Jaylen Twyman lit up immediately. Gleam in his eye, teeth showing, big smile from cheek to cheek on the baby face of a 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle.
Because as it turns out, that nice round number for Twyman’s weight on the Pitt football roster isn’t quite right. Not these days, with Twyman less round than ever, working hard to change his body entering his redshirt freshman season for the Panthers.
“Man, I used to stay in McDonald’s and Wendy’s and all that type of stuff, eating late at night. I just had to cut all that stuff out,” Twyman said with a sigh Friday after practice.
Twyman, a Washington, D.C., native, now claims his cutoff point is right around 9 p.m. A 315-pounder when he arrived on campus this time a year ago, he recently weighed in at 285, a number he hasn’t seen on a scale in a long time.
“Oh my goodness ... ,” Twyman beamed. “10th grade year of high school.”
In the recruiting process, Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi told Twyman — an ESPN.com four-star prospect — that he reminded him of Aaron Donald, with the caveat that he would have to slim down a bit. Thanks to the watchful eyes of Pitt’s strength and conditioning staff, as well as team dietitian Katherine Hopkins — “Ms. Katherine” to Twyman — that previously pudgy lineman is cutting fat and adding muscle.
Pat Narduzzi gives a Pitt football media day shoutout to nutritionist Katherine Hopkins, “probably one of the best in the country ... she’s done an unbelievable job.”
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) August 9, 2018
It’s still far too early to go any further with comparisons to Donald beyond body type, but Twyman is ready to have his say in Pitt’s front four. Competition there includes no fewer than six viable tackles and nearly as many ends, so a path to playing time is no sure thing. Twyman is trying his best to pick the brains of Narduzzi, defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and defensive coordinator Randy Bates.
“I might even go over to the offensive side to see coach [Dave] Borbely and ask him questions about how I can get better,” Twyman said.
Partridge said last week that coming into training camp, Twyman nearly had doubled his bench-press numbers, losing weight but not strength. That’s also helping him get off the ball quicker, produce more power and stay on the field longer, according to player and position coach.
While Twyman might be on the fringe as a second-year player on a defense that’s full of veterans, Narduzzi and Bates continue to talk up the unit’s depth from top to bottom. In fact, Bates insisted last week on media day that he and the defensive coaches aren’t even discussing much about who will start at this point in camp.
“We’re talking about 22 guys playing,” Bates said, “and I would love to see that happen. … I know we have guys with experience and all that, but what you did last year doesn’t make a bit of difference to me.”
As someone who was often mentioned by Partridge a year ago as a first-year freshman but never ended up playing, maybe Twyman’s time to make an impact will come this season. If you’re going to ditch the fast food and get on a diligent diet of post-workout protein shakes, it might as well be worth it in the end.
“I let my actions be the answer,” Twyman said, “but I feel like I can be a dominant force and help win a lot of games.”
Quick hits
• Another of Partridge’s freshmen on the defensive line is Habakkuk Baldonado, a 6-5, 230-pound pass-rusher born in Rome who’s getting a crash course in American football after one high school season. “Sometimes he’s like a vagabond, kind of wandering around trying to figure it out, but he is not afraid,” Partridge said. “Sometimes you see kids that the moment overwhelms them, the size of the players they’re going against overwhelms them, and I don’t feel that with Haba at all. … I’m excited about what he can become. It’s gonna take a little time, but I love the way he approaches the game. He’s really smart. For a young player who’s only been playing football for a week at this level, from Italy, it’s pretty impressive, actually.”
• Redshirt freshman tailback Todd Sibley — a four-star recruit who called his first season “humbling” — hopes to be a factor this season in the backfield, but recognizes that seniors Darrin Hall and Qadree Ollison are the top dogs at his position. “It’s always important to be patient. As a running back, I have to be patient,” he grinned. “Qadree and Darrin, me and [sophomore] A.J. Davis are very aware of the fact those are two very good running backs. They’re gonna run the show, but at any point in time, it’s my job to be ready to step in and do whatever I can to help my team win.”
• Pitt held a team-wide scrimmage Saturday on the South Side and will practice Sunday, but Monday is an off day for the players. Camp resumes Tuesday.
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: August 12, 2018, 1:46 p.m.