Freshman may get offense up to speed
Abanikanda has burst onto Pitt’s scene very quickly
Pat Narduzzi was asked Wednesday morning about graduate transfer Lucas Krull, who left Florida and enrolled at Pitt in January. The coach said Krull “might be the best” transfer tight end he and his staff have picked up in their tenure.
But Narduzzi didn’t stop there in handing out praise. He took the question about Krull as an opportunity to talk up a few more mid-year enrollees.
Freshman wide receivers Jordan Addison and Aydin Henningham were “spectacular” and “smart,” respectively, through a couple of practices. Solomon DeShields, who could play either receiver or linebacker in the coming seasons, is “special.” And running back Israel Abanikanda apparently has “a different gear to him.”
Talk about foreshadowing. Two days after Narduzzi’s praise, Abanikanda showed off the speed that should put him in the conversation to be Pitt’s starting running back come the fall.
Abanikanda served up the most eye-popping play Friday, a 70-yard touchdown run through the heart of Pitt’s reserve defense in a live, full-contact period. Abanikanda side-stepped a blitzer in the backfield, cut right past another would-be tackler and burst upfield. This kid from Brooklyn who goes by “Izzy” turned his focus to the end zone.
“I didn’t want to get caught from the back,” Abanikanda said, smiling. “Just run. Just run.”
At Pitt’s South Side indoor facility, Abanikanda didn’t have the benefit of a Heinz Field video board to use as a rearview mirror. If he did, he would have noticed cornerback AJ Woods, one of the fastest players in the program, on his tail. But the freshman didn’t get tripped up. Instead, he kept pulling away.
Abanikanda told the Post-Gazette in December that he was “born fast,” and he proved it Friday. With his early impression in spring camp, he’s also backing up the “inner belief” he held as a verbal commit — the idea that he could make an immediate impact as a true freshman.
Pitt entered spring ball with a few positions in question. But right tackle won’t be answered with Gabe Houy out. Linebacker is starting to be sorted out with Phil Campbell moving to “Money,” leaving Cam Bright to start at “Star,” the other outside spot. Headway can be made at all positions, whether it’s first-team or backups. But slot receiver and running back are two spots many have kept a keen eye on.
At least at receiver, Pitt has one guy — Maurice Ffrench — to replace. It’s a clear task. Running back, meanwhile, was a jumbled mess in 2019 as Pitt ranked 100th in rushing attempts per game last season while averaging 3.5 yards per carry.
Only five Football Bowl Subdivision programs ran the ball less frequently and averaged fewer yards per tote. Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple suggested injuries played the primary factor. Wednesday, he pointed out that AJ Davis, Vincent Davis and Todd Sibley — who combined for 70.8% of Pitt’s rushing yards in 2019 — all missed time throughout the season.
But Narduzzi attributed the toothless rushing attack to something else.
“George Aston wasn’t there, Darrin Hall wasn’t there, and Qadree Ollison wasn’t there,” Narduzzi said, referencing an influential blocker and a pair of 1,000-yard backs who ran out of eligibility after 2018.
“I hired Mark Whipple because I knew he could throw the ball. We were going to have to throw the ball well last year to have any success at all. Just because of what we lost. And I knew our playmakers, if we had any, were going to be at receiver. I knew they weren’t in the backfield. They would have to grow, and they’ve grown.
“And I think we’ll see a different running game with a different backfield this year.”
Maybe Abanikanda will be the one to provide that difference.
The former three-star prospect, per Rivals, ran track at Abraham Lincoln High School in New York and said he clocked a 4.45-second, 40-yard dash, laser timed. Pitt’s run game could use that kind of pop.
As a true freshman, Vincent Davis showed off his speed on a few occasions, most notably a 61yard wildcat touchdown at Georgia Tech. Still, the Panthers ranked last in the ACC in rushing plays of 20 yards or more with nine. Pitt was one of eight teams at the FBS level to fail to reach double-digits in 2019. And V’Lique Carter, who accounted for two of those nine rushes, is in the transfer portal.
So, yes, Abanikanda has a good chance to provide some needed life. But can he do everything else that’s required of a Power Five conference back? There’s much to learn from Whipple, his fellow backs and his position coach, Andre Powell. Abanikanda confirmed with a smile and nod that Powell, a no-frills veteran with three decades of coaching experience, already has yelled at him in film sessions.
Abanikanda noted that it’s all “out of love.” But freshman mistakes like not finishing runs or getting lazy about holding the ball high and tight have been called out. And they’ll continue to be.
Friday morning, “Izzy” offered a glimpse of what’s possible in front of athletic director Heather Lyke, letterman Aaron Mathews, 2021 commitment Nahki Johnson and, most importantly, his teammates, who hooted and hollered as they chased after him on his long run. It was a positive moment, something the freshman could hang his hat on.
But it’s the rest of the spring (and summer and fall) that will determine if Abanikanda can build on that flash.
“We knew he was fast. We knew he was talented,” Narduzzi said
“So we’ll find out.”