Here are five takeaways after Week 3 of Pitt’s football fall training camp:
Pitt’s 2023 roster appears to have several position battles through the third week of training camp; not just for starting roles, but also for who might be the primary backups at several positions.
That’s been bolstered by a strong redshirt freshman group and a promising true freshman class which has caught the attention of coaches and players in and out of practice.
For the redshirt freshmen, no player might be more recognized than 6-foot-7, 330-pound offensive lineman Ryan Baer of Eastlake, Ohio, who has been tagged as one of Pitt’s “eagles,” the player-voted group of team leaders to represent each class on the team. Baer projects to battle for a starting position at either guard or tackle position on the offensive line.
But he’s far from the only redshirt freshman to impress in training camp. Samuel Okunlola, a 6-4, 245-pound defensive end from Brockton, Mass., has impressed both players and coaches with his combination of speed and power off the edge.
“He’s just so different,” Baer said of Okunlola. “He’s in love with football because that’s all he does. He watches film on any tackle he goes up against to find any little advantage. Because he’s so skinny, he can move and bring speed along with power. His feet are so fast that he’ll surprise you with how strong he is, so he’s going to be a really good football player.”
Okunlola is joined by Sean FitzSimmons on the defensive line, another redshirt freshman who’s made major progress in camp. FitzSimmons, a 6-3, 290-pound defensive tackle from Monaca looks to become part of Pitt’s regular rotation of defensive linemen along with Okunlola.
“They’re night and day,” defensive line coach Charlie Partridge said of Okunlola and FitzSimmons. “Like most defensive ends, Sam loves to pass rush, but he’s learned to appreciate stopping the run, as well. ‘Fitz’ has gotten so much better with his awareness of knowing how protections slide and taking advantage of that.”
Ryland Gandy, a 6-foot, 180-pound redshirt freshman cornerback from Buford, Ga., earned praise from Pat Narduzzi before Thursday’s camp practice as the Panthers’ fourth cornerback on the roster. That’s high praise as Pitt boasts three established redshirt senior cornerbacks as starters in M.J. Devonshire, Marquis Williams and A.J. Woods at the top of the depth chart.
But in addition to the other redshirt freshmen who’ve stood out are the true freshmen who’ve impressed in their first summer camp experience. The group that’s turned the most heads of this class has been four of the Panthers’ seven freshman wide receivers.
Zion Fowler-El, Kenny Johnson, Israel Polk and Lamar Seymore have turned into playmakers in practice who aren’t easily guarded. Each day, Narduzzi praises a different receiver for making what seems to be another spectacular catch or impressive play. All four players could be legitimate contenders with redshirt sophomore transfer Daejon Reynolds for snaps as Pitt’s third receiver, behind established starters in Bub Means and Konata Mumpfield.
“Absolutely,” receivers coach Tiquan Underwood said when asked if the future was bright for Pitt’s receivers. “What I like about them is that they’re all different. They can all bring something different to the table, and I feel like that’ll give them a chance to get on the field with different attributes. Their natural abilities and talent will speak for itself.”
Players turned coaches
One intangible asset to the Panthers might be their self-policed leadership among their older players. The Panthers have a combined group of 28 seniors and redshirt seniors on their roster, and many of them help as extra coaches in practice to work with teammates when coaches are occupied elsewhere.
A prime example came on Wednesday’s practice, when Partridge worked a drill on maintaining outside leverage against jet sweeps. Dayon Hayes, a senior who projects to be a star this season, appeared to do well on a drill but was told by Partridge that he missed a single step, and needed to work on it.
Hayes countered Partridge’s critique respectfully by saying he thought he did his job by staying outside of his man. But Partridge heard none of his counterarguments and moved on to the next player in the drill.
While Hayes processed the moment, redshirt senior Nate Temple looked at him and reminded Hayes of the proper response to any of Partridge’s coaching critiques.
“It’s, ‘Yes, coach,’” Temple reminded Hayes.
Hayes immediately understood Temple’s point to not question Partridge, got back in line, and worked on the drill again to correct his mistake. Moments like that are common for the 2023 Panthers, and something Partridge sees as an asset.
“It’s critical,” Partridge said. “There’s an old phrase out there that says, ‘Good teams, coaches lead; but great teams, players lead.’ Right now we have a good group of leaders across the board. There’s even younger leaders who step up, and that’s critical to our success. At the end of the day, we’ll send 11 guys out there on any given play, and all that training is on them. That’s where we’ll need their leadership.”
Focus for second scrimmage
Narduzzi noted Pitt’s offense won last Saturday’s scrimmage thanks to the big -lay ability of quarterbacks Phil Jurkovec and Christian Veilleux in the Panthers’ deep passing game. While that’s generated plenty of buzz about the explosiveness of the offense, it’s going to be a top challenge for the Panthers’ defense to strike back in the Panthers’ second scrimmage this Saturday.
Pitt’s secondary is known for its playmaking ability with five interceptions returned for touchdowns last season. But it’s also been known to give up big plays in a system that puts the Panthers’ defensive backs on islands without much support behind them. It’s a double-edged sword, but one the Panthers’ cornerbacks are excited to play in when they take the field.
“The drills we do, we try to incorporate lots of ball skills,” Woods said after Friday’s practice. “We get our hands used to getting interceptions and being able to return it. We want to play at full speed on everything. I have full confidence in our guys on the back end. I’m fairly confident we’ll have a great year and create more turnovers based off how we’ve practiced this offseason.”
Pitt’s defensive backs, who call their group “The Hounds,” will look to make more of those plays.
Derrick Davis Jr. emerging?
Rodney Hammond Jr. is the established starter at running back for Pitt, but don’t just assume who his top backup might be just yet. C’Bo Flemister was the leading candidate heading into training camp, but transfer Derrick Davis Jr. has displayed his top-tier athleticism that got him recruited to LSU, and now is picking up on the many details Pitt requires from its running backs.
Flemister’s advantage in that position battle was going to be his veteran savvy, but it appears Davis is a fast learner and has quickly closed the gap as a pass protector. Narduzzi emphasizes the importance of his running backs to pass protect every year, and it’s usually what keeps newcomers from getting more playing time.
But if Davis has truly made himself an asset in pass protection, look for him and Flemister to be a good battle to finish camp.
Tight end turnaround
Just a few years ago, Pitt’s tight end group was the least impressive part of the roster. But thanks to the progression of junior Gavin Bartholomew, the development of Karter Johnson and the addition of Malcolm Epps, it might be one of the best collections of talent on the team.
Bartholomew was known as a highlight maker last season, but has received praise from both Narduzzi and offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. as a more consistent player. His role in the offense will most likely be increased from his limited production of 283 receiving yards last season.
But behind Bartholomew are two very different players. Johnson, a former defensive lineman, is a physical presence who’s learned how to snag one-handed catches in practice. Epps, a transfer from USC, boasts maybe the widest catch radius on the team with his 6-6, 250-pound frame.
Christopher Carter: ccarter@post-gazette.com and on Twitter @CarterCritiques
First Published: August 19, 2023, 5:07 p.m.
Updated: August 20, 2023, 2:55 a.m.