A group of college students out late drinking at a bar and a quarterback have one thing in common: they are looking for some place or someone who is always open.

Waffle House has been a reliable late-night dining option to grab some scrambled eggs and bacon to soak up a night of fun. For Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec, he may also be looking for some Waffle House runs this year, but maybe more so on the field of play.

The Pitt wide receiver room has adopted the moniker ‘Waffle House Gang’ for the upcoming 2023 season.

Why? Because in their words they are ‘always open’.

“Have you ever seen a waffle house closed,” Bub Means followed a question with a question. “That’s how we feel, we’re always open as a wide receiver group, so we’ve embraced the name: Waffle House, 24 hours, seven days a week, during emergencies, rain, hail, sleet, snow, we’re going to be open.”

The idea of using Waffle House as a nickname on the football field may be credited to longtime Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones, but the 2023 Pitt wide receivers are rolling with it and also embracing it fully.

Waffle House is known for the food of course, but sometimes when an establishment is open to all hours of the night, a fight or two can break out among some of the more lively patrons. Pitt wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood is still using the breakfast chain to instill a lesson there as well, believe it or not.

“I told the guys, look when it’s a run play that’s what I want to see on the field,” Underwood said of relating run blocking to a late-night brawl over a plate of hash browns.

Putting all of the breakfast puns aside, this is a big year for both Means and Konata Mumpfield. The two Georgia natives were regular starters in 2022 as first year players with the program, but they took a backseat to the running game for one, but also to Jared Wayne, a 1,000-yard receiver last season.

Wayne was always praised for his leadership and poise throughout his career and with him moving on, Underwood is seeing his two veteran receivers take on that role as well.

“I would say the biggest difference for Bub and Konata is just the maturity and the leadership,” the Pitt assistant said. "Bub had a hell of a spring and so did Konata right before he hurt his finger. The biggest difference I see from those two is the leadership role and showing the younger guys what it takes to be a good college receiver.”

The two are experiencing how to take on that job on the fly, but are more than willing to do it.

“I think we’re coming into that leadership role and everybody leads in different ways,” Mumpfield said.

In addition to taking ownership of the room, the two have put in work to improve their games. Mumpfield was a highly coveted transfer following a strong 2021 season with Akron, but he put up modest production last year. He was credited with 58 catches for 558 yards and only one touchdown. His coach thinks he has put in the necessary work to improve on those things by studying the playbook and also shaping his physique.

“He’s done a great job attacking that and also changing his body, getting stronger with core and putting on a little size,” Underwood said of Mumpfield. “I think because of the way he studied the playbook and what he’s done in the weight room that the sky is the limit for him this year.”

Jurkovec said he took note of Means right away when he first arrived in Pittsburgh. He recalled seeing him basically coaching the younger receivers during offseason workouts.

“That’s cool to see that they’ll give all these guys their hints and clues on what to do,” the Pitt quarterback said of Means being a leader for the team.

Means caught 27 passes for 401 yards and two touchdowns in his first season as a Panther. He is looking to produce more on the field, but Underwood appreciates his ability to help all the receivers in the room in an effort to make the entire unit stronger.

“As a coach you’re always trying to see who takes on that role and Bub and Konata took off with it,” he explained. “Bub is more of a vocal leader and Konata is more of ‘I’ll show you you how to do it the right way’ and they balance each other very well and I’m very grateful to be coaching those guys.”

All of this leadership talk is not for nothing.

The Pitt wide receiver room features 10 scholarship players, and six of them are freshmen, including four true freshmen. It is an inexperienced group on paper, but it is also one that has no choice but to grow up right away.

“One of those freshmen is going to play for us, maybe two,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said in his opening season press conference. "I don't know which one it's going to be, but they're going to play this season for us.”

The Panthers brought in Zion Fowler-El, Lamar Seymore, Kenny Johnson, and Israel Polk in the 2023 recruiting class. Seymore and Polk enrolled early and may have a leg up on the competition, but all four will be vetted carefully through training camp to see if they can help the team.

Underwood recognizes he will likely need at least one of these young players to help compliment his two veterans. He noted age will not dictate playing time and if they can help the team, one or more of the freshmen will be on the field.

“It’s a lot of young talent in the room and I’m super excited to see the growth of these guys,” he explained. “Honestly I’m the type of coach that just lets it play out on the field, that’s what training camp is for and whoever is the most consistent guy who is making a ton of plays then he’ll have an opportunity to play.”

The Pitt receivers, or — I guess we’re rolling with it — the Waffle House Gang has a lot to prove this season. The Panthers’ passing offense ranked 10th in the ACC a year ago and will need to be more effective in 2023 for this team to have a shot at contending for an ACC title.

If the receivers are, in fact, always going to be open, then that’s a good place to start.

As for the actual food at Waffle House itself, Jurkovec admitted he thinks it is overrated. Means switched to a pescatarian diet, so there aren’t any Waffle House trip runs on the horizon (there is one in Washington, Pa), but for Mumpfield…

“I’ll go ahead with the All Star and get the cheese eggs, actually with extra eggs, I don’t want the hash browns, bacon, and I always order an extra waffle, too.”