Pitt’s second day of training camp brought a little more clarity to a few key spots, and the biggest early theme is that some of the Panthers’ position battles are already tilting in a direction.
One of the most encouraging developments has been Zach Crothers looking ahead of where the staff expected him to be. Crothers played in four games last season before a season-ending injury against Louisville cut his year short, and that limited what he could do in the spring. Even so, Pat Narduzzi said the defensive end has already shown up with more than enough to catch the staff’s attention.
"I saw Zach walking down the hallway this morning, and I was like, 'Man, hell of a day yesterday,'" Narduzzi said. "When I talked to [the media] yesterday, I hadn't really watched the tape yet.
But Zach Crothers had a good day, coming off the injury he had. I thought it was going to take a week or two, to be honest with you."
That matters because Jimmy Scott and Isaiah Neal are both back as starters, which makes Crothers’ early progress a real boost for the depth at defensive end.
The other spot drawing plenty of attention is left tackle, where Netinho Olivieri has kept showing up in the conversation since spring and through the first two days of camp. He’s the only projected starter at the position who isn’t a returner, and the staff has noticed how quickly he’s settled in.
"Netinho is a beast," Narduzzi said. "Every evening at 6:45 as a staff we meet, then we have a team meeting at 7:45, and we go through personnel - what they did well, what they didn't do well.
And Olivieri just continues to come up. His game is different.
I've noticed in walkthroughs, the way he's bending his knees, knocking people off the ball. This guy takes the game serious.
He's special."
That job comes with a direct responsibility: keeping Mason Heintschel upright. Heintschel was on the ground too often last season, and Olivieri knows the blind side carries extra weight.
"I understand it's a little bit more important on my side when it comes to keeping him safe, because he can't see as much," Olivieri said. "So it's definitely a little bit of pressure, but it feels good - I feel good being on his blind side."
On the offensive side, Pitt is already handing out the BLURRR stickers for explosive practice plays, and only two players have earned them so far: freshman Bryan Hamilton and Censere "CJ" Lee, who has already collected three. Lee missed most of last season with an injury, but Narduzzi said the rise has been building for a while.
"I can't say enough good things about him, not just one day of practice, but really all summer," Narduzzi said. "He's more mature.
He had a great play yesterday. I think he can be a different guy than he was last year.
He knows this is his opportunity, and I think he's going to take it and go with it."
There’s also a clear pecking order forming at running back, where Ja'Kyrian Turner sits as the No. 1 option. Behind him, though, the picture is still very much up for grabs.
La'Vell Wright is the veteran in the room, and he’s been working alongside a young group that includes Synkwan Smith, Damon Ferguson and Jaylin Brown. Wright said the competition has lifted everybody.
"It's exciting to see all the young guys," Wright said. "They're just eager to go to work, eager to learn, eager to wake up every day, get here at five o'clock in the morning before everybody else and just go to work. That's our main goal right now."
In Other News...
Pat Narduzzi Now Faces A Pitt Camp Decision With Real Consequences
Pat Narduzzi had to address an uncomfortable summer issue this week as Pitt moved through training camp, with three players facing reckless-driving charges tied to a June 16 dirt bike incident. The head coach made clear he was disappointed by what happened, but for now the program is letting the legal process play out while the team keeps working through camp.
The bigger issue for Pitt is what comes next, because all three players are still on the field as camp continues and any discipline could affect availability once the season begins. Narduzzi has stressed the importance of better decision-making, and this is the kind of situation that can linger well beyond a short offseason headline if the fallout reaches into game week. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Carretta Gives Pitt Fans A Reason To Believe Up Front
Pitts offensive line has a little more preseason recognition to point to, with redshirt junior Ryan Carretta landing on the 2026 Rimington Trophy Watch List. The award tracks the nations top center in NCAA Division I football, and Carretta is one of 40 players on the preseason list as well as one of three ACC representatives.
For a Pitt program that is always looking to steady itself in the trenches, the nod gives fans another reason to pay attention up front. The watch list was built with help from Pro Football Focus, using school nominations and performance data, so Carrettas inclusion suggests he has already done enough to get noticed before the season even gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]