The 3-2-1 Column: Fall camp takes center stage

MORE HEADLINES - PODCAST: The first week of camp | Experienced secondary confident heading into camp | Slideshow: Photos from Wednesday's practice | Wayne relishes leadership role among the receivers | Pitt's transfers fill holes, add depth and bring potential | Who are the team leaders in 2022? | Which young players can make an Impact this season?

In this week’s 3-2-1 column, we are talking all about Pitt football because it was the first week of training camp. The Panthers opened fall camp on Monday and have had three practices so far, including Media day on Monday.

The mood around the team is upbeat and positive. The expectations are high, and the normal camp storylines are dominating the news cycle around Pat Narduzzi’s squad.

Plenty to talk about today, and all month really, as we get set for Pitt’s season opener against West Virginia on September 1st.

THREE THINGS WE KNOW

Optimism is in the air
A new season began for the Pitt football program on Monday. After a memorable 11-win campaign and an ACC Championship in the 2021 season and also an….interesting offseason, all of that talk is all but over and the path is full steam ahead towards defending that ACC title in 2022.

Pitt is still Pitt, let’s keep that in mind. The Panthers lost Kenny Pickett, and the defending ACC Champions with double-digit starters returning were picked to finish fifth overall in the ACC in the preseason poll, while chosen to finish second in the final year of the ACC Coastal.

That’s life.

“We are not going to be the hunted. We are going hunting ourselves,” Pat Narduzzi said in his season opening press conference.

That’s the way it has to be. Pitt is a program that needs to prove itself on the field again and again. Yes, Pitt will likely be preseason ranked. Yes, the Panthers have some really talented players. But at the end of the day, they were never going to be picked as repeat champions, and they have to come out with that mindset that they have to go take it again.

On the other hand, the players aren’t necessarily buying that as disrespect. They believe they have something going here and that’s their main concern, regardless of what may be projected of them from the outside. Andre Powell, Pitt’s running backs coach that has been with the program since Narduzzi’s first year in 2015, had more to say on the team's mindset at media day.

“When we first got here, we’d break down ‘ACC Champs’ and when we first got here our kids really didn’t — they would say ‘ACC Champs’ but they didn't say it like they thought we could really do it,” he explained. “As this last season went on, we broke down as, ACC Champs and it sounded like they meant it. The kids are now breaking it down ‘natty’ …national championship. Our kids believe because of the tone Pat has set for the team.”

Pitt players believe they can win the national championship right now, whether they could ever accomplish that is well…a topic for another day. All teams are optimistic in August, most past Pitt teams have been optimistic in August, but the tone is different this year, that is unmistakable.

Defensive line isn’t building a reputation, it has one
“That reputation is being built because you’re going on really three years now. One hit wonder, they knew…but is it real? Now that we’ve done it three years in a row hopefully we can keep this type of attack going with these guys and maintain the dominance up front we’ve, at times, had.”

Those are words from Pitt defensive line coach Charlie Partridge. I asked Partridge about his group’s recent success the past few seasons. More specifically, I asked when Pitt tweets out graphics saying Pitt has the most sacks over a three year period or things of that nature, does it resonate with recruits?

Partridge said it does, but sometimes you have to remind them. That’s probably fair as 16 year olds don’t know every intricate statistic about college football, but it’s certainly a nice feather in the cap to pull out while on the recruiting trail for Pitt.

Partridge mentioned that the reputation is being built, and I have to disagree with him a bit there because I think the reputation is already there. College football knows about this Pitt pass rush. All it would take is to watch a few minutes of a game, reading an article about the team, or simply knowing who Aaron Donald is.

Pitt football right now is synonymous with its defensive line play. This football program has an identity when it steps onto the field: they are coming after your quarterback.

Truthfully, that's a pretty cool thing to be recognized by in today’s game. Obviously Pitt isn’t a national brand, so it can catch fans by surprise, but teams know when they step onto the field with Pitt exactly what they are getting in a game against the Panthers.

I think that national respect is coming with it. Calijah Kancey is on just about every preseason watch list that you can think of, and Habakkuk Baldonado is pretty much right there with him. Pitt might have some uncertainty at other spots heading into this year, at least from an outside perspective, but you can count on one thing and that’s a relentless pass rush from this team, that’s the identity they have earned.

The wide receiver room has moved on
After sitting down with Tiquan Underwood on Monday, he was respectful of Jordan Addison and the player he was and said all the right things about the former Pitt star player. At the same time, his message was clear: The Pitt wide receivers on the 2022 roster want to show everyone on September 1st that they can play, too.

“With him we were going to be great, without him we’re going to be great," Pitt wide receiver Bub Means said on Wednesday. “Great player that left, without him we still have got to make plays.”

