Some news and notes from Thursday's practice:
- One theme that has been emerging from the first two weeks of spring camp is that Pitt's offense has been coming along pretty well. That was one of the storylines coming out of the scrimmage on Saturday - that the offense won the scrimmage and made more plays - and that was a storyline again on Thursday.
"I think our offense really is doing a good job," head coach Pat Narduzzi said Thursday. "I think they're starting to click. I think Coach Chaney's done a nice job and they've got enough offense in that they can be explosive."
Redshirt junior safety Reggie Mitchell mentioned that the defense didn't have a great practice on Thursday, saying that the offense made more than a few big plays. That's probably to be expected, to some extent, given the weapons, which we've discussed. Tyler Boyd and James Conner are formidable. The offensive line is very legit. And the quarterback, by all accounts, is playing well.
I've heard a few positive reviews of Chad Voytik so far, and Narduzzi said on Thursday that he likes what he has seen.
"He's a guy that studies the game, he's got a strong arm and he can make a lot of throws out there, and he's going to put the offense in the right play."
One thing the offense won't have, at least for awhile, is redshirt freshman tight end Brian O'Neill, who missed Thursday's practice with a hand injury that could keep him out for an extended period of time, although Narduzzi said that he thinks O'Neill could return before the end of spring camp.
"We're just going to play it smart with him," Narduzzi said. "He just hurt his hand a little bit there. It's minor, but we'll be smart with him. It's not a time to get anybody hurt worse. Just got to be smart."
- So that's all well and good for the offense, but obviously, if one side of the ball is doing well, the other is struggling, and that seems to be the case with Pitt's defense right now.
"Any time they have new plays in on offense, the defense has the hardest job in the country, because you've got to react to it," Narduzzi said. "You've got to react to it formationally, correct reads and all of that, so any time there are new plays, we're going to struggle. That doesn't bother me.
"But it's technique and fundamentals and the little things that I should see improvement. Some guys aren't showing those improvements, so they're going to slip down the depth chart and we're going to give other guys opportunities."
That's what has started to happen, and there could be more of it coming. Narduzzi more or less promised it, actually.
"There's got to be some pressure on the kids to start to make improvements. That's what we're going to see, and there are going to be changes in the depth chart here and there…we're to that point right now. It's getting serious."
So where are the changes coming? It's tough to say for sure when the media only watches the individual periods of practice - you really get a sense of the depth chart in 11-on-11 team drills - but there are a few that seem to have emerged.
For starters, Jevonte Pitts and Reggie Mitchell are taking almost all of the first-team reps at safety. I mentioned this before, but initially it seemed like a rotation with Pat Amara and Terrish Webb. Now it seems like Pitts and Mitchell are solidly on the top unit.
Pitts is the interesting one in that group, since he got virtually no playing time under the previous staff but seems to be having some success so far.
"Jevonte's done a good job," Narduzzi said. "He's been solid and he's sound. We'll see what happens after today, but he's sound. If you know how to do your job and you do the little things right, you have a chance to play. He's a good tackler and he's in the right spot most of the time, so that's something we're looking for."
There might be some changes coming at linebacker. I've heard a few positive reviews of Mike Caprara, and it looks like the coaches are having him learn the middle linebacker position - where has been running on the second team - but also the outside linebacker positions, too. That could be to pressure Bam Bradley and/or Nicholas Grigsby, but it will also give some opportunities to James Folston and Quintin Wirginis, who have been the backups in the middle.
At cornerback, Lafayette Pitts and Avonte Maddox are on the first team, but Phillipie Motley and Malik Henderson could get some opportunities.
- I don't think too many depth chart moves will be made on the offense. Mike Grimm looks like he is getting some work at backup left guard - he started the spring at right guard - but the rest of the top five linemen (Adam Bisnowaty, Dorian Johnson, Alex Officer, Alex Bookser and Jaryd Jones-Smith) seem to be set, at least for now, as well as the quarterback (Voytik), the running back (Conner) and the top two receivers (Boyd and Dontez Ford).
