Panthers observations: Pitt opens training camp with 120 players
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Pat Narduzzi welcomed a full complement of 120 players Wednesday morning to the first day of Pitt’s summer training camp (at least the first day of practices). Players actually reported Tuesday before they began trampling the Beano Cook Fields adjacent to the South Side facility the Panthers share with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
During the five-period, 30-some minute viewing window, it looked like just another of the many practices that will be conducted between now and late December (assuming a bowl bid) or early January (if you want to be really optimistic).
Coaches were barking out instructions, players appeared eager to please and Narduzzi probably logged more than the American Heart Association-recommended 10,000 steps, moving from one group to another.
• One observation: Players are wearing an extra layer of padding on their helmets as a precaution against head injuries. The Steelers have done it, and it’s good to see Pitt doing the same. Players were in what coaches call “shells,” shoulder pads and shorts. Full pads and live hitting won’t occur for a few more days.
• It’s the start of a long season that will help identify the sustainability of Narduzzi’s program. If Pitt can win nine and 11 games in two consecutive seasons, why not shoot for those benchmarks now and make it three in a row? Pitt won’t be satisfied with another 9-4 season, but it beats the 6-7/7-6 variety of the previous decade.
QB drills on the first day of Pitt camp. pic.twitter.com/AgLpN4KRKR
— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) August 2, 2023
• As usual, all eyes will be on the quarterbacks, and Pitt has six of them, including walk-ons Jake Frantl and David Lynch. This camp is a significant one for first-team quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who has one season of eligibility remaining. He transferred from Notre Dame to Boston College to Pitt after graduating from Pine-Richland in 2018. There probably will be a sense of urgency to his demeanor and work ethic as he embraces his last collegiate opportunity.
Trivia question: Who was the top-rated Pennsylvania recruit in 2018 when Jurkovec was No. 2?
Answer: Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.
Narduzzi ensured the quarterback room will be fully stocked. Christian Veilleux transferred from Penn State, Nate Yarnell enters his redshirt sophomore season and 6-foot-6 Ty Dieffenbach is a freshman whose stature, surprisingly, doesn’t make him stand out. Yarnell is also 6-6 and Jurkovec checks in at only 1 inch shorter.
• Former Aliquippa quarterback Eli Kosanovich, a walk-on during the previous three seasons, is now a student assistant.
• There was one flyover during practice, and it wasn’t the Blue Angels. A Narduzzi-authorized drone flew over the fields, recording practice.
That’s not an Eagle flying over Pitt’s practice fields this morning. It’s a Narduzzi-authorized drone keeping tabs on the fellas. pic.twitter.com/wcDMdHso8l
— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) August 2, 2023
Pitt has used drones as a coaching aide in previous seasons. The joke was that the drone had a WVU logo slapped on its side, but no one associated with Pitt laughed.