I think that’s the belief in that room right now. There is no denying the talent Addison has, or what kind of impact he would have made on the team this season, but the group still in the mix feels like they can play and produce at a high level.

I think a lot of that is the old adage of having a chip on their shoulder. Each one has a story, and with that comes a certain sense of hunger. None of the Pitt wide receivers were high-profile recruits, but they make up a unit that has a chance to be special in 2022.

Take for example the leader of Pitt’s wide receiver group, Jared Wayne. He is probably one of the most respected players on the whole team for his business-like demeanor. As a Canadian citizen, he can’t make NIL deals like his teammates, so his approach is all football, which is kind of fitting in a way. Wayne’s 47 catches makes his the top returning receiver, and as Underwood said it, his 2022 season could be his coming out party.

Also look at Bub Means, the transfer wide receiver on his third stop in college. After being moved to defensive back at Tennessee, he has approached playing offense like he has something to prove. He also said that week two game against the Volunteers is one he will be taking personally.

Fellow transfer Konata Mumpfield did not have any big-time offers and wound up at Akron. When first arriving to Pitt he told reporters his high school team did not throw it much and he felt he was overlooked because of that. He was a freshman All-American in 2021, and wants to show that it can translate to the ACC.

Jaden Bradley and Jaylon Barden had a combined total of six power-five offers aside from the ones from Pitt coming out of high school. Both are also eager to display they have something to add this upcoming season.

I don’t know about this group entirely, but you have a young coach on the rise with a bunch of players that nobody else seemingly wanted when they were in high school. They will play with that proverbial chip on their shoulder in 2022 for a variety of reasons, and perhaps that could be the ticket to success.

TWO QUESTIONS WE HAVE

What newcomers will make the biggest impacts in 2022?
I think this Pitt team is pretty unique in that they did not sign a large recruiting class in 2022 with only 13 commitments, and by this point only 11 will be with the team this season. Pitt did, however, bring in a large number of transfers this offseason to compliment what is already a pretty veteran team. I think at this point it’s safe to assume we all know about Kedon Slovis and what his place potentially could be this season, but who are some of the other guys that could carve out significant roles in 2022?

I think the list starts with two wide receivers: Bub Means and Konata Mumpfield. Both players have drawn pretty strong reviews from their teammates before even playing a game. Mumpfield was around the team in the spring, and Means joined the program this summer.

“They’re going to help us a bunch,” senior receiver Jared Wayne said. “They look great, Konata and Bud. I can’t say enough good things about both of them.

I think that’s legitimate praise. Means may already be the most physically impressive receiver in the room, with a 6’2” frame and the speed to stretch the field. Mumpfield was a highly sought after player in the transfer portal and picked Pitt over a dozen or so power-five programs. I think Pitt found a pair of good ones here.

Karter Johnson was a three-star junior college transfer. His story is kind of a wild one. He was a four-star defensive tackle in high school and attended TCU. He lost a bunch of weight, ended up at a junior college, before committing to Coastal Carolina. Before he signed with Coastal, Pitt gave him a call and he now finds himself with the Panthers. Johnson has three years of eligibility. Narduzzi gave him an unprompted shoutout on Wednesday.

“I’ll tell you the other guy who has made an impact in that room is Karter Johnson,” said Narduzzi. “Karter is going to push him as well, so there’s some competition in there. Karter Johnson is a good football player and we’re excited about where he is.”

Defensively it seems like Notre Dame transfer Shayne Simon is vying for a starting job, and like Johnson got a shoutout from the head coach on Wednesday, calling him a ‘vet’ by now with his ability to pick up the defense and at multiple positions as well.

The one thing I haven't mentioned is a true freshman. Of course, I think Sam Vander Haar is the likely candidate to be the team’s punter. Ryan Baer has been getting solid reviews as an offensive linemen, as have Samuel Okunlola and Sean FitzSimmons on the defensive line. Ryland Gandy’s name has been mentioned on defense. And while we haven’t heard his name yet, Che Nwabuko brings track speed to the wide receiver room, and sometimes that is tough to keep off the field. The issue with all of these names is that they are down on the depth chart with experienced rooms ahead of them.

I’m not sure if a freshman makes a significant impact, but Slovis, Mumpfield, Means, Johnson, and Simon are all players that could really significantly impact this team in 2022. The transfer portal took away some talent from Pitt, but also brought in some playmakers as well.

What are the team’s biggest concerns?
The thing that strikes me about this 2022 Pitt football team on paper is that there are so many known commodities across the board. When you win 11 games and bring back double-digit starters, it’s part of the deal. I just wonder, what about the gaps that have seemingly been glossed over to an extent?

