PITTSBURGH - Pat Narduzzi opened Pitt’s training camp with the kind of confidence coaches usually reserve for when they like what they see in the first practice. And after one day on the field, his message was pretty clear: the Panthers feel settled at quarterback, more comfortable on offense, healthier in key spots and ready to keep the defensive standard intact under a new play-caller.
The biggest thing Narduzzi pointed to was the quarterback situation, and there doesn’t seem to be much drama there. Mason Heintschel goes into camp as the clear No. 1 after taking over last season and holding the job the rest of the way.
"Mason's made major strides," Narduzzi said. "Where we were last year at this time, Mason was third, fourth - I mean, even when he took over at quarterback, he wasn't the backup at that time.
That was just a decision we made... It's night and day.
He was on fire today, just completing balls and making throws and being accurate."
That stability at quarterback feeds into the broader picture on offense, where Narduzzi said the third year in Kade Bell’s system is showing up in a real way. The pace looks smoother, the installs are moving faster and the group simply looks more comfortable operating inside the offense.
"You say that third year is a charm," Narduzzi said. "You just see the operation of our offense, the confidence that our players have... it's night and day from year one to year three, as far as the operation, the installs, what we're able to install. Even the younger guys picked it up because the older guys can teach them what to do."
The receiver room is another spot Narduzzi likes, even after losing two starters. Cataurus "Blue" Hicks is the only returning starter, but Censere Lee is back healthy after missing most of last season, and Malik Knight’s speed stood out. Tony Kinsler and Bryce Yates are part of the young group pushing for more, too.
" Malik Knight had some great balls caught today - he's fast," Narduzzi said. "He was running full speed, couldn't catch him.
Malik's got elite speed. C.J.
Lee was impressive today. We've got weapons out there.
We're not going to see a drop-off from a year ago. We're going to see it get better."
Narduzzi also made it clear that health matters just as much as depth, and Pitt enters camp in a much better place than it did a year ago. Last season’s injuries forced the Panthers to lean deeper than expected at offensive line, defensive line, running back and linebacker. This time around, Keith Gouveia and Zach Crothers are back in the trenches, Jeremiah Marcelin returns at linebacker, and the running back room is in far better shape.
"Our depth at running back right now is so much better than it was a year ago," Narduzzi said. "To have all those guys and have a healthy room is encouraging for me.
I can guarantee you that. Last year, I was worried about having to put a walk-on out there."
On defense, the change comes with Cory Sanders taking over as coordinator after eight seasons on Narduzzi’s staff. The handoff brings fresh eyes, but not a different identity. Pitt still wants to be stout against the run, pressure the quarterback and win the turnover battle.
"The major structure is not going to change a whole lot," Narduzzi said of the transition to Sanders. "We want to be one of the top rush defenses in the country, we want to put pressure on the quarterback... one of my major things is the head coaches - we've got to win the turnover ratio.
You look at Indiana, they're plus 21 last year. We got to be in the pluses.
If we can match the giveaways and the takeaways, you've got a chance to win a lot more football games that way."
With Miami Ohio coming to open the season on September 5, Pitt has a month to keep building on the early signs Narduzzi liked on day one.
In Other News...
Pitt Football Legacy Gets A Spotlight Few Programs Can Match
Pitt football keeps finding its way into the sports historical conversation, and the latest reminder comes from Sporting News 140th-anniversary celebration. As part of its look back at the best college players by position across the decades, the publication named seven Panthers to its All-Decade All-America teams, a spread that reaches from the 1960s through the 2010s and reflects how long this program has been producing national-caliber talent.
The list reads like a walk through Pitts most recognizable eras, with Fred Cox, Mike Ditka, Tony Dorsett, Bill Fralic, Hugh Green, Larry Fitzgerald and Aaron Donald all included. Few programs can match that kind of company across so many generations, and it is another sign of how Pitts legacy continues to be measured not just in wins, but in the names that have defined college football itself. [Read more 🡒]