Pitt opened the final week of spring camp in the South Side Tuesday morning with practice No. 13. The Panthers were in full pads for the morning session; they’ll go light on Thursday and then put on all the pads for the Blue-Gold Game on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.
- Kickoff is slated for 1 pm on Saturday and admission is free; that much we know. We know a little less about the format for the event, although we’ll get an answer on that in an hour or two when Pat Narduzzi addresses the media.
Given that we haven’t gotten an invite to the spring game draft, which typically happens on the Wednesday before the spring game, I’m guessing that the format will change this year to either an offense-vs-defense or some kind of team-vs-team with the rosters selected by the coaches rather than the hodgepodge or somethingness we’ve gotten in the past with the draft format.
We’ll see what Narduzzi says. Perhaps this year will lead to a more compelling product as opposed to previous years where the patchwork offensive line often led to an ineffective offense.
Let’s be honest: nobody goes to a spring game to see a shutdown defense.
- Of course, if Pitt is going to light up the scoreboard in the spring game, let alone the season, the Panthers are going to need to get something out of the passing game, and if I’ve developed any conclusions or concerns about Pitt’s passing game this spring, they’re centered less around the quarterback and more around the receivers.
- Don’t get me wrong: Pitt needs high-level quarterback play. We all learned that lesson over the last two seasons, when the impact of that position was laid out in stark contrast.
But Phil Jurkovec has had a good spring, from what we’ve heard. By all accounts, he’s got a strong command of the offense and is throwing the ball as well as he has in years. I’ve mentioned a few times that he’s been practicing well enough that the coaches have limited his snaps in the team’s scrimmages; they like what they’ve seen in the day-to-day, so in the scrimmages, they have focused more on Christian Veilleux, Nate Yarnell and Ty Dieffenbach.
I’m not going to say the quarterback situation is settled; Jurkovec is the No. 1, but the situation won’t truly be settled until the season actually starts. And I think we’ll all be holding our collective breath until that happens and Jurkovec proves the coaching staff’s confidence.
- While we wait for that, though, I think we can carry a fair amount of consternation over the receivers. It’s just tough to find positive adjectives for that group.
Experience? No, not really beyond two guys.
Depth? No, there’s not really much after the top line.
Talent? Some, I guess.
And when one or two guys are banged up or limited (which is common in spring camp), the direness of the situation is really on display, because it doesn’t take long before you’re working guys with no career catches - or, in some cases, no scholarships - among your top group of wideouts.
That’s not ideal.
I don’t mean to say that Myles Alston or Jake McConnachie or Addison Copeland or Che Nwabuko or in the incoming freshmen can’t play; they might be very good players. Alston, in particular, has apparently had a pretty good spring.
But if you’re in a situation where you’re relying on those guys, you’re rolling the dice a bit. And chances are, Pitt will find itself in a situation at some point this season where the offense is relying on those guys.
- Not to mention, we’re talking about the guys who are playing behind Konata Mumpfield and Bub Means and Daejon Reynolds, and all three of those guys have quite a bit to prove this season.
So the question marks are considerable at receiver. I have to think there’s a watchful eye on the transfer portal at that particular position.
- On to more pleasant topics. Like takeaways.
There were a few new “TAKEAWAY” stickers present on Tuesday morning. Donovan McMillon added his second one and Phillip O’Brien got another one, bringing his total to four. The most interesting one to me, though, was probably Braylan Lovelace, as the freshman linebacker from Leechburg showed up with a taped helmet for the first time this spring.
We’ve talked about Lovelace a good deal over the last few weeks, particularly as he has impressed the coaches and worked his way up the (admittedly thin) depth chart at linebacker.
On last look, Lovelace was working at second-team Star linebacker, and while I think there’s a chance Kyle Louis might end up as the No. 2 Star by September, Lovelace’s play has given him a chance to be in the mix for playing time on defense and, I would think, a really good shot at being a fixture on special teams.
- If you’re keeping score at home, O’Brien is now the second player on the defense to record four takeaways this spring, joining cornerback Noah Biglow. McMillon is the eighth defensive player to record multiple turnovers in spring camp.
- There were a few interesting prospects at Tuesday’s morning practice.
2023 Avon (Oh.) RB Jakorion Caffey, who has an offer from Pitt
2024 Gahanna (Oh.) Lincoln DE Elijah King, who has a handful of Power Five offers
2024 Pickerington Central (Oh.) two-sport star Braylin Wells, who is 6’8” and plays football (tight end, defensive end, wide receiver) and basketball (power forward)
2024 Ironton (Oh.) OL Noah Patterson, who has MAC offers but is touring a lot of Power Five schools this spring
2023 Hampton WR Benny Haselrig, who will join Pitt as a walk-on this summer
2023 Central York WR Thaddeus Shaw, who has a preferred walk-on opportunity at Pitt
- Kickoff is slated for 1 pm on Saturday and admission is free; that much we know. We know a little less about the format for the event, although we’ll get an answer on that in an hour or two when Pat Narduzzi addresses the media.
