Fast start for Panthers
Coaches have answers about RB, backup QB
One of Pitt’s slogans in recent years has been “lock the gates.” Well, the team’s South
Side gates were open Friday morning.
Pitt kicked off training camp with less than a month to go until the Sept. 4 season opener against Massachusetts. Media members were present at practice for the first time in 513 days, dating to before COVID-19 shut down Pitt’s 2020 spring camp.
Friday felt different than the early days of the pandemic. Vaccinated players and coaches conducted themselves without masks, taking part in a Zoom-free media day. Pat Narduzzi estimated that the team’s vaccination rate is around 94%, a good sign for a team that doesn’t want to miss any games after being burdened by COVID complications last fall.
That being said, there was football to watch and news to report from Friday. Here’s what stood out after a longawaited morning and afternoon on the South Side.
The leading man
At the start of spring camp, Vincent Davis was declared the team’s starting tailback. That has since shifted in favor of an underclassman eyeing his breakout campaign.
Israel Abanikanda is the name to be familiar with entering camp. Unprompted, Narduzzi identified Abanikanda as Pitt’s top tailback — a demanding role, but one the redshirt freshman could bring to life.
Pitt’s running game has been notoriously below average of late. The Panthers’ rushing yards per game figures finished 118th and 111th nationally in 2019 and 2020. Davis was the team’s leading rusher last year, and despite an electric 247-yard showing in the finale at Georgia Tech, managed only 385 yards in his other 10 games.
Enter Abanikanda, who turned heads as a freshman in March 2020 before COVID-19 shut down camp.
The 5-foot-11 back from New York appeared in seven games last year, gaining 95 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Abanikanda struggled in pass protection, as most freshmen do, which kept him off the field. He also missed the trip to Miami due to injury and didn’t play in Pitt’s final three games due to COVID-19 protocols.
“But he didn’t let that set him back,” Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple said. “He did a really nice job in the offseason, did a great job in the spring. He made some explosive plays, gained some confidence and I can see that’s carried over.”
“He’s been consistent, and he’s been focused,” Narduzzi added. “I think he’s serious about his game. He wants to be the guy.”
Backup secured
Things can change obviously. But one of the bigger questions entering camp was who would be next in line should something happen to Kenny Pickett ... and Narduzzi had an answer on day one.
Right now, Nick Patti is Pitt’s second-string quarterback, the coach said. Former four-star prospects Joey Yellen and Davis Beville are competing for the No. 3 role.
This isn’t a huge surprise. Yellen started twice in Pickett’s absence last season, but he didn’t take full advantage of the opportunity, throwing for 277 yards at Miami before tossing three interceptions against College Football Playoff-bound Notre Dame. Beville didn’t look comfortable when he was thrown into the fire, either.
Patti played in only two games last year, calming things down to a degree in the Notre Dame game and running in a couple of goalline touchdowns at Florida State. He did, however, perform well in the spring game (7-of-10 passing for 133 yards) after barely competing for the backup job last fall.
Patti missed a lot of practice time in the fall due to COVID-19 protocols, Whipple said. By the time Patti was ready to return, he couldn’t get into a rhythm.
“The other guys were there, so he never got any practice time,” Whipple added. “But we sat down and looked at every play he’s had since he’s been here. Did that for all three guys. And he took care of the ball better. He stepped up in the spring game. He stepped up in a couple scrimmages and made plays. He made some plays with his feet. He won the job, and we’ll get back at it in camp.”
Whipple added that while Patti will take the secondteam reps to kick off camp, Beville and Yellen, both redshirt sophomores, will be in the mix.
Quick hits
• Tight end Daniel Moraga is no longer with the team due to personal reasons, Narduzzi confirmed. Moraga reportedly entered the transfer portal Thursday night. Moraga transferred to Pitt ahead of the 2020 season from Ventura College (JUCO). He had four catches and one touchdown in a limited role and was not expected to see many targets this fall with the return of Lucas Krull and emergence of younger options.
• Judging by Friday, the following players should get a look at Pitt’s open punt returner job: Hawaii transfer Melquise Stovall, star wideout Jordan Addison, speedster Jaylon Barden, Aliquippa’s MJ Devonshire and summer enrollee Rodney Hammond. The Panthers are tasked with replacing D.J. Turner, who averaged 8.33 yards per punt return last year, 18th nationally. • Another interesting practice nugget: Rashad Battle was working at safety, while Devonshire drilled at cornerback. Battle played corner in his debut season last fall, while Devonshire worked at safety in the spring. That’ll be worth keeping tabs on throughout camp as assistant coaches Archie Collins and Cory Sanders try to find the best combination to replace Damar Hamlin, Jason Pinnock and Paris Ford.
• Might be something, might be nothing, but redshirt sophomore Daniel Carter changed his number from No. 4 to No. 40. Carter, a former four-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting class, began his career at running back. But he looks more like a fullback at 5 feet 10, 235 pounds — and that number is more fitting for a fullback. Stovall and Nahki Johnson are wearing No. 4 on offense and defense, respectively.
• A familiar face was at practice in Jaylen Twyman. A sixth-round selection in April’s draft, Twyman was recently waived by the Minnesota Vikings in what was described as a “procedural” move. Twyman was shot four times in June in his hometown of Washington D.C., but is expected to make a full recovery. He looked to be in good spirits on the South Side, jogging around and stretching with old teammates.