MORE FROM PITT TRAINING CAMP 2019: News and notes on the first practice of camp | Slideshow: Photos from the first practice | Video: Get an inside look at Pitt's first camp practice | Video: Narduzzi on the team and the season | Ask the players: Who is poised to break out this season? | Ask the players: Who are the team's leaders?

Ordinarily a redshirt sophomore defensive tackle with one start to his name and less than 20 tackles in his career would not be considered a leader. Jaylen Twyman, however, has seemingly dispelled those notions and has risen to one of the more respected guys on the Pitt football team heading into the 2019 season.

“Well you’re certainly leaning on guys with experience,” Pitt defensive line coach Charlie Partridge said. “I really lean on (Rashad) Weaver and I lean on Jaylen Twyman. He’s one of the elected leaders - just kind of the way he handles himself in this building everyday, the way he trains.”

The jersey number 97 worn by Pitt great Aaron Donald is not retired….yet. Donald happens to be Twyman’s favorite player, and so in the offseason he switched his jersey number from 55 to 97, in homage to the current Los Angeles Ram.

Donald is not an ordinary NFL superstar. Rather than spending his summers in LA, he chooses to train in Pittsburgh during the offseason. He is a fixture around the Pitt football facility, and is regularly seen in the weight room or on the practice fields during Pitt team functions.

Twyman said he likes to take advantage of having the best defensive linemen in the world readily available to pick his brain.

"It’s crazy and I just try to take advantage of it everyday,” Twyman said of having Donald around the facility. “I’m definitely fortunate and the other D-Tackles and D-Linemen period - to see somebody at the caliber that performs at that high of level everyday.”

Added Twyman, "Everyday I see him I ask a different question whether it’s something small or something big like the moves that he does on the field. So I watch a lot of film, and he’s my favorite player so I just try to imitate the stuff that he does.”

Pitt could use another Aaron Donald. Well, which team couldn’t? The Panthers haven’t seen that level of production from an interior linemen since he graduated back in 2013, and frankly the production overall from those spots has been less than ideal.

Pat Narduzzi and Charlie Partridge have recruited plenty of talented defensive linemen in recent years, and now it’s time for this group to remove the potential curtain, and become a contributing force to this defense.

Pitt boasts senior Amir Watts, junior Keyshon Camp, and of course Twyman. Those are the big three right now and Partridge is excited about what this unit could become in 2019.

“Inside I really feel good about the top three with Keyshon Camp, Jaylen Twyman and Amir Watts,” Partridge said. “All three of those guys in my mind are starters right now.”

But back to Twyman. He has risen to a leader on the defense and Partridge credits his work ethic, something Aaron Donald is also known for as a player.

“It’s all come through his work ethic,” Partridge explained. “He is, not in a negative way, he’s obsessed with the game and I mean that in a positive way. He beats up the film as much as anybody. You’ll see the way he trains, the way he diets - it’s impressive.

He watches every single calorie that goes into his body - when it is, what it is. And all of those types of things in the film and that’s what led him to earn that much respect and become one of the two elected leaders in that group.”

Twyman has embraced his role as a leader.

“I always feel like I’m a leader,” the sophomore defensive tackle said. “I prepare like a leader, so whether it’s teaching the younger dudes that’s under me plays or just being open-minded and things like that, so yea I do feel like I’m a leader and I just try to show as far as more of my actions than words. So I just try to lead by actions.”

Actions will be key in 2019 for this defensive line. There is a lot of promise there, and it will ultimately come down to production. Twyman finished with 16 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss as a reserve a year ago. Keyshon Camp added 2.5 tackles for loss in an injury-shortened season, while Watts contributed three stops behind the line of scrimmage.

All of those numbers will need to improve if Pitt is going to take strides on defense for this upcoming season.

“We’re definitely confident,” Twyman said of the defensive line. “I feel like we’re so confident because there’s not a drop-off no matter whose in the game, so I think that’s the biggest thing is that we all play off of each other.”