Pitt opened spring camp 2023 on Tuesday morning in the South Side, marking the team’s first official organized activity since the Sun Bowl in El Paso on Dec. 30.
It’s always interesting when the team gets back together for the first time - at least publicly, in terms of the media being present - to look and see what’s changed.
Newcomers, position changes, new jersey numbers: there’s always something interesting to see in the first practice of spring camp, and this year was no different.
- Right off the bat, the first thing to notice is at quarterback. Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti have left; Phil Jurkovec, Christian Veilleux and Ty Dieffenbach have arrived. And while there wasn’t a ton to see from those guys in the open media portion of the first spring practice, as the team practiced without pads and didn’t run any 11-on-11 drills, it was still the first chance to see those three wearing Pitt (practice) uniforms, throwing to Pitt receivers and handing off to Pitt running backs.
- The focus, of course, is on Jurkovec and Veilleux, the competitors for the starting job left vacant by the departures of Slovis and Patti. Jurkovec is the presumed starter, due to his experience both on the field and in Frank Cignetti’s offense. Veilleux will compete, though. He’s every bit as big as Jurkovec - even though Jurkovec is listed at 6’5” and Veilleux is listed at 6’4” - and he can move a bit. Escapability is a key point with Jurkovec, but I think both guys have the ability to extend plays: Jurkovec does it a bit more with strength, while Veilleux is probably a little more athletic.
They both throw the ball well, so that part is not in question. It will really come down to running the offense and making plays.
- Here’s a list of the jersey numbers for Jurkovec, Veilleux and the rest of the newcomers.
Donovan McMillon - 3
Phil Jurkovec - 5
Christian Veilleux - 11
Ty Dieffenbach - 14
TJ Harvison - 25
Israel Polk - 27
Derrick Davis - 34
Braylan Lovelace - 35
BJ Williams - 55
Daejon Reynolds - 81
Lamar Seymore - 83
Isaiah Neal - 97
- If you’re like me, the first one that jumps out is Isaiah Neal putting on 97 - a number that has a fair amount of history at Pitt, particularly among defensive tackles.
Neal actually isn’t the first player to wear 97 since Aaron Donald’s senior year in 2013, though. In fact, a Pitt player wore that jersey number every season from 2015-20, and while kicker Alex Kessman took up a bunch of those seasons - 2016-20 - several defensive linemen have worn it, too. Michigan State transfer Mark Scarpinato wore it in 2015. Deslin Alexandre wore it in 2017. And Jaylen Twyman changed from 55 to 97 ahead of the 2019 season.
So it’s not entirely unheard of, but it’s still a little rare, and Neal is the first Pitt player at any position to wear it since 2020.
Those are some big shoes to fill.
- In addition to the number for the newcomers, a few returning scholarship players changed their jersey numbers. Cornerback AJ Woods changed from 25 to 9, while lineman Dorien Ford switched from 53 to 55. Ford’s number changed coincided with him moving from defensive tackle to the offensive line. There was at least some expectation of that position change happening when Ford was being recruited, but he spent the last two seasons at defensive tackle before finally moving.
We’ll see if Ford can get into the rotation on the offensive line - guard, presumably - but he probably has a better chance there than he does at defensive tackle.
- One young defensive tackle I do expect to see on the field is Sean FitzSimmons. He redshirted after playing in two games last season, but I think the expectations are really high for him, and I think he’s going to get into the rotation. On Tuesday, he was working on the punt coverage unit, and while that isn’t going to make headlines, I do think it speaks to what the coaches think of him that they’re using him in that role - and it likely means he’s going to see the field a decent amount this season.
- Speaking of punters, that’s one of the under-the-radar storylines heading into 2023. Sam Vander Haar was pretty inconsistent last season, but Cam Guess was never really able to wrest the job away from him.
Now there’s one more punter in the mix with walk-on junior Jeff Yurk (he’s actually wearing 97, too). I don’t know what to expect from Yurk, who transferred from Elon this offseason, but I’m mentioning him here because, on the first day of spring camp, he bounced one off the ceiling in the indoor practice facility.
For as long as I can remember, that’s been the mark of a good punter: can he put one in the rafters? Guys like Adam Graessle and Matt Yoklic and Ryan Winslow did it regularly, and it was a good indication of being able to achieve certain hang time goals.
So Yurk might be a guy to keep an eye on in the punter battle. I can’t imagine the coaches want to rotate again like they did last year - Vander Haar had 30 punts and Guess and Caleb Junko had 12 each - but it remains to be seen if one player will emerge from the group.
- Another position change: redshirt junior Jahvante Royal has officially moved to wide receiver. Royal was a four-star defensive back prospect in the class of 2020, and he played in two games as a freshman, six games in 2020 and five last season, with almost all of his playing time coming on special teams; according to Pro Football Focus, he lined up at cornerback in just one game last season (five snaps against Rhode Island).
But eagle-eyed fans noticed him warming up with the receivers at various points during the season, and he actually played three snaps on offense in the regular-season finale at Miami.
Now he has officially moved to the position, wearing a blue offense jersey and working with the receivers during Tuesday’s practice.
