There are (mostly) no guaranteed spots has been a mantra from Coach Wannstedt prior to the start of camp. The players know there are opportunities for them if they take it.
Redshirt Freshman Corey Davis is trying to grab one of those spots on the defensive line. The light went off for him after spring practices about some of what he needed to do if he wanted it.
The Panthers have an opening at defensive tackle, and Davis was one of the prime candidates to fill it. But he hadn’t distinguished himself, mostly because he was carrying too much weight.
“I knew the options were either lose weight or sit the bench,” Davis said. “That’s it. I want to play, so I committed myself to the offseason conditioning program, left all that McDonald’s and Wendy’s stuff alone, stopped drinking pop and, once I got started, it became easy to lose weight.”
As a result of his change in eating habits, Davis has lost about 40 pounds. He reported for camp at a lean 285. And the first day of conditioning, he not only finished all of his wind sprints, but he also was among the leaders for the linemen.
Now he is ready to seize the starting job he believes is his to lose.
“It is all about working hard now,” Davis said. “It is about being the best player I can be, continuing the things I’ve started. You can tell a big difference now in what I am able to do — it almost feels like high school again.”
Davis said one of the things he had to learn was discipline because as a high school star he often got by on talent alone. He quickly realized that would not happen in college.
The part about learning that the talent in high school is not enough at college is a story I find surprising isn’t told more often. Maybe because it is so common.
Then there is the competition to be the primary clipboard holder at quarterback.
Bill Stull’s first day on the practice field in Pitt preseason camp went by in a blur.
“It started out a little crazy — my head was really spinning — then it started to slow down just a little bit,” Stull said with a sheepish grin.
Stull and Shane Murray, both true freshmen, are auditioning for the backup job behind starting quarterback Tyler Palko. Wednesday’s three-hour practice session at Pitttsburgh’s South Side facility was the rookies’ introduction to the speed of the college game.
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“One of the two is going be back our backup quarterback and the other is going to be the third. That’s what we’ve got,” Wannstedt said with a shrug. “Does that concern me? Yeah, because they’re young. Now, is it anything totally unusual? Not really.
“Both of those kids have the ability and they’re smart enough to understand the responsibility that goes along with that.”
Pitt opens its season 23 days from today with a prime-time showdown against Notre Dame at Heinz Field. That night, either Stull or Murray could be one blown pass-blocking assignment away from taking the reins in front of a sellout crowd and national television audience.
“I’m so overwhelmed with everything that’s going on right now — our playbook, schedule times and everything — that I really don’t have a chance to think about it,” Stull said.
Then there is the running back position, and testing a few of them for defensive back potential.
Yesterday, Irvan Brown and LaRod Stephens were working out with the defense. Wannstedt put some of the freshmen through drills to gauge their potential as defensive backs.
“Two or three of those kids could play defense, and we could use some depth in the secondary,” Wannstedt said.
“I just hope I’m not one of ’em,” laughed freshman Shane Brooks, a Duquesne High School grad.
“I’m not worried about that,” Conredge Collins said confidently. “I’ll be all right.”
Collins, a top recruit from Miami, is safe. For him, the only question is whether he will be slated as a fullback or tailback.
“Right now, I’m looking at my job as playing running back — not fullback,” Collins said “And I expect to play. I don’t expect to redshirt.”
Collins chose Pitt over Miami and Florida in part because those other schools wanted him as a fullback.
“We told him we’d give him the opportunity at tailback when we recruited him here,” Wannstedt said. “We know he can play fullback. What is to be seen is where he ends up.”
Kirkley and Furman, despite being seniors, might have a hard time getting on the field this season. I do wonder where Brandon Mason is going to fit in all of this. He seems to have been totally forgotten at this point.
Rashad Jennings was actually a recruit from 2003 (choosing Pitt over VT — where they have been finding some good RBs in the last 5 years) who had to go to prep school. It only seems like he came out of no where in the spring.
