The linebackers will be particularly interesting to watch this season. While much has been written about Pat Narduzzi's affinity for the defensive backs and Josh Conklin's comments on Tuesday about the significance of the corners, there's no mistaking the value of the players in the middle.
Obviously every level of the defense is important, but on Signing Day linebackers coach Rob Harley called Pitt's system a "linebacker-driven defense."
The media windows in the first few days of spring camp haven't shed a ton of light on how big a part the linebackers will play, but some details about the positions are emerging.
The coaches have named the outside positions "Star" and "Money," but the distinctions still seem to be based on the typical 4-3 alignments of "strong-side" and "weak-side." In this defense, the Star linebacker plays in space, often to the extent of lining up as a nickel linebacker or box safety. The Money linebacker, on the other hand, is a more typical "in-the-box" strong-side linebacker.
So far, redshirt senior Nicholas Grigsby has been the top Star linebacker, while his brother, redshirt junior Bam Bradley has been the top Money linebacker. Junior Matt Galambos has been working on the first time at middle linebacker.
Grigsby's backups are interesting. After being listed at middle linebacker in the spring prospectus, redshirt sophomore Reggie Green has moved outside and backs up Grigsby at Star linebacker. And he splits reps with a very interesting player: redshirt senior Jameel Poteat.
Poteat transferred to Pitt from Stony Brook (and Cincinnati before that) after originally committing to Pitt in the recruiting class of 2011. He arrived as a walk-on running back last summer and sat out the 2014 season due to transfer eligibility rules. He hoped to contribute as one of James Conner's backups this season, but Narduzzi and Harley moved him to linebacker, and he has been splitting second-team reps with Green.
That group of players makes for an interesting mix in terms of pedigree and skill sets. Grigsby was a hybrid linebacker/passing-down defensive end last season, tying for second on the team in sacks and fifth on the team in tackles for loss. Green was a high school quarterback who came to Pitt as a wide receiver and Poteat was a four-star running back prospect who has bounced around to different schools.
Now they're all being asked to play a linebacker position that requires not just pass-rushing and run-stopping abilities, but also coverage skills. Some thought Poteat could potentially be a cornerback in college, so he's got some ability in the coverage department. Grigsby was a four-star linebacker prospect who never bulked up to match his sometimes-defensive end responsibilities last year. He was also one of Pitt's best special teams players, so he could fit that role. And Green was an athlete more than anything coming out of high school, so this could be a position that works for him.
And then there's Anthony McKee, who will arrive as a true freshman this summer and will most likely play the Star position. He moved to safety for his senior year of high school, so he's a perfect fit for a linebacker position that operates in space.
Grigsby seems like the odds-on favorite to be the starter at that position, but it will be interesting to watch this season.
As for the Money position, Bradley's main backup is redshirt freshman Jamal Davis, who definitely looks the part. He's a solid 6'3" and 225 pounds, and he would be the first pick on the "off the bus" team. It remains to be seen what he can do on the field, but he passes the eye test with flying colors.
Then in the middle, Matt Galambos is still on the top line with Mike Caprara, James Folston and Quintin Wirginis behind him. At least one player will probably move from that group to the outside once the depth at MLB gets sorted out.
The personnel is interesting, but the bigger question remains: What will the linebackers contribute? Last year's starting outside linebackers, Todd Thomas and Anthony Gonzalez, were the team's leading tacklers. But despite that statistical ranking and their combined 10.5 tackles for loss, it's tough to reflect on the 2014 season and come away with the impression that they were game-changers.
Pitt needs game-changers at linebacker; it remains to be seen if this group can provide that element. But there is an interesting group of players who will try to provide it.
- It's worth noting Grigsby and Bradley. One was a four-star recruit for Todd Graham and the other was a three-star prospect for Paul Chryst. Both were highly-coveted by both staffs, and both staffs had high hopes for both players.
Up until last year, though, neither had done a whole lot, and more than a few people wondered if Grigsby and Bradley would finish their careers some place other than Pitt. Grigsby started the first two games of the 2012 season before getting benched and has a career total of five starts. Bradley made one start over the last two seasons.
But last year both players were pretty significant for Pitt's defense. Grigsby was the special teams captain and a pretty important piece of Pitt's defensive subpackages, while Bradley worked primarily in the nickel and made 36 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception as a top reserve linebacker.
Now both are running with the first team under a new staff, and the coaches seem pleased with how each is performing. In fact, after Harley met with the media following Thursday's practice - a session during which he praised both Grigsby and Bradley - he looked in the back of the room and saw Grigsby sitting on a table.
"We watching film?" Harley asked Grigsby.
"Yep," Grigsby replied.
