Another practice for the Pitt football team Thursday morning as the Panthers move closer to the end of spring camp 2018. Thursday was practice No. 11 for the team, which will hold a scrimmage on Saturday and then two practices next week before the spring game on April 14 at Heinz Field.
- One player fans will certainly be watching next Saturday will be Paris Ford. The former four-star recruit was the top overall prospect Pat Narduzzi has signed since coming to Pitt, but academics led to a delayed enrollment, which ultimately put him on the sidelines for a redshirt in his freshman year.
Ford wasn’t on the field in 2017, but he wasn’t exactly “out of mind,” as his name came up throughout the season for his work on the scout team, where he apparently made life difficult for the first-team offense on a regular basis.
All of that talk increased the anticipation for Ford heading into spring camp 2018, and the situation got even more interesting when the coaches moved him from safety to cornerback. It was a curious move; at safety, he was expected to be a terror in center field who could make plays from one sideline to the other. But the coaches apparently think he can help them more at cornerback, so that’s where he has been practicing.
We’ll see if Ford can get on the field at corner, but he will certainly be on the field in other roles - like special teams. On Thursday, the coaches ran some full kick-return drills, and Ford was the No. 1 returner. He’s a playmaker, plain and simple, and they’re going to find ways to get the ball in his hands. I don’t know if that will ultimately include some snaps on offense, but he’ll get his chances on special teams.
- Going back to the defense for a second, we’re still hearing lots of positives about Ford’s play on that side of the ball. Anyone I’ve talked to who has been able to watch practice has said the same thing: he’s been a really tough matchup for Pitt’s receivers and quarterbacks. That’s not a reflection on the offensive players; it’s about Ford’s level of play. He’s got great instincts and uses his athleticism and quickness to make plays.
And it sounds like he’s making a lot of plays.
- Going back to the kick return for a second, the coaches had the returners - Ford and Maurice Ffrench - wearing a special helmet that was fitted with a GoPro camera. That gives the coaches a unique perspective on what the returners are seeing, from the way they look the ball in to the way the blocking sets up in front of them.
- One thing I’ve noticed this week is that the team seems to be getting healthier. As Pat Narduzzi has said, they’ve held or limited a number of players in each practice, just to be smart and make sure a minor injury doesn’t turn into a major one. But this week, the number of guys getting side work with the strength staff seems to be dwindling, which is a positive. I’m guessing a few players will be held out of the spring game, but most of the guys fans will be looking forward to see should be out there.
- I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m really interested in seeing Ricky Town next Saturday. He’s in an important position as Kenny Pickett’s backup, and in the limited reps I’ve seen during the open media viewing window, he seems like he throws a good ball. But I want to see him in live action - or at least as close to live action as the spring game is going to get - and I have a feeling that fans watching will be impressed. Maybe not impressed enough to generate an “It’s Town Time!” movement if Pickett struggles, but impressed enough to feel confident about Pitt’s backup situation.
- We talked about the offensive line in Tuesday’s write-up. Today I kept an eye on some of the early drills, which included the quarterbacks working with the centers. That meant Pickett with Jimmy Morrissey, Town with Owen Drexel and Tyler Zelinski with Devon Davis (and Jake Zilinskas with an air center).
What’s notable to me from that group is that Connor Dintino seems to have fully moved to guard. He’s been practicing at left guard on the first team, but I assumed he would still be an emergency backup. With the coaches not having him take snaps during that period, though, it seems like the move is complete, which would put Drexel, a redshirt freshman, as the No. 2 center.
- One player fans will certainly be watching next Saturday will be Paris Ford. The former four-star recruit was the top overall prospect Pat Narduzzi has signed since coming to Pitt, but academics led to a delayed enrollment, which ultimately put him on the sidelines for a redshirt in his freshman year.
Ford wasn’t on the field in 2017, but he wasn’t exactly “out of mind,” as his name came up throughout the season for his work on the scout team, where he apparently made life difficult for the first-team offense on a regular basis.
All of that talk increased the anticipation for Ford heading into spring camp 2018, and the situation got even more interesting when the coaches moved him from safety to cornerback. It was a curious move; at safety, he was expected to be a terror in center field who could make plays from one sideline to the other. But the coaches apparently think he can help them more at cornerback, so that’s where he has been practicing.
We’ll see if Ford can get on the field at corner, but he will certainly be on the field in other roles - like special teams. On Thursday, the coaches ran some full kick-return drills, and Ford was the No. 1 returner. He’s a playmaker, plain and simple, and they’re going to find ways to get the ball in his hands. I don’t know if that will ultimately include some snaps on offense, but he’ll get his chances on special teams.
- Going back to the defense for a second, we’re still hearing lots of positives about Ford’s play on that side of the ball. Anyone I’ve talked to who has been able to watch practice has said the same thing: he’s been a really tough matchup for Pitt’s receivers and quarterbacks. That’s not a reflection on the offensive players; it’s about Ford’s level of play. He’s got great instincts and uses his athleticism and quickness to make plays.
And it sounds like he’s making a lot of plays.
- Going back to the kick return for a second, the coaches had the returners - Ford and Maurice Ffrench - wearing a special helmet that was fitted with a GoPro camera. That gives the coaches a unique perspective on what the returners are seeing, from the way they look the ball in to the way the blocking sets up in front of them.
- One thing I’ve noticed this week is that the team seems to be getting healthier. As Pat Narduzzi has said, they’ve held or limited a number of players in each practice, just to be smart and make sure a minor injury doesn’t turn into a major one. But this week, the number of guys getting side work with the strength staff seems to be dwindling, which is a positive. I’m guessing a few players will be held out of the spring game, but most of the guys fans will be looking forward to see should be out there.
- I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m really interested in seeing Ricky Town next Saturday. He’s in an important position as Kenny Pickett’s backup, and in the limited reps I’ve seen during the open media viewing window, he seems like he throws a good ball. But I want to see him in live action - or at least as close to live action as the spring game is going to get - and I have a feeling that fans watching will be impressed. Maybe not impressed enough to generate an “It’s Town Time!” movement if Pickett struggles, but impressed enough to feel confident about Pitt’s backup situation.
- We talked about the offensive line in Tuesday’s write-up. Today I kept an eye on some of the early drills, which included the quarterbacks working with the centers. That meant Pickett with Jimmy Morrissey, Town with Owen Drexel and Tyler Zelinski with Devon Davis (and Jake Zilinskas with an air center).
What’s notable to me from that group is that Connor Dintino seems to have fully moved to guard. He’s been practicing at left guard on the first team, but I assumed he would still be an emergency backup. With the coaches not having him take snaps during that period, though, it seems like the move is complete, which would put Drexel, a redshirt freshman, as the No. 2 center.
