Friday was Pitt's first day of full pads in training camp 2015, and as camp milestones go, there aren't many that can compare.
Football is a physical game, as we all know, and it can't really be played until the pads go on. So Friday was a big deal and Saturday will be even bigger, since that will be the Panthers' first scrimmage of camp.
There will be a lot on the line in Saturday's scrimmage. Position battles will start to take shape - more on that in a minute - and the coaches will once again declare a "winner" of the scrimmage, and that winner, offense or defense, will wear blue jerseys until the next scrimmage.
That's the approach the coaches took in the spring, and they'll be doing it again in training camp.
"We try to lock our guys into being a game day," Pat Narduzzi said before Friday's practice. "That's why we call it a jersey scrimmage: they play for the jerseys. The defense is in blue right now and offense in white, and that may change here as we get after the next scrimmage."
The coaching staff likes using the jersey as motivation. When players leave the locker room to head out to the practice fields at the South Side facility, they see this every day:
It's a constant reminder - like so much of what the current staff has done over the last eight months - that everything is goal-oriented. Everything happens for a reason and according to a plan. In that way, it's sort of reminiscent of the scene around Pitt in 2011.
There was a lot of toxicity in the program that year, but Todd Graham did everything he could to create the kind of goal-oriented culture that a lot of successful head football coaches strive for. I think we're all far enough removed from that affair to recognize and acknowledge that Graham, for whatever personal shortcomings you may see in his character, is quite good as a coach. And if Narduzzi is following in some of those same footprints - as it relates to building a program - then that's probably not a bad thing for Pitt.
Now onto the team.
Position battles
It's somewhat clear that the staff wasn't likely to make any real moves on the two-deep during the first four days of training camp. The emphasis this week has been on installation and getting lined up and trying to rebuild everything that had been learned in the spring.
But when the full pads go on and plays can actually be made, those evaluations really get started. Players probably already had the proper mindset, but now they know they are competing for jobs.
"You can make and think of some depth chart changes even with the shoulder pads on, because there is some pretty physical play going on. But really, it's either you make the play or you don't, especially when you say it's a live period," Narduzzi said.
He added that, as opposed to the past four days when players might get the benefit of the doubt for going a bit light or pulling up on a play out of concern for safety, full pads and full contact mean finishing plays.
"Today, you actually go make those plays. You want to do it with safety in mind, but you have to play the game."
As such, position battles were the big topic of the day, and when Narduzzi was asked what positons are most intriguing to him, his answer more or less reflected what we have all been talking about this week (and this summer).
"I think defensive end, there's a battle going on there. I think boundary safety, there's a battle going on. I think all the receivers are battling, just trying to find out who those guys are. Those are the major ones that I can think of.
"And what we call our 'Money' 'backer, where (Mike) Caprara and Bam (Bradley) are really fighting for that spot there as well. I think (Quintin) Wirginis is fighting at the 'Mike' spot as well. Whether I say it's a big one or not, if you're a backup, you're competing and trying to get something."
We'll start with the one that probably jumps out the most: the 'Money' linebacker position. That's the weak-side linebacker, and we saw in the spring that the coaches rotated Caprara and Bradley on the first team quite a bit at that spot.
So far in training camp, it seemed like Bradley was getting most of the first-team work, but on Friday Caprara was with the one's during early-practice walk-throughs. That was largely during practice with the nickel package, but the coaches used three linebackers in those packages, and Caprara was there while Bradley worked with the second team.
The staff praised both players in the spring and they seem to be intent on seeing what Caprara and Bradley bring out of each other. The odds still probably favor Bradley, but the coaches have shown that they are willing to give Caprara a chance to win the job. One thing Caprara has is an understanding of all three linebacker positions, since he also worked in the middle during the spring.
Given Narduzzi's comments, we'll also keep an eye on the middle linebacker position. Wirginis shows some potential, and the staff seems willing to let any position battle play out, so he could push Matt Galambos for playing time.
And one final note on the linebackers, I have heard some rave reviews of the freshmen, Anthony McKee andSaleem Brightwell. It sounds like McKee has been a playmaker in the first week of camp, with at least two interceptions during team drills. He was one of Pitt's top defensive recruits in the class of 2015, second perhaps to only Jordan Whitehead, and he has put himself in position to compete for playing time. That playing time may be limited to special teams and defensive sub-packages, but if he has a knack for making plays, then the staff will look for a way to get him on the field.
Up front
We talked a lot about the defensive tackles in yesterday's practice report, so now a word about the edge rushers.
Narduzzi said he thinks there could be a battle there. Shakir Soto and Ejuan Price are looking to hold onto the starting jobs while Rori Blair sits out the first game, but when Blair returns, somebody is going to the bench (assuming Blair moves back into the starting lineup).
What complicates matters is that Pitt has a few guys who seem like they are better-suited to defending the run or the pass. Blair is more of a pass rusher, for instance, although he has worked his way up to 235 pounds and should be better against the run this season. Soto, by contrast, is probably better against the run than he is against the pass.
