. Him and Quadree Henderson, both are guys that have a chance,” Narduzzi said when asked about the receiving corps. “And they haven’t hit the wall after 10 practices so far. … They’ve done a nice job and shown that they may have a chance to play for us this year.”
Possibly the key thing with those comments from Narduzzi is that he singled out both freshmen unprompted. Tipton was brought up first, as a player who’s standing out in the battle for snaps at wideout, but Narduzzi seems pleasantly surprised by Henderson as well.
When he says they haven’t yet “hit the wall,” he means that from a mental standpoint rather than a physical one -- which, given the nature of training camp, could seemingly happen at any time, and we’ll touch on that a little later in this post. But Narduzzi acknowledged that despite all the information freshmen must process as they transition to this level, Tipton and Henderson haven’t had their athletic ability slowed down by mental hangups, which is “really impressive.”
But impressive enough to eschew a redshirt year for two guys on the slighter side at 170 pounds? Well, maybe…
“The first thing we’re going to look at is make sure they can do something on offense or defense,” Narduzzi said. “If you’re going to play 25 snaps, 30 snaps on special teams a game, that’s great, but the first thing they better be able to do is play on that side of the ball. Right now, as it looks -- every day’s a different day -- they look like they can help you on offense.”
Chaney, too, said those two “continue to show up” when he was asked about the receivers in general, while Voytik remarked that the freshmen have stepped up admirably if needed because some older guys are banged up (Chaney noted that redshirt sophomore Zach Challingsworth has been out with some injuries).
Continued in the next post ...
