Pitt notebook: Tight end depth gives offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. options
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During his 32-year coaching career, Pitt’s Frank Cignetti Jr. has been a quarterback whisperer to such noted slingers as Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning.
But it’s a testament to his versatility as an offensive coordinator that he also has gained a reputation as a coach who still believes in an old-school run game — when appropriate — and getting the ball to the tight end.
Pat Narduzzi has let it be known he demands improvement in Pitt’s run game that was 11th in the ACC last season (2,089 yards or an average of 149.2 per game). Narduzzi also hopes to see the continued resurgence of the tight end as a vital cog in the passing game.
Pitt tight end Kyi Wright, a junior from Farrell, has spent many hours away from the practice field looking at video of how Cignetti used Hunter Long at Boston College.
Long, the first tight end drafted last year after Kyle Pitts and Pat Freiermuth, was a third-round choice of the Miami Dolphins. In three seasons under Cignetti at Boston College, Long caught 89 passes for 1,297 yards and nine touchdowns.
Wright also noticed something else about Cignetti’s offensive schemes at Boston College. He was not averse to putting two or three tight ends on the field at the same time.
“You see on tape he likes to use tight ends,” Wright said.
And Pitt has plenty of them, a total of seven.
Wright has been with the program longer than any other tight end, but he is joined in the junior class by transfers Karter Johnson and Dylan Devaney.
Wright has seen how the position suddenly has evolved at Pitt. Two years ago, he was the team’s second-leading pass catcher among tight ends. He had three catches, one fewer than the leader of the position, Daniel Moraga.
That changed last season.
Lucas Krull caught 38 passes for 451 yards and six touchdowns. Then-freshman Gavin Bartholomew added 28/326/4. In fact, Bartholomew is the second-leading returning pass catcher, behind only wide receiver Jared Wayne.
“I think this is the most depth we’ve had at tight end,” Wright said. “That’s good for all of us. We push each other to be the best we can be.”
Wright is pleased to be back among the active players after missing most of last season with October shoulder surgery. He finally felt 100% recovered about halfway through the players’ summer workouts.
Building confidence
Special teams coach Andre Powell doesn’t want to see his kickers break distance records in practice. He has found a unique way to build confidence that could lead to long field goals in games.
“When (former Pitt kicker Alex Kessman) was here, (Powell) used to have Kess kick these far kicks (in practice) — 55, 56 (yards),” kicker Sam Scarton said.
But the thinking has changed.
“You keep them inside a certain range, and that helps them build confidence as a kicker,” Scarton said. “We’re sticking inside 49. That was the farthest I hit so far.”
He said he may extend his attempts to 52 or 53 yards in scrimmages.
Scarton said he doesn’t try to coax Narduzzi into allowing him to try long field goals in games.
“I let him make all those decisions,” said Scarton, whose longest in a game last year was 47 yards. “He trusts me. It’s my job to make the kick. I stay out of it.”
Born to run
Sophomore offensive tackle Branson Taylor isn’t expected to be a regular starter on the line. But if the plan is to emphasize the ground game, that’s OK with him.
“I feel like that’s the nature of the game,” he said. “Get down and dirty for the run game.”
Taylor is learning to play left and right tackle, which will be helpful when injuries occur.
“That’s great for the next level, too,” he said.
Taylor was listed at 6-foot-5, 335 pounds last season when he appeared in all but two games, but he’s down to 320 and said he feels quicker.