That's just a solid group, and the combination of experience and talent on the offense probably goes a long way in explaining why that side of the ball has had more success so far in spring camp.
So that's a positive for Pitt. But the team needs the defense to step up a little bit. If the defense can get just a little bit better, the team could be very good. Fortunately for Pitt, the season doesn't start for five and a half months.
- One of the biggest "news" items Thursday was off the field, as four-star Central Catholic defensive back Damar Hamlin visited for practice. That marked Hamlin's second visit this week, his third visit of the spring and, by my count, his seventh visit with this coaching staff since it arrived three months ago.
I mentioned Tuesday that Hamlin just might be Pitt's No. 1 overall target in the class of 2016, and you can tell the coaches love having him around every time he has visited. Hamlin's interest in Pitt is clear; now it's just a matter of beating some of the other schools going after him, namely Penn State and Ohio State.
Pitt has been emphasizing the "hometown" angle with local recruits, and in my opinion, that's a smart play. Penn State and Ohio State can sell a lot to these kids, but they can't sell what Pitt can sell, which is this:
"Come to Pitt and play in front of your hometown."
And now the Pitt staff can sell the recruits with some examples. Jordan Whitehead saw what Tyler Boyd did in front of his hometown. And if Whitehead lives up to expectations, Hamlin will see him doing it in front of his hometown.
It's like the quote from Brandon Ford after he committed to Pitt:
"I know Rashad Wheeler from Central Catholic and Joshua Lugg from North Allegheny and I've spoken to Damar Hamlin a little bit, so I don't want to say too much, but I think I will reach out to those guys and see where they're at and hope they realize the great things that are happening at Pitt and the great things that happen when you stay home and play for your home school. It's evident with Tyler Boyd, James Conner; these hometown heroes that are really making a difference."
Ford saw it and saw the value in selling it to other recruits. Pitt has seen it, too, and that has to be a main selling point with kids like Hamlin and the really good 2017 class in western Pennsylvania.
- 2015 Pitt recruit his junior highlights.
This post was edited on 3/26 6:51 PM by Chris Peak
- One theme that has been emerging from the first two weeks of spring camp is that Pitt's offense has been coming along pretty well. That was one of the storylines coming out of the scrimmage on Saturday - that the offense won the scrimmage and made more plays - and that was a storyline again on Thursday.
"I think our offense really is doing a good job," head coach Pat Narduzzi said Thursday. "I think they're starting to click. I think Coach Chaney's done a nice job and they've got enough offense in that they can be explosive."
Redshirt junior safety Reggie Mitchell mentioned that the defense didn't have a great practice on Thursday, saying that the offense made more than a few big plays. That's probably to be expected, to some extent, given the weapons, which we've discussed. Tyler Boyd and James Conner are formidable. The offensive line is very legit. And the quarterback, by all accounts, is playing well.
I've heard a few positive reviews of Chad Voytik so far, and Narduzzi said on Thursday that he likes what he has seen.
"He's a guy that studies the game, he's got a strong arm and he can make a lot of throws out there, and he's going to put the offense in the right play."
One thing the offense won't have, at least for awhile, is redshirt freshman tight end Brian O'Neill, who missed Thursday's practice with a hand injury that could keep him out for an extended period of time, although Narduzzi said that he thinks O'Neill could return before the end of spring camp.
"We're just going to play it smart with him," Narduzzi said. "He just hurt his hand a little bit there. It's minor, but we'll be smart with him. It's not a time to get anybody hurt worse. Just got to be smart."
- So that's all well and good for the offense, but obviously, if one side of the ball is doing well, the other is struggling, and that seems to be the case with Pitt's defense right now.
"Any time they have new plays in on offense, the defense has the hardest job in the country, because you've got to react to it," Narduzzi said. "You've got to react to it formationally, correct reads and all of that, so any time there are new plays, we're going to struggle. That doesn't bother me.
"But it's technique and fundamentals and the little things that I should see improvement. Some guys aren't showing those improvements, so they're going to slip down the depth chart and we're going to give other guys opportunities."
