Ludwig: How I’d Like to See the Young Pitt Players Used

Bub Means was asked today if is able to look ahead to the future yet, with three games remaining for Pitt this season and the ability to return for a sixth collegiate season, but he hasn’t afforded himself the chance to do so.

“I don’t try to think too far in the future,” Means said Wednesday after practice. “Actually, we started taking the mindset — C’Bo, he’s actually one of our captains right now, he gave us this little — I guess he changed the team mindset to 1-0 every week. At first, we were breaking it down on ACC championship, and he was like, ‘Bro, we’re looking too far ahead, we just gotta look at every Saturday,’ and then he said, ‘Matter of fact, you don’t even need to look at Saturday, you look at today, you go 1-0 in every rep that you do today, then you get 1% better. So that’s how I look at it.”

He’s not alone. Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt coaching staff have echoed those sentiments all season long, throughout all the struggles, and that’s fair. You can’t come out and say you’re playing for next season. The Panthers need to do all they can to finish the season 5-7.

But even Narduzzi has said that the opportunity to get his true freshman into the games in a way that isn’t just throwing them into losing scenarios late in matchups.

It isn’t just the true freshmen that should get reps though, or even the redshirt freshmen. It’s the young players across the lineup who are waiting for a chance to break out behind the older veterans. So, let’s take a look at what I want to see from the young guns.

Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Kenny Johnson (2) September 23, 2023 David Hague/Pittsburgh Sports Now

Continue to Start the Young Players Already in the Lineup

This one is more of a “keep doing what you’re doing” for the Pitt staff. BJ Williams and Kenny Johnson have been starting for a handful of weeks now, and that shouldn’t change anytime soon.

Williams, through the ups and downs, cracked the starting lineup incredibly young. There are very, very few offensive linemen who have worked into the rotation, let alone started multiple games — including each of the last four. There will be ups and downs, but he needs to learn as he goes.

Johnson has shown even more flashes, looking like a player who could be a difference-maker out wide, catching nine balls for 95 yards and a touchdown — adding 43 yards on seven carries, with the jet sweep a favorite of Frank Cignetti Jr.’s. And he’s added an additional 282 yards and a touchdown on 10 kick returns.

Ryan Baer and Terrence Moore, to go along with Williams, shouldn’t leave the lineup either, even if players like Jake Kradel and Blake Zubovic are healthy. There are a lot of young offensive linemen and wide receivers who should make an impact down the stretch for the Panthers.

Braylan Lovelace, Jordan Bass and Kyle Louis should continue to rotate heavily with the linebackers, and Rasheem Biles should only get more involved down the stretch. Ryan Manalac has brought quite a few talented young linebackers to Pittsburgh over the last couple of seasons.

I’ll touch upon Ryland Gandy and the young corners a bit later, but Javon McIntyre, P.J. O’Brien Jr. and Donovan McMillon have really grown into their own over the course of the season, and all three can return next season — McIntyre and O’Brien have multiple seasons of eligibility remaining.

Samuel Okunlola Should Start 

Pitt is tied for 21st in sacks, ninth in tackles for loss, across college football this season. It’s been a solid season, but not the usual heights achieved by Charlie Partridge’s unit.

Samuel Okunlola received 38 snaps, continuing to be that No. 3 defensive end behind Dayon Hayes and Nate Temple, and over the last couple of games, he hasn’t been all that far behind Temple.

Hayes doesn’t have the numbers, but he’s actually had an impactful season off the edge. Temple and Bam Brima, for all their veteran experience, haven’t made the impact Okunlola has. And obviously there’s more to football than the splash plays, especially when it comes to run fits and fulfilling those defensive keys.

But Okunlola is the future of the defensive line. There’s a chance that none of Hayes, Temple or Brima return next season (I’d imagine Hayes and Brima return), but that leaves a young unit.

It’s time for Sammy O, who is tied for the team-lead with four sacks, to go along with 13 tackles (six solo), 4.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble and recovery, to lineup opposite Hayes consistently.

And it’s not just Okunlolal, but Jimmy Scott — who has received an uptick in snaps over the last two weeks — who should receive a heavier workload. The second-year freshmen — along with Nahki Johnson, who has played just 54 snaps this season — are the future of the line.

And when it comes to the interior, it’s time to see if Sean FitzSimmons and Elliot Donald can hold their own against ACC competition. With Devin Danielson, David Green and Tyler Bentley all moving on following the season, it creates opportunity for FitzSimmons and Donald to rise.

FitzSimmons is just a second-year freshman, who has been hampered by injuries this season, but it will be Donald’s fourth season in the program in 2024.

Continue to Increase Ryland Gandy’s Role

M.J. Devonshire, Marquis Williams and A.J. Woods have played a lot of football for Pitt this season — recording 1,262 snaps between them.

Only Ryland Gandy and Tamarion Crumpley have taken snaps at cornerback outside the starting trio, and Crumpley received the majority of those in garbage time against Notre Dame. Gandy received some against the Fighting Irish, too, but he was active again against Florida State, recording 10 more against the Seminoles.

Gandy recorded a pressure, made a tackle and wasn’t targeted by the Florida State quarterbacks. In nine games this season, he’s recorded six tackles (five solo) and served as a special teams ace — knocking a ball lose as a gunner.

“First of all, he’s done one unbelievable job on special teams,” Narduzzi said. “You saw the big hit. The things that people don’t notice is sometimes him running down on punt team, and the other thing they don’t notice is what he’s doing to their gunners on our rangers unit, our punt block team, whatever you want to call it.

“Nobody, nobody shut down their gunners all year of running down the field. No one touched them. They just kind of ran by whoever was out there covering them every snap, and if you go back and watch the videotape and you talk about effort, he’s wiring them up at the line of scrimmage. It’s like, whoa. No one blocked them all year, and he did.”

The coaching staff talked three weeks ago about how the defensive coaches maybe waited just a little bit too long to get Gandy going. He mentioned that there’s always some level of fear when it comes to inserting young players into the lineup. But, of course, coaches can’t be afraid.

Gandy, Crumpley and Noah Biglow are the future of the cornerbacks’ room, along with young guys like Shadarian Harrison and Jesse Anderson, but Gandy appears to be the next guy in the room. Narduzzi and the defensive staff can’t be afraid to give Gandy the chance to learn on the job.

Pittsburgh Panthers running back Montravius Lloyd (15) September 2, 2023 David Hague/PSN

Is There Room for Montravius Lloyd or Derrick Davis Jr.? 

I’m conflicted on this one. Rodney Hammond Jr. is the most effective running back on the Pitt roster in what has been a head-scratching season of running back usage.

Flemister, who was named a captain before the Florida State game, has served as the lead back in a few games this season. Daniel Carter received his fair share of reps early in the season. It’s just been confusing.

And if Hammond doesn’t get the carries — I’m 100% saying he should — then it’s time to see what Derrick Davis Jr. and Montravius Lloyd have to offer. The pair have received offensive snaps in just one game this season, the opener against Wofford. And that’s because Davis is learning how to be a running back at the college level, and Lloyd just got to the college level.

The Pitt coaches love Flemister and Carter, and while both are solid runners, you know what you have in the pair. There’s loyalty there. But Davis and Flemister have that untapped potential that one day will need to be explored.

We’re at the point in the season where it is about figuring out what you’ve got coming back, as was the case for the Pitt defense against UCLA in the Sun Bowl last season, and Flemister will be gone next season. Hammond is the type of runner, it appears, will need a good complement.

And while he’s not a running back, Izzy Polk is due for some snaps down the stretch, too. The talented Bay Area native hasn’t played since the first couple of weeks of the season.