- I don’t know if Royal will help at that position or not, but to tell the truth: it can’t hurt to have another body there. It’s really kind of remarkable that Pitt’s receiver recruiting over the last five years has produced a Biletnikoff Award winner and not much else.
To wit, Pitt’s top three receivers this spring are transfers: returning starters Konata Mumpfield and Bub Means and Florida transfer Daejon Reynolds. Behind them is probably freshman Lamar Seymore, and while there are a couple older players in the mix as well, it’s not a great situation overall.
That’s not to say that I don’t think Mumpfield and Means and Reynolds and Seymore can play. I still believe Mumpfield can be really good, I think Means has a role he can fill and I’m intrigued by Reynolds: he’s built like a possession receiver, and if they can work Mumpfield into more of a middle-distance receiver, Reynolds could fill in underneath.
Still, it’s remarkable for the receiving corps to be in this situation. It’s not dire, but it does add some valuable context for why Pitt signed four receivers in the class of 2023.
- I wrote about the linebackers in our spring camp preview series, and one of the questions was about middle linebacker. During a few of the drills I saw on Tuesday, it looked like Shayne Simon was taking reps there between Bangally Kamara and Solomon DeShields. So that might be the move, but obviously Brandon George is going to be in the mix there, too.
- On the recruiting front, Pitt had some key targets visiting during practice. Belle Vernon four-star Quinton Martin was the biggest name in attendance; he’s the Panthers’ top local target - and maybe top overall target in the class - so getting him to the South Side for the first practice was big.
Westwood (Mass.) Xaverian Brothers quarterback Henry Hasselbeck is one of the four or so top QB targets for Pitt in the class of 2024, and he visited on Tuesday. This comes after Hasselbeck visited Georgia Tech on Monday and got an offer from the Yellow Jackets.
Central Catholic defensive end Ty Yuhas, who committed to Pitt in February, was also at practice.
Washington (Okla.) tight end Cooper Alexander has an offer from Pitt, and he was in town Tuesday morning to watch practice.
Worthington (Oh.) defensive tackle Francis Brewu got an offer at Pitt's Junior Day in January, and he was back for another visit today, too.
- Also in attendance:
2024 Keystone Oaks DB Clinton Robinson
2024 Edgewood (Ken.) Dixie Heights TE Brach Rice
2024 Akron (Oh.) Hoban S Tysen Campbell
2025 Wayne (Oh.) WR Teaunn Hunter
2025 Wayne (Oh.) QB Tyrell Lewis
- Pitt will be back at practice Thursday morning, and we'll have a full report from that one, too. In the meantime, look for videos, photos, quotes and more from Tuesday morning.
It’s always interesting when the team gets back together for the first time - at least publicly, in terms of the media being present - to look and see what’s changed.
Newcomers, position changes, new jersey numbers: there’s always something interesting to see in the first practice of spring camp, and this year was no different.
- Right off the bat, the first thing to notice is at quarterback. Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti have left; Phil Jurkovec, Christian Veilleux and Ty Dieffenbach have arrived. And while there wasn’t a ton to see from those guys in the open media portion of the first spring practice, as the team practiced without pads and didn’t run any 11-on-11 drills, it was still the first chance to see those three wearing Pitt (practice) uniforms, throwing to Pitt receivers and handing off to Pitt running backs.
- The focus, of course, is on Jurkovec and Veilleux, the competitors for the starting job left vacant by the departures of Slovis and Patti. Jurkovec is the presumed starter, due to his experience both on the field and in Frank Cignetti’s offense. Veilleux will compete, though. He’s every bit as big as Jurkovec - even though Jurkovec is listed at 6’5” and Veilleux is listed at 6’4” - and he can move a bit. Escapability is a key point with Jurkovec, but I think both guys have the ability to extend plays: Jurkovec does it a bit more with strength, while Veilleux is probably a little more athletic.
They both throw the ball well, so that part is not in question. It will really come down to running the offense and making plays.
- Here’s a list of the jersey numbers for Jurkovec, Veilleux and the rest of the newcomers.
Donovan McMillon - 3
Phil Jurkovec - 5
Christian Veilleux - 11
Ty Dieffenbach - 14
TJ Harvison - 25
Israel Polk - 27
Derrick Davis - 34
Braylan Lovelace - 35
BJ Williams - 55
Daejon Reynolds - 81
Lamar Seymore - 83
Isaiah Neal - 97
- If you’re like me, the first one that jumps out is Isaiah Neal putting on 97 - a number that has a fair amount of history at Pitt, particularly among defensive tackles.
Neal actually isn’t the first player to wear 97 since Aaron Donald’s senior year in 2013, though. In fact, a Pitt player wore that jersey number every season from 2015-20, and while kicker Alex Kessman took up a bunch of those seasons - 2016-20 - several defensive linemen have worn it, too. Michigan State transfer Mark Scarpinato wore it in 2015. Deslin Alexandre wore it in 2017. And Jaylen Twyman changed from 55 to 97 ahead of the 2019 season.
So it’s not entirely unheard of, but it’s still a little rare, and Neal is the first Pitt player at any position to wear it since 2020.