Given that we haven’t gotten an invite to the spring game draft, which typically happens on the Wednesday before the spring game, I’m guessing that the format will change this year to either an offense-vs-defense or some kind of team-vs-team with the rosters selected by the coaches rather than the hodgepodge or somethingness we’ve gotten in the past with the draft format.
We’ll see what Narduzzi says. Perhaps this year will lead to a more compelling product as opposed to previous years where the patchwork offensive line often led to an ineffective offense.
Let’s be honest: nobody goes to a spring game to see a shutdown defense.
- Of course, if Pitt is going to light up the scoreboard in the spring game, let alone the season, the Panthers are going to need to get something out of the passing game, and if I’ve developed any conclusions or concerns about Pitt’s passing game this spring, they’re centered less around the quarterback and more around the receivers.
- Don’t get me wrong: Pitt needs high-level quarterback play. We all learned that lesson over the last two seasons, when the impact of that position was laid out in stark contrast.
But Phil Jurkovec has had a good spring, from what we’ve heard. By all accounts, he’s got a strong command of the offense and is throwing the ball as well as he has in years. I’ve mentioned a few times that he’s been practicing well enough that the coaches have limited his snaps in the team’s scrimmages; they like what they’ve seen in the day-to-day, so in the scrimmages, they have focused more on Christian Veilleux, Nate Yarnell and Ty Dieffenbach.
I’m not going to say the quarterback situation is settled; Jurkovec is the No. 1, but the situation won’t truly be settled until the season actually starts. And I think we’ll all be holding our collective breath until that happens and Jurkovec proves the coaching staff’s confidence.
- While we wait for that, though, I think we can carry a fair amount of consternation over the receivers. It’s just tough to find positive adjectives for that group.
Experience? No, not really beyond two guys.
Depth? No, there’s not really much after the top line.
Talent? Some, I guess.
And when one or two guys are banged up or limited (which is common in spring camp), the direness of the situation is really on display, because it doesn’t take long before you’re working guys with no career catches - or, in some cases, no scholarships - among your top group of wideouts.
That’s not ideal.
I don’t mean to say that Myles Alston or Jake McConnachie or Addison Copeland or Che Nwabuko or in the incoming freshmen can’t play; they might be very good players. Alston, in particular, has apparently had a pretty good spring.
But if you’re in a situation where you’re relying on those guys, you’re rolling the dice a bit. And chances are, Pitt will find itself in a situation at some point this season where the offense is relying on those guys.
- Not to mention, we’re talking about the guys who are playing behind Konata Mumpfield and Bub Means and Daejon Reynolds, and all three of those guys have quite a bit to prove this season.
So the question marks are considerable at receiver. I have to think there’s a watchful eye on the transfer portal at that particular position.
- On to more pleasant topics. Like takeaways.
There were a few new “TAKEAWAY” stickers present on Tuesday morning. Donovan McMillon added his second one and Phillip O’Brien got another one, bringing his total to four. The most interesting one to me, though, was probably Braylan Lovelace, as the freshman linebacker from Leechburg showed up with a taped helmet for the first time this spring.
We’ve talked about Lovelace a good deal over the last few weeks, particularly as he has impressed the coaches and worked his way up the (admittedly thin) depth chart at linebacker.
On last look, Lovelace was working at second-team Star linebacker, and while I think there’s a chance Kyle Louis might end up as the No. 2 Star by September, Lovelace’s play has given him a chance to be in the mix for playing time on defense and, I would think, a really good shot at being a fixture on special teams.
- If you’re keeping score at home, O’Brien is now the second player on the defense to record four takeaways this spring, joining cornerback Noah Biglow. McMillon is the eighth defensive player to record multiple turnovers in spring camp.
- There were a few interesting prospects at Tuesday’s morning practice.
2023 Avon (Oh.) RB Jakorion Caffey, who has an offer from Pitt
2024 Gahanna (Oh.) Lincoln DE Elijah King, who has a handful of Power Five offers
2024 Pickerington Central (Oh.) two-sport star Braylin Wells, who is 6’8” and plays football (tight end, defensive end, wide receiver) and basketball (power forward)
2024 Ironton (Oh.) OL Noah Patterson, who has MAC offers but is touring a lot of Power Five schools this spring
2023 Hampton WR Benny Haselrig, who will join Pitt as a walk-on this summer
2023 Central York WR Thaddeus Shaw, who has a preferred walk-on opportunity at Pitt
