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Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi is liking the progress of his linebacker unit.
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Starters remain unclear as Pitt's depth at linebacker shows up in a hurry

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

Starters remain unclear as Pitt's depth at linebacker shows up in a hurry

Pitt senior linebacker Matt Galambos was struck by a string of motivational words shared earlier in fall camp by offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

They were kind of existential, but they spoke to him: “Be where your feet are.”

Galambos is a central figure for one of the team’s more intriguing groups on defense, the linebackers. He believes the Panthers’ depth at linebacker can help seize an opportunity this season, especially if players focus and prepare to be present in the moment.

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“I really like that,” Galambos said. “Sometimes, you’re out there in practice and you’re thinking about after practice, or a meeting, or whatever. You start daydreaming. But, if you’re just there in that moment? I think it’s huge.”

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The Panthers started two-a-days Monday and will have two more full weeks of fall camp before game week arrives at the end of the month.

The first scrimmage was Saturday, an 137-play game won by the offense in a two-minute drill.

Coach Pat Narduzzi offered up a quick assessment of the progress made by his linebackers.

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“I think we’ve got good depth there,” Narduzzi said. “I think that when you look at it overall, the starting group, Galambos, and Mike Caprara, [Quintin] Wirginis is doing a good job. [Saleem] Brightwell continues to just make plays. He doesn’t always get lined up the way we want him do. But he’s a football player. And, at the star position, [Oluwaseun] Idowu does a nice job. Elijah Zeise had a nice scrimmage. Bam Bradley, I mentioned, has been floating around doing a little bit of both, and he’s much improved. So, we’ve got a lot of depth at that position.”

In reality, that translates to a simple fact: There has yet to be major separation at the three linebacker positions with respect to starters and backups.

Linebackers coach Rob Hartley said the scrimmage did shed some light on the depth of his group.

“I think some guys showed some things,” Harley said. “We got some levels to it, but shoot it’s Week 1. We’re going to move some guys around, see what they can do. The second scrimmage is going to determine a lot. … Some movement, but again, same old story. Who’s going to go seize it?”

There is no clear indication how much the depth chart has deviated from the one distributed in the team’s preseason media guide.

Galambos is listed as the starter at the “Mike” or middle linebacker position, with Caprara at the “Money” or outside linebacker, and sophomores Idowu and Zeise fighting it out on the other side at the “Star” position to fill the hole left by third-team all-ACC linebacker Nicholas Grigsby.

Harley said he expects a few basic principles to steer his group.

“It’s being active and disruptive,” Harley said. “Not just being out there and wearing your jersey. It’s one thing to be out there and doing your job. That doesn’t win ACC championships. That keeps you in the game. We’ve got to be producers. We’ve got to be game-changers.

“It would stress me out a lot more if we didn’t have anybody. I love the fact that three, four guys are fighting for the job. That’s a credit to these guys for getting ready. That makes me happy.”

Caprara said he is eager to see how things shake out.

As one of three seniors, along with Galambos and Bradley, he detects a notable difference in the second year under Narduzzi.

“This is one of the first camps I’ve been to that we have the same defense,” Caprara said. “It’s not like we’re trying to learn our defense brand new. You’re learning more detailed things now, talking about different things in meetings. … The defense is a lot simpler. The rules, the playbook itself, there’s no gray areas. It’s sound, which helps us out a lot.”

Jenn Menendez: jmenendez@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JennMenendez.

First Published: August 16, 2016, 5:08 a.m.

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Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi is liking the progress of his linebacker unit.  (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)
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