Pat’s Points: The First Week of Pitt Spring Ball Recapped

Pitt is three practices into its 15 spring sessions, with a week off now for spring break, and Pat Narduzzi is happy with the progress made through a single week — no matter how brief.

“I shouldn’t say pretty, it was extremely intense,” Narduzzi said Friday. “I haven’t seen our kids compete and just fight — had a couple of fights out there today. We have one the next one or they’ll be running gassers. But it was intense and it was back and forth. The first period of the day was just kind of three plays with the 1s, 2s and 3s, and the offense took control of that one pretty easily.

“And then the last period of the day, we had a two minute and the defense took control of that one. And everything in between was pretty much back and forth and great competition.”

The spring is a time of growth — especially this season. It’s important for new offensive coordinator Kade Bell to install his offense, and for the entirely new offensive coaching staff to begin working with their respective position groups, and by all accounts, it’s going well. It’s early, just a week into it, but it’s going well.

So, without further ado, let’s just dive into a few points that Narduzzi discussed from the first week of spring ball. And remember, the next practice isn’t until March 19.

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Nate Yarnell (19) November 16, 2023 David Hague/PSN

Offensive Install

The No. 1 goal this spring is to install the offense. It’s an up-tempo, no-huddle spread offense that is drastically different than anything the Panthers have done over the last two seasons.

There has been a lot of talk about the scheme this offseason, of course, and the early returns have been solid. It’s certainly an adjustment, but the Pitt coaches are approaching the install from a fresh perspective — and the new assistants were brought in to assist in a smooth transition.

“Any time your offense is tempo, and again, we’ll go fast, they’ll slow it down like a game, but we’re just going,” Narduzzi said. “I don’t know if we’ll ever have a delay of game ever again. I won’t be looking at my watch or the play clock, like, ‘We have to get this play off.’ It’s just a matter of how much time will be on the clock before we snap it. But we’re working like game tempo; we’re moving. It’s the first day out there, new offense and new plays and new calls, signaling from the sidelines and everybody getting the signal, so it was a good first day for operations.”

It’s a very fast offense, unlike anything over the last couple of seasons, of course, but it’s not set in stone. It can speed up, and it can slow down. It depends upon the situation. But unlike Cignetti, Bell has said that he’s not afraid to put his foot on an opponent’s throat. It’s a complete 180 from the prior offense.

It’s a Pitt offense that, in theory, should wear down opposing defenses with its speed and movement. And that helps the Pitt defense immensely.

“I just think it’s great for our defense because they’re getting the tempo, they’re getting a lot of reps in and we’re seeing stuff that we see on a weekly basis,” Narduzzi said. “I think that’s great for the defense. Other defenses will be ready for our offense because it’s stuff that they see every day, too, so that’s the negative to it. It’s like, ‘Who’s going to be better at what they do?’ I’ll put my money on our offensive staff and our kids.”

The install is still fresh. It’s been a work in progress since Bell arrived in December, but with the ability to practice as a team (and put the pads on now), it’s in the works. There’s a certain level of optimism abound.

Raphael Williams.

New Transfer Additions 

Pitt added 12 players from the transfer portal this offseason, which includes six offensive players, five defensive players and a special teamer. There’s an expectation that just about every one of those arrivals is going to have an impact this season.

Of course, a couple of those new arrivals stand out above the rest.

“They’ve done a nice job,” Narduzzi said. “I don’t have all of those names in front of me; I’ll just point out a couple. Like Nate Matlack showed up. Nick James, just looking at the defense, did some nice things, just seeing a couple of things. Now, I might come back in a couple of days and say, ‘I was wrong, they were terrible,’ but I saw some things there. Those are two D-linemen.

“Lyndon Cooper has done some good things, just mature. I think he’s learning. Eli Holstein has done a nice job. Just really calm in the pocket as well. You notice some things about his composure. C.J. Lee, he had a nice catch today. I didn’t like what he did with the ball afterwards, but that was that. But he’s a playmaker. Him and Poppi, two guys that can make plays. Jake Overman’s been good. Jake had a couple of nice catches today, just learning the offense.”

