Ryland Gandy has a future in football, whether that’s in the NFL or in the broadcast booth remains to be seen, but the young Pitt cornerback knows that football is his future. If he isn’t playing football in 10 years, he can certainly talk about it.
Gandy — a 6-foot, 180-pound third-year sophomore from Buford, Ga. — is a communications major. He would like to one day be in the booth like Tony Romo or Robert Griffin III (or even in a studio somewhere), but in the meantime, his football journey is still just getting started.
He hasn’t played a whole lot at Pitt since arriving as a highly touted recruit out of powerhouse Buford in the class of 2022, mainly playing special teams, but that’s about to change.
“Ryland has been outstanding,” Pat Narduzzi said last week. “I think if I asked most of the guys out there, ‘Hey, who’s our starting corners?’ I think the first name that would come out of his mouth would be Ryland. He wants to be on ESPN someday, so we’ll see.
“But he’s come a long way. He’s learned from some good guys. The great thing about Ryland is he’s been patient. You had those three really good corners last year, and he stayed patient. He never got down. He was never in my office whining like, ‘Coach, when am I going to play?’ He trusted the process throughout, and that tells you what kind of family he’s got. He’s got an outstanding family that raised him the right way.”
Pitt is in the precarious position of needing to replace over 3,000 defensive snaps and 12 interceptions from its starting cornerbacks over the last two seasons. That’s a daunting task made even more so by the fact that there is very little experience waiting in the wings.
M.J. Devonshire, Marquis Williams and A.J. Woods played a lot of football at Pitt over the last two seasons — three seasons, even. Gandy did all that he could during those two years to be ready when his name was called.
“It was really just waiting on my turn, learning from those guys daily for the past two years, learning what they see on the field, learning what technique they use, it was just a time for me to learn and grow as a player,” Gandy said last week at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “Because in all honesty, I wasn’t there as much as I thought I was. Coach Collins saw I wasn’t there, so he just wanted to make sure I continued to learn from one of them and now that they’re gone and it’s my time to come up to the scene, it’s my time to help bring these young guys up.”
Gandy was primarily a special teamer last season, recording 215 special teams’ snaps as a key gunner, and he impressed the coaching staff with his ability to fly down the field and make tackles. Narduzzi, as the season started to slip away down the second half, pointed to Gandy as someone he wanted to start picking up actual defensive reps.
Gandy received 15 snaps against Notre Dame, 10 against Florida State and 14 against Florida State. He was targeted once in that span, not allowing a reception, and he recorded two tackles.
Narduzzi lauded Gandy’s special teams’ efforts last season. He was a thumper, but he locked up opposing gunners with excellent hand work at the line of scrimmages. That’s — if all goes well — going to translate to his work on defense. If there was one thing that the coaching staff wanted to see from Gandy this spring, it was his belief in what he’s doing.
“Just having full confidence in myself to know that I can go out there and play ball,” Gandy said. “And have confidence in myself in going for the ball, being sound in my tech and just being an all-around player.”
Archie Collins, who has been hard on Gandy since he arrived, has pushed Gandy to be more of a leader. If he’s going to be the leading cornerback and usher in the new age of Pitt corners, he’s gonna have to use his voice. For someone who has spent his life as a “lead by example” type, it’s been a work in progress. Gandy likes the steps he’s taken though. He likes stepping into that leadership role.
“I don’t really see pressure to it,” Gandy said. “I just kinda find it as a new challenge in life. It’s my time, my turn, to shine and be on that stage. I saw M.J. and them at the Combine, and of course, I’ve grown up watching the combine and raft, so that’s something I hope — and God willing — I’ll be able to do one day.”
Gandy doesn’t have much experience at Pitt, but he was able to be that press man corner during his time at Buford, and he feels like that will be able to carry over. It helps that he’s spent the last two years learning, growing and starring as a special teamer. He’s ready for the challenge of matching up one-on-one.
“I like to say I’m on an island a lot, so I just take pride in that and whoever steps up has to get strapped,” Gandy said.
He’s been matching up with Konata Mumpfield and Kenny Johnson, his two biggest challenges this spring, and he hopes he’s pushing them as much as they’re pushing him. Where Mumpfield is quick and sudden, Johnson is strong and powerful. Two different wideouts, two wideouts he has to put his hands on and stay on their hip.
It’s not as if Gandy has changed anything he’s doing this spring. He’s just more confident in himself now. He’s not exactly the trash-talker that his predecessors may have been, but he’s certainly more comfortable talking on the field.
And while he might not be the track star that someone like Devonshire is (running a 4.49 40-yard dash last summer and working on improving it), he’s physical, aggressive and not afraid to lock down an opposing wideout.
Gandy is leading a new wave of Pitt cornerbacks that will feature the likes of Rashad Battle, Tamon Lynum, Tamarion Crumpley and Noah Biglow (and maybe Shadarian Harrison).
It’s an inexperienced unit, but there’s some potential. Gandy is at the forefront of ushering in that next wave.
Gotta love Gandy’s mature and respectful attitude. Critical attributes that are, unfortunately, missing from most football players his age. I think he has a bright future and will be Pitt’s top corner.