Maryland transfer aids receiver corps
Turner leaves Big Ten program, should be immediate help for Pitt
Pat Narduzzi isn’t a fan of college football’s transfer portal. In March, he called it the “ugly toilet portal.”
But a couple weeks ago, Narduzzi acknowledged that Pitt would be open to taking a transfer from a school that isn’t playing this fall due to COVID- 19. “If we have a scholarship left and it’s the right player at the right position, there’s no question about it,” he said. “We’ve always got our ears open.”
That approach landed quarterback Kenny Pickett another player to target this fall.
Former Maryland wide receiver DJ Turner, a graduate transfer with one year of immediate eligibility, has joined Pitt — and he’s expected to make an impact as the 2020 season approaches.
“Week 1 from what I saw today,” Narduzzi said, when asked how soon the former Terrapin might play. “I think he’ll help us right now.”
Turner, a preseason All- Big Ten pick by Athlon Sports, had 24 catches, 294 receiving yards and one touchdown in 30 games with Maryland. He arrived on campus last week, enrolled Monday and was introduced to his teammates for the first time at an 8: 15 a. m. team meeting Tuesday. After a brief meet- and- greet, Turner hit the practice field and caught a few passes from Pickett and company.
According to Narduzzi, Turner looked sharp in individual receiver drills. It helps that he basically had all of them committed to memory. Before joining Pitt in January 2019, wide receivers coach Chris Beatty taught the same position at Maryland for three years.
Beatty, though, wasn’t alone in securing Turner’s commitment, Narduzzi said, at least partially because of Beatty’s respect for and relationship with Maryland head coach Mike Locksley. Narduzzi also explained that a former player of his — Marc Hayes, a defensive tackle at Rhode Island, where Narduzzi coached from 1993- 99 — called and reached out about Turner. Hayes, like Turner, went to DeMatha Catholic, a powerhouse program in Maryland.
Now, Turner will push for time. It won’t be easy, though, with Pitt’s season opener Sept. 12 against Austin Peay inching closer.
Narduzzi said he’s not sure where the 5- foot- 9 speedster fits in positionally. Right now, Taysir Mack, Shocky Jacques- Louis and Jared Wayne are competing for starting roles on the outside, while freshman Jordan Addison secured the first- team gig in the slot two weeks ago.
Turner showed he was electric in spurts at Maryland.
As a receiver, the volume wasn’t there. But of his 24 career catches, five of them went for 20 yards or more, including a 54- yard touchdown against Minnesota in 2018. That big- play potential should help a Pitt offense that managed 45 passing plays of 20 yards or more in 2019, which ranked 54th in Football Bowl Subdivision and seventh in the ACC.
Pickett tried to find Turner downfield in Tuesday’s practice but underthrew him, Narduzzi said. “The first thing Kenny said was, ‘ I’ve got to throw to him more. I’ve got to get a feel of where he’s going to be,’ ” the coach added. “If Kenny would’ve chucked it up there, it would’ve been a touchdown.”
Turner isn’t Pitt’s only new scholarship player. Walk- on seniors John Petrishen and Jake Zilinskas were granted scholarships Tuesday morning. Petrishen, a Central Catholic graduate and former Penn State safety, transferred to Pitt last August. Although he was on scholarship at Penn State, Petrishen joined the Panthers as a walk- on, played in seven games last season mostly on special teams and made two tackles.
Petrishen is now Pitt’s backup “Star” outside linebacker behind Cam Bright. “He gives us more athleticism at the outside linebacker position with all the spread offenses you see,” Narduzzi said. “It’s really going to help us.”
Zilinskas played linebacker briefly at Pitt. The former standout at Indiana High School walked on as a quarterback in 2017 and bounced around positions. This camp, he has settled at tight end. Florida transfer Lucas Krull will start at tight end, and juniorcollege transfer Daniel Moraga and redshirt freshman Kyi Wright are battling for time behind him. But Zilinskas will have a role in 2020.
“Some people might say, ‘ Oh, you gave it to him because he’s a senior.’ No, that man earned every dime, every penny of it,” Narduzzi said. “He had an unbelievable catch for a touchdown in the scrimmage, and I told him that it wasn’t because of that one catch. It’s more about all the little things he’s doing.”
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NOTES — The Sept. 12 season opener at Heinz Field against Austin Peay will kick off at 4 p. m. and will air on ACC Network. The ACC opener Sept. 19 against Syracuse will kickoff at noon and be televised on ACC Network.