It’s encouraging that James and Matlack are standing out early. The defensive line, tackle especially, needed help. Matlack is the sort of long, athletic edge rusher who should thrive in a system that suits his style of play. And even if he doesn’t start, he would still be able to make a serious impact as a rotation end. The defensive tackles need more. James is a former top recruit who was brought in to provide an immediate impact. Pitt will need him.

I’m not sure exactly where Cooper will end up at this point, but his interior versatility on the offensive line is key. He could compete for a starting spot at guard, or he could wind up as a reserve at center. He’s gonna play.

Censere Lee and Poppi Williams were expected to be instant contributors in the wide receiving corps, and that appears to be how it will unfold. The tempo of the offense will necessitate heavy rotation, and with their added experience in the system, they’ll be key playmakers. I do wonder what exactly Lee did to upset Narduzzi — it probably isn’t hard to guess.

In-Helmet Tech 

Pitt is going to use the new in-helmet technology this fall, but Narduzzi isn’t going to rush it this spring. He wants to make sure that the offense hones in on its signals and terminology first before letting the defense use in-helmet tech next week.

It’s a major rule change coming to the NCAA this season, and Narduzzi — for one — is excited about it. It’s what the NFL has been doing for a long time, and it’s certainly going to be a major change at Pitt.

On-field communication has been a story in its own right for years.

“We used to have the quarterback come over to the sideline,” Narduzzi said. “We’ve done a little bit of everything.

“I think it helps. With all the signal stealing stuff that’s going on throughout the country, and it’s going on, it’s definitely going on, it’s going to help us. I think there will still be people trying to steal some stuff. They’re always going to try to steal what they can. Got to make sure all of those devices and the wavelengths that they’re on, all of that stuff is secure. The next person will be someone from the Navy coming in and seeing if they can steal — jump on the line and listen. That’s even easier if you can listen to them. How secure are all those things? I don’t know. The good thing is we’re doing it like the NFL. The way the NFL does it, we should hopefully be able to do the same thing, the same way.”

The in-helmet communication would follow the NFL model of having one player with in-helmet technology that allows communication with a coach up until the 15-second mark of the play clock. The use of tablets on the sidelines and in the locker rooms is pretty straightforward. And the two-minute warning will also follow the NFL’s model — stopping play at the 2:00 mark of either half, or after a play that begins just before.

Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Dayon Hayes (50) November 16, 2023 David Hague/PSN

Competition

The unseasonably warm weather has led to two outdoor sessions through the first three spring practices, and I think that the outdoor atmosphere is at least partially responsible for the level of intensity this spring.

A warm, sunny Monday (the first day of spring) and Friday (the first padded day of spring) went well. There’s no lack of excitement on the South Side.

“Oh, there was competition out there today,” Narduzzi said. “You saw the competition in special teams, but it was like that the whole way. I had to calm them down and blow the whistle a few extra times and break it up. I felt like the referee out there breaking up different things. But they’re intense and passionate about what they’re doing right now. I like that. We just have to contain it and control it. Control your emotions.”

Narduzzi has said that there’s competition at every position for years now, no matter the pedigree returning to a particular position group. Well, following a 3-9 Pitt season, that rings truer than ever before. There’s competition across the roster, and it will be very interesting to follow that competition throughout the spring.

Notes

• It’s the best time of the year for college coaches, according to Narduzzi and defensive line coach Tim Daoust. There are a ton of recruits at the facility (big crowds so far), and the staff gets to just coach up the guys. The spring is a time for learning.
• Nate Yarnell has been the leader in the quarterbacks room, unsurprisingly. But he isn’t without competition. Christian Veilleux is there. Eli Holstein — despite being a little dinged up from winter workouts — is in the mix. He’s about 90%. Ty Dieffenbach and Julian Dugger are, according to Narduzzi, still so young.
• This is something to watch. Narduzzi, as he said last season, isn’t very involved with the offense. He hired Bell with the idea that Bell would run the offense and that’s proven true. Narduzzi hasn’t learned the offense yet, he’ll learn it as the offseason goes, and that’s that. It’s Bell who is in charge offensively.