So what is likely to happen is that the coaches will rotate the defensive ends based on the situation, which isn't exactly ground-breaking football theory.
Blair, Soto and Price are the top three ends as returning veterans, but JUCO transfer Allen Edwards will be in the mix as well. Or, at the very least, it seems like he will be.
"You never know," Narduzzi said. "I went up and watched him practice at Dean College in Franklin, Mass., and liked what I saw and had offered him earlier before I got here. But you really do like what you see out of him.
"Today the pads will go on, and he has shown an ability to pass rush, which is what we needed, what we thought he was. So we're looking forward to seeing what he's got today. But he's definitely got a chance."
A point of clarification: Michigan State didn't offer Edwards, as Narduzzi indicated. From what I can gather, Narduzzi was recruiting Edwards at MSU and had him high on the board, but no offer had been extended. Plans were in the works for Edwards to take an official visit to East Lansing and that visit might have led to an offer, but those plans changed when Narduzzi was hired at Pitt and almost immediately re-started that recruitment.
Edwards looks the part and brings a quickness off the edge that Pitt needs (although defensive line coach Tom Simschided Edwards at Friday's practice when he wasn't quick enough off the ball during a drill). If nothing else, Edwards should help the Panthers as a pass rusher this season.
If Edwards does play, Pitt will be able to rotate four defensive ends - Blair, Soto, Price, Edwards - and have a decent rotation plus a couple plug-in players like Zach Poker and James Folston.
But the best defensive end on the team, it seems, won't be on the field at all this season. Tennessee transferDewayne Hendrix is drawing rave reviews so far in camp, and he will be giving Adam Bisnowaty and Alex Bookser fits this season as a scout-team end.
The other spots
Narduzzi also mentioned backup receiver and boundary safety as position battles to watch, and we've certainly talked a lot about those. I mentioned yesterday that I've heard Zach Challingsworth and Elijah Zeise are having good camps, and they seem to be the current second team behind Tyler Boyd and Dontez Ford.
At boundary safety, the players to watch are Pat Amara, Jevonte Pitts and Jordan Whitehead, as we've said. This coming week, starting with Saturday's scrimmage and extending through next Saturday's scrimmage, is going to be a huge one for all the position battles, but I think the boundary safety is chief among those. Amara and Pitts have to battle with each other, and they also have to keep an eye on Whitehead.
That one should be interesting.
(Continued in the next post...)
Football is a physical game, as we all know, and it can't really be played until the pads go on. So Friday was a big deal and Saturday will be even bigger, since that will be the Panthers' first scrimmage of camp.
There will be a lot on the line in Saturday's scrimmage. Position battles will start to take shape - more on that in a minute - and the coaches will once again declare a "winner" of the scrimmage, and that winner, offense or defense, will wear blue jerseys until the next scrimmage.
That's the approach the coaches took in the spring, and they'll be doing it again in training camp.
"We try to lock our guys into being a game day," Pat Narduzzi said before Friday's practice. "That's why we call it a jersey scrimmage: they play for the jerseys. The defense is in blue right now and offense in white, and that may change here as we get after the next scrimmage."
The coaching staff likes using the jersey as motivation. When players leave the locker room to head out to the practice fields at the South Side facility, they see this every day:
It's a constant reminder - like so much of what the current staff has done over the last eight months - that everything is goal-oriented. Everything happens for a reason and according to a plan. In that way, it's sort of reminiscent of the scene around Pitt in 2011.
There was a lot of toxicity in the program that year, but Todd Graham did everything he could to create the kind of goal-oriented culture that a lot of successful head football coaches strive for. I think we're all far enough removed from that affair to recognize and acknowledge that Graham, for whatever personal shortcomings you may see in his character, is quite good as a coach. And if Narduzzi is following in some of those same footprints - as it relates to building a program - then that's probably not a bad thing for Pitt.
Now onto the team.
Position battles
It's somewhat clear that the staff wasn't likely to make any real moves on the two-deep during the first four days of training camp. The emphasis this week has been on installation and getting lined up and trying to rebuild everything that had been learned in the spring.
But when the full pads go on and plays can actually be made, those evaluations really get started. Players probably already had the proper mindset, but now they know they are competing for jobs.
"You can make and think of some depth chart changes even with the shoulder pads on, because there is some pretty physical play going on. But really, it's either you make the play or you don't, especially when you say it's a live period," Narduzzi said.
He added that, as opposed to the past four days when players might get the benefit of the doubt for going a bit light or pulling up on a play out of concern for safety, full pads and full contact mean finishing plays.
"Today, you actually go make those plays. You want to do it with safety in mind, but you have to play the game."
As such, position battles were the big topic of the day, and when Narduzzi was asked what positons are most intriguing to him, his answer more or less reflected what we have all been talking about this week (and this summer).