I think there are a lot of reasons to be excited about this Pitt football team, but also a few things that could give others some pause as well.

Of course at this stage of the season, it is training camp and we are interviewing and talking directly to the Pitt coaches and players. They undoubtedly are going to be overly positive, right? I would not expect a position coach to express concern over his own room publicly. I couldn’t picture a player throwing his teammates under the bus either. Everything is upbeat, everyone is confident, and that’s how it should be around the team.

I still see some causes for concern, or at least hesitation on this team.

I just went through that whole spiel about the transfers and newcomers, but they are unproven at this level still. Slovis had some good years at USC, but he is being asked to replace Pitt’s all-time leading passer who just had a season for the ages. Pitt was so reliant on Pickett at times last year, it’s a lot to ask of any replacement, even one with Slovis’ pedigree.

I talked about how Mumpfield and Means look the part, but this is a step up for Mumpfield and Means coming from Akron and Louisiana Tech respectively, and while I’m bullish on their potential if they didn’t live up to the billing, that really throws a wrench into the passing attack.

Gavin Bartholomew looks like a really good tight end, but the staff went out and found two transfers to back him up, and again Karter Johnson was set to go to Coastal Carolina initially, and now he’s looking at a role in the ACC. Dylan Deveney did not catch many passes at Georgia Tech, and that's not mentioning the other scholarship tight ends on the roster already who have never really played much.

But this isn’t all about transfers, either. The linebacker spot in general was always going to be a question mark heading into this year given the losses this group suffered. Sir’Vocea Dennis is a really good player, but he can’t physically play all three linebacker spots at the same time. They need Shayne Simon to be ready to play, or for Bangally Kamara, Brandon George, and others to take some serious steps forward this year.

Losing Damarri Mathis is also a blow. While Pitt has experience at cornerback, replacing one of the top corners in the ACC is always going to be a concern.

Lastly, the special teams is a huge, if not the biggest question mark on the whole team. Pitt’s potential starting punter, Sam Vander Haar, a native of Australia, has never played in an actual football game. Cal Adomitis has delivered every long snap for Pitt for five straight seasons, and now he must be replaced. Sam Scarton is back at kicker, but is not totally defined as the starter just yet. He was solid last year, but did have some missteps as well.

So again, there are tons and tons of reasons to be excited about the 2022 Pitt football team. They seemingly retooled the roster in a lot of ways on top of bringing some serious talent back, but I think there are going to question marks at some of these spots entering the year and they need to be answered on the field of play, not just in some season projections or interviews with the coaches.

ONE PREDICTION

Kedon Slovis is going to be the starting quarterback
It does not matter who you ask inside the Pitt football facility right now the answer will be the same. The most important storyline in Pitt’s 2022 training camp is centered around who will replace Kenny Pickett at quarterback, and as we know that is between Nick Patti, Pitt’s longtime No. 2 quarterback, and USC transfer Kedon Slovis.

Pat Narduzzi was naturally asked about the quarterback battle at Monday’s Media day.

“I don't want controversy,” he explained. “I want everybody to know, that's the guy. So I'm hoping something comes fast. But we'll see how it goes. It's a day-by-day process.”

He did not give a specific timeline, but rather he noted that he wants it to be clear to everyone who the starter is. Naturally, Chris Peak and I followed that up by asking everyone else their thoughts on the quarterback battle right now.

“They’re good quarterbacks and I trust both of them. It doesn’t matter who I play with; I feel like I believe in 12 or 9,” said sophomore running back Rodney Hammond.

“I like both of them,” wide receiver Jaylon Barden said.

“Both are great leaders and I know both of them will lead no matter who ends up winning the job,” lineman Marcus Minor replied.

OK, we get it.

Nobody is saying anything, from the head man down to the players. The quarterback battle right now is wide open according to those inside the program, at least publicly. Both Slovis and Patti were present at Media Day with each quarterback taking up a table on either side of the room.

I have my suspicions that the battle may be further along than what is being displayed externally. The media gets a small window for each fall practice, which is mostly consumed by stretching and basic drills.

‘Oh look, Nick Patti is first in the stretching line, but hey wait a minute Kedon Slovis is the first in line for that drill, but wait Patti threw a pass in that one video posted to Twitter…’

On and on it goes, and that is what we are reduced to at this point. I get it, I understand it, but at the end of the day someone will be named a starter here in the next 27 days.

There is no true public display right now as to who is ahead, but I sense that on September 1st Kedon Slovis will be running with the first team offense. He has the bigger upside, playing experience, and natural talent. I believe the players are sincere in saying they trust both guys and that they are each performing well in camp, but when the lights come on at Acrisure Stadium on September 1st, Slovis will be under center.