And off they went. The linebackers coach and his lone senior, a player who has come a long way since 2012, when the best thing his defensive coordinator could say about him was, "Well, the dude can run."
- Harley offered another interesting tidbit about Pitt's defense and the linebackers. He said the Panthers will be in the same package "80%" of the time. He said the linebackers will line up differently based on what the offense does, but for the most part, they won't be shifting in and out of coverages and personnel groupings and that kind of thing.
That ties into the Star linebacker's coverage responsibilities: if Pitt isn't going to shift into a nickel package every time an opponent goes three-wide, then one of the linebackers is going to have to be able to cover.
- Thursday was the first practice in full pads this spring, and usually that means an extra boost of energy. The players are often sick and tired of holding no-contact practices and having to pull up anytime they get within a few feet of another player, so when they finally take the field in full pads, they are itching to get at it.
That's often the case, but it wasn't the case on Thursday. In fact, strength coach Dave Andrews had to take a break during stretching - of all things - to give the team a pep talk, and when the response didn't meet the desired level, Andrews opted for some sprints. That may or may not have done the trick; Narduzzi said the intensity of practice improved by the end.
- Dontez Ford was apparently one of the stars of Thursday's 11-on-11 drills, making a pretty impressive catch that drew a mention from the head coach after practice. Ford said that Chad Voytik saw a safety playing over the top on Ford, which led to the receiver and the quarterback and receiver both recognizing to cut off the route. Voytik's throw was on point, according to Ford, and while safety Reggie Mitchell got a hand on the ball, Ford managed to pull in the catch.
- Speaking of safeties, it looked early in practice like Mitchell and Jevonte Pitts were running with the first team, while Pat Amara and Terrish Webb were with the two's. The always-offered caveat: these things are shifting and in motion quite a bit.
- Through the first week of spring camp, the primary punt return duties have been performed by Tyler Boyd, Avonte Maddox and Lafayette Pitts. That's a good group and probably what most people would have expected. But one thing was interesting about their work: while they were catching punts, Boyd, Maddox and Pitts held tennis balls in each hand. Catching punts is not the world's easiest task, and it has to be considerably more difficult to do so while holding a pair of tennis balls.
One effect of the tennis balls is that they cause the football to bounce a bit each time, since the players can't actually grasp the football. That probably helps a bit with corralling bobbled catches. But I have to say that's the first time I've seen punt return drills like that.
- Pitt will be back on the practice field Saturday for the first scrimmage of spring camp. Stay tuned to Panther-Lair.com for more articles, videos and photos from spring camp 2015.
Obviously every level of the defense is important, but on Signing Day linebackers coach Rob Harley called Pitt's system a "linebacker-driven defense."
The media windows in the first few days of spring camp haven't shed a ton of light on how big a part the linebackers will play, but some details about the positions are emerging.
The coaches have named the outside positions "Star" and "Money," but the distinctions still seem to be based on the typical 4-3 alignments of "strong-side" and "weak-side." In this defense, the Star linebacker plays in space, often to the extent of lining up as a nickel linebacker or box safety. The Money linebacker, on the other hand, is a more typical "in-the-box" strong-side linebacker.
So far, redshirt senior Nicholas Grigsby has been the top Star linebacker, while his brother, redshirt junior Bam Bradley has been the top Money linebacker. Junior Matt Galambos has been working on the first time at middle linebacker.
Grigsby's backups are interesting. After being listed at middle linebacker in the spring prospectus, redshirt sophomore Reggie Green has moved outside and backs up Grigsby at Star linebacker. And he splits reps with a very interesting player: redshirt senior Jameel Poteat.
Poteat transferred to Pitt from Stony Brook (and Cincinnati before that) after originally committing to Pitt in the recruiting class of 2011. He arrived as a walk-on running back last summer and sat out the 2014 season due to transfer eligibility rules. He hoped to contribute as one of James Conner's backups this season, but Narduzzi and Harley moved him to linebacker, and he has been splitting second-team reps with Green.
That group of players makes for an interesting mix in terms of pedigree and skill sets. Grigsby was a hybrid linebacker/passing-down defensive end last season, tying for second on the team in sacks and fifth on the team in tackles for loss. Green was a high school quarterback who came to Pitt as a wide receiver and Poteat was a four-star running back prospect who has bounced around to different schools.
Now they're all being asked to play a linebacker position that requires not just pass-rushing and run-stopping abilities, but also coverage skills. Some thought Poteat could potentially be a cornerback in college, so he's got some ability in the coverage department. Grigsby was a four-star linebacker prospect who never bulked up to match his sometimes-defensive end responsibilities last year. He was also one of Pitt's best special teams players, so he could fit that role. And Green was an athlete more than anything coming out of high school, so this could be a position that works for him.
