PITTSBURGH — The Pitt coaching staff talks about the improvements made across the roster all spring long, since Day 1 back in March, but only two players can actually be named as the most improved.
The Ed Conway Award is given to the two most improved players during the spring practices, and this year’s recipients have been announced as Karter Johnson and Nahki Johnson.
Karter, who arrived last summer from the JUCO level by way of TCU, wasn’t featured much as a receiver (just six catches for 94 yards), but he was an integral blocker at the end of the line.
He should be more involved in the offense this season, pairing with Gavin Bartholomew, with a full offseason under his belt.
“Karter has really dedicated himself to becoming an all-around tight end at Pitt,” Narduzzi said in the release. “He made some really great strides this spring and I expect that to continue into his final season. His progress has been so impressive, especially considering he started his college career on the defensive line.”
Nahki has waited his turn behind some All-Americans and NFL Draft picks, but it’s finally his time to step up into the defensive end rotation.
He played in a depth role last season, recorded four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack, before he stepped into an increased role against UCLA in the Sun Bowl.
“Nahki really started to flash during our Sun Bowl practices last December,” Narduzzi said in the release. “He continued that momentum this spring and is ready to be a factor on our defensive front. Playing behind veterans Deslin Alexandre and Habakkuk Baldonado the past two years gave him great examples to learn from and he is ready to put that to use this year.”
Nahki is a true breakout candidate when it comes to the impact he could make during the 2023 season.
