Seven players in heated battle for five spots on offensive front
An expected yet noteworthy nucleus of blockers has emerged.
Before Pitt took to the indoor field on Wednesday morning, avoiding the rain on the South Side, Pat Narduzzi talked about his offensive line. Ahead of the Panthers’ 11th practice of training camp — 17 days until the Sept. 4 opener — he identified seven players that have separated themselves.
Three offensive tackles (Carter Warren, Gabe Houy and Matt Goncalves) are competing for two starting spots. And four interior linemen (Marcus Minor, Jake Kradel, Owen Drexel and Blake Zubovic) are hoping to nail down one of three roles.
None of that is particularly
surprising. Minor and Kradel were the projected starters at left and right guard, respectively, after spring camp. Drexel ought to be considered the successor to Jimmy Morrissey, while Zubovic offers flexibility at center and guard. Warren, Houy and Goncalves were always going to compete at tackle.
But it is especially interesting that the tackles are still grouped together with the season fast approaching.
“I think I’m having a great camp. I’m competing every day, and I’m looking to take that starting role,” Goncalves said after Wednesday’s practice.
“We’re all battling. I feel like I’ve done enough. But I’ve still got to give credit to the seniors. They’re doing a lot. We’re all doing a lot on the field. So we’ll see what happens.”
Those seniors, Warren and Houy, have 36 combined starts. Last year, Houy started eight times at right tackle, while Warren started eight on the left. Both missed the Virginia Tech and Clemson games due to COVID-19 protocols, paving the way for Goncalves to run with the first team. Warren ended up coming off the bench in Pitt’s regular season finale while Goncalves, an FWAA freshman All- American, started.
Goncalves said he has been working at left and right tackle. Warren has done the same. “But I think Kenny likes [Warren] on his left side,” Narduzzi noted.
However that tackle situation shakes out — there’s a decent chance the battle bleeds into the non-conference schedule — the situation on the interior seems a bit clearer.
It doesn’t appear that Minor, the Maryland transfer, or Kradel, the 15-game starter, have been truly challenged at guard. And based on the comments of his coaches and peers, it would be stunning (as always, barring injury) if Drexel wasn’t the No. 1 center.
“He’s really been Jim’s apprentice for the last three years. And you know, I loved having Jimmy Morrissey in there. But Owen knows it like Jim knew it. And I feel pretty good about that,” offensive line coach Dave Borbely said two weeks ago. “It’s like having a veteran in there. … I’m anticipating a really good year out of him.”
Minutes later, Borbely continued to heap praise when asked about the redshirt senior.
“This is a guy who for three years hasn’t complained. He hasn’t hung his head. He’s the same guy every day. So that part, frankly, is a little unique. Because it’s easy to get down when you’re behind a guy you know is going to be the starter,” Borbely added, acknowledging Morrissey started 47 games over four seasons. “He’s kind of taken over for Jim. Jim is the guy everyone followed to watch film. And now he’s the guy who leads them there. That’s just who he is.”
“He picked up all of Jimmy’s little secrets to have a great season this year,” Warren said. “I trust him completely.”
News and notes
• Ohio State transfer Ryan Jacoby has officially joined Pitt. The former four-star offensive lineman was at practice. However, the redshirt sophomore will need an approved waiver from the NCAA to earn immediate eligibility because he entered the transfer portal after the July 1 deadline.
The process with Jacoby was swift after the Buckeyes backup entered the portal last week. In that time, Narduzzi spoke to Ohio State senior-level staffer Tim Hinton, who was Cincinnati’s running backs coach when Narduzzi served as the defensive coordinator from 2004-06.
“We’re excited about it,” Narduzzi said. “Anytime you go in the portal, you better know what you’re getting. And we got a kid from Mentor, Ohio, who’s a 6-foot5, 310-pound lineman. He looks athletic. I think he can play tackle or guard.”
• When asked how the kicking competition is going, Narduzzi made a roller coaster motion with his right hand. That alone says a lot as Ben Sauls and Sam Scarton battle to replace Alex Kessman, the program’s all-time leader in field goals.
Sauls will handle kickoffs and is on scholarship. Scarton, a Hermitage native, was a walk-on. But they’re both performing on par with each other, for better or worse.
“Scrimmage day they were both outstanding. Really both of them, it was like, ‘ OK. It’s neck and neck,’” Narduzzi said. “But it seems like when they’re neck and neck, every day they’re both good or really good, then they’re neck and neck not very good. … Field goals and stuff, you know, it’s a work in progress right now.”
• Damarri Mathis is Pitt’s No. 1 cornerback at the moment, Narduzzi said. That should be expected, but it’s a good sign nonetheless that the 2019 standout is making that kind of impression on the staff after his season-ending injury last August.
• Questioned about Pitt’s presumed big three edge rushers — John Morgan, Habakkuk Baldonado and Deslin Alexandre — Narduzzi cautioned that there might be four.
“Throw Dayon Hayes in that mix, as well,” he said of the sophomore from Westinghouse. “With Dayon Hayes, you’d almost say there’s four starters. We’ll find out game week who’s starting. But all four of those guys are guys who we think can make a lot of plays for us.”