"I think defensive end, there's a battle going on there. I think boundary safety, there's a battle going on. I think all the receivers are battling, just trying to find out who those guys are. Those are the major ones that I can think of.
"And what we call our 'Money' 'backer, where (Mike) Caprara and Bam (Bradley) are really fighting for that spot there as well. I think (Quintin) Wirginis is fighting at the 'Mike' spot as well. Whether I say it's a big one or not, if you're a backup, you're competing and trying to get something."
We'll start with the one that probably jumps out the most: the 'Money' linebacker position. That's the weak-side linebacker, and we saw in the spring that the coaches rotated Caprara and Bradley on the first team quite a bit at that spot.
So far in training camp, it seemed like Bradley was getting most of the first-team work, but on Friday Caprara was with the one's during early-practice walk-throughs. That was largely during practice with the nickel package, but the coaches used three linebackers in those packages, and Caprara was there while Bradley worked with the second team.
The staff praised both players in the spring and they seem to be intent on seeing what Caprara and Bradley bring out of each other. The odds still probably favor Bradley, but the coaches have shown that they are willing to give Caprara a chance to win the job. One thing Caprara has is an understanding of all three linebacker positions, since he also worked in the middle during the spring.
Given Narduzzi's comments, we'll also keep an eye on the middle linebacker position. Wirginis shows some potential, and the staff seems willing to let any position battle play out, so he could push Matt Galambos for playing time.
And one final note on the linebackers, I have heard some rave reviews of the freshmen, Anthony McKee andSaleem Brightwell. It sounds like McKee has been a playmaker in the first week of camp, with at least two interceptions during team drills. He was one of Pitt's top defensive recruits in the class of 2015, second perhaps to only Jordan Whitehead, and he has put himself in position to compete for playing time. That playing time may be limited to special teams and defensive sub-packages, but if he has a knack for making plays, then the staff will look for a way to get him on the field.
Up front
We talked a lot about the defensive tackles in yesterday's practice report, so now a word about the edge rushers.
Narduzzi said he thinks there could be a battle there. Shakir Soto and Ejuan Price are looking to hold onto the starting jobs while Rori Blair sits out the first game, but when Blair returns, somebody is going to the bench (assuming Blair moves back into the starting lineup).
What complicates matters is that Pitt has a few guys who seem like they are better-suited to defending the run or the pass. Blair is more of a pass rusher, for instance, although he has worked his way up to 235 pounds and should be better against the run this season. Soto, by contrast, is probably better against the run than he is against the pass.
So what is likely to happen is that the coaches will rotate the defensive ends based on the situation, which isn't exactly ground-breaking football theory.
Blair, Soto and Price are the top three ends as returning veterans, but JUCO transfer Allen Edwards will be in the mix as well. Or, at the very least, it seems like he will be.
"You never know," Narduzzi said. "I went up and watched him practice at Dean College in Franklin, Mass., and liked what I saw and had offered him earlier before I got here. But you really do like what you see out of him.
"Today the pads will go on, and he has shown an ability to pass rush, which is what we needed, what we thought he was. So we're looking forward to seeing what he's got today. But he's definitely got a chance."
A point of clarification: Michigan State didn't offer Edwards, as Narduzzi indicated. From what I can gather, Narduzzi was recruiting Edwards at MSU and had him high on the board, but no offer had been extended. Plans were in the works for Edwards to take an official visit to East Lansing and that visit might have led to an offer, but those plans changed when Narduzzi was hired at Pitt and almost immediately re-started that recruitment.
Edwards looks the part and brings a quickness off the edge that Pitt needs (although defensive line coach Tom Simschided Edwards at Friday's practice when he wasn't quick enough off the ball during a drill). If nothing else, Edwards should help the Panthers as a pass rusher this season.
If Edwards does play, Pitt will be able to rotate four defensive ends - Blair, Soto, Price, Edwards - and have a decent rotation plus a couple plug-in players like Zach Poker and James Folston.
But the best defensive end on the team, it seems, won't be on the field at all this season. Tennessee transferDewayne Hendrix is drawing rave reviews so far in camp, and he will be giving Adam Bisnowaty and Alex Bookser fits this season as a scout-team end.
The other spots
Narduzzi also mentioned backup receiver and boundary safety as position battles to watch, and we've certainly talked a lot about those. I mentioned yesterday that I've heard Zach Challingsworth and Elijah Zeise are having good camps, and they seem to be the current second team behind Tyler Boyd and Dontez Ford.
At boundary safety, the players to watch are Pat Amara, Jevonte Pitts and Jordan Whitehead, as we've said. This coming week, starting with Saturday's scrimmage and extending through next Saturday's scrimmage, is going to be a huge one for all the position battles, but I think the boundary safety is chief among those. Amara and Pitts have to battle with each other, and they also have to keep an eye on Whitehead.
That one should be interesting.
(Continued in the next post...)