Those are some big shoes to fill.
- In addition to the number for the newcomers, a few returning scholarship players changed their jersey numbers. Cornerback AJ Woods changed from 25 to 9, while lineman Dorien Ford switched from 53 to 55. Ford’s number changed coincided with him moving from defensive tackle to the offensive line. There was at least some expectation of that position change happening when Ford was being recruited, but he spent the last two seasons at defensive tackle before finally moving.
We’ll see if Ford can get into the rotation on the offensive line - guard, presumably - but he probably has a better chance there than he does at defensive tackle.
- One young defensive tackle I do expect to see on the field is Sean FitzSimmons. He redshirted after playing in two games last season, but I think the expectations are really high for him, and I think he’s going to get into the rotation. On Tuesday, he was working on the punt coverage unit, and while that isn’t going to make headlines, I do think it speaks to what the coaches think of him that they’re using him in that role - and it likely means he’s going to see the field a decent amount this season.
- Speaking of punters, that’s one of the under-the-radar storylines heading into 2023. Sam Vander Haar was pretty inconsistent last season, but Cam Guess was never really able to wrest the job away from him.
Now there’s one more punter in the mix with walk-on junior Jeff Yurk (he’s actually wearing 97, too). I don’t know what to expect from Yurk, who transferred from Elon this offseason, but I’m mentioning him here because, on the first day of spring camp, he bounced one off the ceiling in the indoor practice facility.
For as long as I can remember, that’s been the mark of a good punter: can he put one in the rafters? Guys like Adam Graessle and Matt Yoklic and Ryan Winslow did it regularly, and it was a good indication of being able to achieve certain hang time goals.
So Yurk might be a guy to keep an eye on in the punter battle. I can’t imagine the coaches want to rotate again like they did last year - Vander Haar had 30 punts and Guess and Caleb Junko had 12 each - but it remains to be seen if one player will emerge from the group.
- Another position change: redshirt junior Jahvante Royal has officially moved to wide receiver. Royal was a four-star defensive back prospect in the class of 2020, and he played in two games as a freshman, six games in 2020 and five last season, with almost all of his playing time coming on special teams; according to Pro Football Focus, he lined up at cornerback in just one game last season (five snaps against Rhode Island).
But eagle-eyed fans noticed him warming up with the receivers at various points during the season, and he actually played three snaps on offense in the regular-season finale at Miami.
Now he has officially moved to the position, wearing a blue offense jersey and working with the receivers during Tuesday’s practice.
- I don’t know if Royal will help at that position or not, but to tell the truth: it can’t hurt to have another body there. It’s really kind of remarkable that Pitt’s receiver recruiting over the last five years has produced a Biletnikoff Award winner and not much else.
To wit, Pitt’s top three receivers this spring are transfers: returning starters Konata Mumpfield and Bub Means and Florida transfer Daejon Reynolds. Behind them is probably freshman Lamar Seymore, and while there are a couple older players in the mix as well, it’s not a great situation overall.
That’s not to say that I don’t think Mumpfield and Means and Reynolds and Seymore can play. I still believe Mumpfield can be really good, I think Means has a role he can fill and I’m intrigued by Reynolds: he’s built like a possession receiver, and if they can work Mumpfield into more of a middle-distance receiver, Reynolds could fill in underneath.
Still, it’s remarkable for the receiving corps to be in this situation. It’s not dire, but it does add some valuable context for why Pitt signed four receivers in the class of 2023.
- I wrote about the linebackers in our spring camp preview series, and one of the questions was about middle linebacker. During a few of the drills I saw on Tuesday, it looked like Shayne Simon was taking reps there between Bangally Kamara and Solomon DeShields. So that might be the move, but obviously Brandon George is going to be in the mix there, too.
- On the recruiting front, Pitt had some key targets visiting during practice. Belle Vernon four-star Quinton Martin was the biggest name in attendance; he’s the Panthers’ top local target - and maybe top overall target in the class - so getting him to the South Side for the first practice was big.
Westwood (Mass.) Xaverian Brothers quarterback Henry Hasselbeck is one of the four or so top QB targets for Pitt in the class of 2024, and he visited on Tuesday. This comes after Hasselbeck visited Georgia Tech on Monday and got an offer from the Yellow Jackets.
Central Catholic defensive end Ty Yuhas, who committed to Pitt in February, was also at practice.
Washington (Okla.) tight end Cooper Alexander has an offer from Pitt, and he was in town Tuesday morning to watch practice.
Worthington (Oh.) defensive tackle Francis Brewu got an offer at Pitt's Junior Day in January, and he was back for another visit today, too.
- Also in attendance:
2024 Keystone Oaks DB Clinton Robinson
2024 Edgewood (Ken.) Dixie Heights TE Brach Rice
2024 Akron (Oh.) Hoban S Tysen Campbell
2025 Wayne (Oh.) WR Teaunn Hunter
2025 Wayne (Oh.) QB Tyrell Lewis
- Pitt will be back at practice Thursday morning, and we'll have a full report from that one, too. In the meantime, look for videos, photos, quotes and more from Tuesday morning.
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