That's what has started to happen, and there could be more of it coming. Narduzzi more or less promised it, actually.
"There's got to be some pressure on the kids to start to make improvements. That's what we're going to see, and there are going to be changes in the depth chart here and there…we're to that point right now. It's getting serious."
So where are the changes coming? It's tough to say for sure when the media only watches the individual periods of practice - you really get a sense of the depth chart in 11-on-11 team drills - but there are a few that seem to have emerged.
For starters, Jevonte Pitts and Reggie Mitchell are taking almost all of the first-team reps at safety. I mentioned this before, but initially it seemed like a rotation with Pat Amara and Terrish Webb. Now it seems like Pitts and Mitchell are solidly on the top unit.
Pitts is the interesting one in that group, since he got virtually no playing time under the previous staff but seems to be having some success so far.
"Jevonte's done a good job," Narduzzi said. "He's been solid and he's sound. We'll see what happens after today, but he's sound. If you know how to do your job and you do the little things right, you have a chance to play. He's a good tackler and he's in the right spot most of the time, so that's something we're looking for."
There might be some changes coming at linebacker. I've heard a few positive reviews of Mike Caprara, and it looks like the coaches are having him learn the middle linebacker position - where has been running on the second team - but also the outside linebacker positions, too. That could be to pressure Bam Bradley and/or Nicholas Grigsby, but it will also give some opportunities to James Folston and Quintin Wirginis, who have been the backups in the middle.
At cornerback, Lafayette Pitts and Avonte Maddox are on the first team, but Phillipie Motley and Malik Henderson could get some opportunities.
- I don't think too many depth chart moves will be made on the offense. Mike Grimm looks like he is getting some work at backup left guard - he started the spring at right guard - but the rest of the top five linemen (Adam Bisnowaty, Dorian Johnson, Alex Officer, Alex Bookser and Jaryd Jones-Smith) seem to be set, at least for now, as well as the quarterback (Voytik), the running back (Conner) and the top two receivers (Boyd and Dontez Ford).
That's just a solid group, and the combination of experience and talent on the offense probably goes a long way in explaining why that side of the ball has had more success so far in spring camp.
So that's a positive for Pitt. But the team needs the defense to step up a little bit. If the defense can get just a little bit better, the team could be very good. Fortunately for Pitt, the season doesn't start for five and a half months.
- One of the biggest "news" items Thursday was off the field, as four-star Central Catholic defensive back Damar Hamlin visited for practice. That marked Hamlin's second visit this week, his third visit of the spring and, by my count, his seventh visit with this coaching staff since it arrived three months ago.
I mentioned Tuesday that Hamlin just might be Pitt's No. 1 overall target in the class of 2016, and you can tell the coaches love having him around every time he has visited. Hamlin's interest in Pitt is clear; now it's just a matter of beating some of the other schools going after him, namely Penn State and Ohio State.
Pitt has been emphasizing the "hometown" angle with local recruits, and in my opinion, that's a smart play. Penn State and Ohio State can sell a lot to these kids, but they can't sell what Pitt can sell, which is this:
"Come to Pitt and play in front of your hometown."
And now the Pitt staff can sell the recruits with some examples. Jordan Whitehead saw what Tyler Boyd did in front of his hometown. And if Whitehead lives up to expectations, Hamlin will see him doing it in front of his hometown.
It's like the quote from Brandon Ford after he committed to Pitt:
"I know Rashad Wheeler from Central Catholic and Joshua Lugg from North Allegheny and I've spoken to Damar Hamlin a little bit, so I don't want to say too much, but I think I will reach out to those guys and see where they're at and hope they realize the great things that are happening at Pitt and the great things that happen when you stay home and play for your home school. It's evident with Tyler Boyd, James Conner; these hometown heroes that are really making a difference."
Ford saw it and saw the value in selling it to other recruits. Pitt has seen it, too, and that has to be a main selling point with kids like Hamlin and the really good 2017 class in western Pennsylvania.
- 2015 Pitt recruit his junior highlights.
This post was edited on 3/26 6:51 PM by Chris Peak