And then there's Anthony McKee, who will arrive as a true freshman this summer and will most likely play the Star position. He moved to safety for his senior year of high school, so he's a perfect fit for a linebacker position that operates in space.
Grigsby seems like the odds-on favorite to be the starter at that position, but it will be interesting to watch this season.
As for the Money position, Bradley's main backup is redshirt freshman Jamal Davis, who definitely looks the part. He's a solid 6'3" and 225 pounds, and he would be the first pick on the "off the bus" team. It remains to be seen what he can do on the field, but he passes the eye test with flying colors.
Then in the middle, Matt Galambos is still on the top line with Mike Caprara, James Folston and Quintin Wirginis behind him. At least one player will probably move from that group to the outside once the depth at MLB gets sorted out.
The personnel is interesting, but the bigger question remains: What will the linebackers contribute? Last year's starting outside linebackers, Todd Thomas and Anthony Gonzalez, were the team's leading tacklers. But despite that statistical ranking and their combined 10.5 tackles for loss, it's tough to reflect on the 2014 season and come away with the impression that they were game-changers.
Pitt needs game-changers at linebacker; it remains to be seen if this group can provide that element. But there is an interesting group of players who will try to provide it.
- It's worth noting Grigsby and Bradley. One was a four-star recruit for Todd Graham and the other was a three-star prospect for Paul Chryst. Both were highly-coveted by both staffs, and both staffs had high hopes for both players.
Up until last year, though, neither had done a whole lot, and more than a few people wondered if Grigsby and Bradley would finish their careers some place other than Pitt. Grigsby started the first two games of the 2012 season before getting benched and has a career total of five starts. Bradley made one start over the last two seasons.
But last year both players were pretty significant for Pitt's defense. Grigsby was the special teams captain and a pretty important piece of Pitt's defensive subpackages, while Bradley worked primarily in the nickel and made 36 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception as a top reserve linebacker.
Now both are running with the first team under a new staff, and the coaches seem pleased with how each is performing. In fact, after Harley met with the media following Thursday's practice - a session during which he praised both Grigsby and Bradley - he looked in the back of the room and saw Grigsby sitting on a table.
"We watching film?" Harley asked Grigsby.
"Yep," Grigsby replied.
And off they went. The linebackers coach and his lone senior, a player who has come a long way since 2012, when the best thing his defensive coordinator could say about him was, "Well, the dude can run."
- Harley offered another interesting tidbit about Pitt's defense and the linebackers. He said the Panthers will be in the same package "80%" of the time. He said the linebackers will line up differently based on what the offense does, but for the most part, they won't be shifting in and out of coverages and personnel groupings and that kind of thing.
That ties into the Star linebacker's coverage responsibilities: if Pitt isn't going to shift into a nickel package every time an opponent goes three-wide, then one of the linebackers is going to have to be able to cover.
- Thursday was the first practice in full pads this spring, and usually that means an extra boost of energy. The players are often sick and tired of holding no-contact practices and having to pull up anytime they get within a few feet of another player, so when they finally take the field in full pads, they are itching to get at it.
That's often the case, but it wasn't the case on Thursday. In fact, strength coach Dave Andrews had to take a break during stretching - of all things - to give the team a pep talk, and when the response didn't meet the desired level, Andrews opted for some sprints. That may or may not have done the trick; Narduzzi said the intensity of practice improved by the end.
- Dontez Ford was apparently one of the stars of Thursday's 11-on-11 drills, making a pretty impressive catch that drew a mention from the head coach after practice. Ford said that Chad Voytik saw a safety playing over the top on Ford, which led to the receiver and the quarterback and receiver both recognizing to cut off the route. Voytik's throw was on point, according to Ford, and while safety Reggie Mitchell got a hand on the ball, Ford managed to pull in the catch.
- Speaking of safeties, it looked early in practice like Mitchell and Jevonte Pitts were running with the first team, while Pat Amara and Terrish Webb were with the two's. The always-offered caveat: these things are shifting and in motion quite a bit.
- Through the first week of spring camp, the primary punt return duties have been performed by Tyler Boyd, Avonte Maddox and Lafayette Pitts. That's a good group and probably what most people would have expected. But one thing was interesting about their work: while they were catching punts, Boyd, Maddox and Pitts held tennis balls in each hand. Catching punts is not the world's easiest task, and it has to be considerably more difficult to do so while holding a pair of tennis balls.
One effect of the tennis balls is that they cause the football to bounce a bit each time, since the players can't actually grasp the football. That probably helps a bit with corralling bobbled catches. But I have to say that's the first time I've seen punt return drills like that.
- Pitt will be back on the practice field Saturday for the first scrimmage of spring camp. Stay tuned to Panther-Lair.com for more articles, videos and photos from spring camp 2015.
