Seems like there have been a few stories (at least) about Dorin Dickerson playing linebacker. Updates each week as he appears to keep improving and getting better. The latest on Dickerson getting closer.

Dickerson’s big-play ability has overshadowed his mistakes. To the naked eye, it’s easy to notice his closing speed in pass coverage and diving interceptions. What film study shows, however, is a linebacker who tends to over-pursue and has trouble shedding linemen’s blocks.

That’s where Gunn has an edge at the moment, although Wannstedt warned that Dickerson is “real close.”

“If you were just worried about a percentage grade, about who was right and wrong every snap, then Adam is going to grade out very high,” Rhoads said. “Conversely, when you are looking at a production grade, Dorin’s probably grading out a little higher because he’s making more plays. There’s a happy medium you’re trying to find there.”

The minute Dickerson shows any consistency, the job will be his. That’s one of Wannstedt’s favorite issues. Consistency.

Safety Eric Thatcher features prominently in this AP story about the defense hoping it is better than last year.

One of the defense’s biggest weaknesses last season was at safety as both Thatcher, the free safety, and strong safety Phillips were injured. Phillips played in all 12 games but started only five because of lingering effects of a severe ankle injury that occurred in 2005.

Pitt also looks to be deep along the defensive line, led by Gus Mustakas and Rashaad Duncan.

“This is the first time since I’ve been here that I like our depth on the defensive line,” Wannstedt said. “I like our secondary play.”

…

Despite that, Thatcher can already sense a difference between this season and last, and he likes the change.

“It’s going to be different, the camaraderie is a little different,” he said. “People had a tougher offseason, and they got used to it, seeing how high-intensity we have to be to be a really good football team. So we’ll see what’s up.”

Of course, if the post topic is defense, how can there not be the gratuitous shot at Defensive Coordinator Paul Rhoads. From Kevin Gorman’s blog post on the first scrimmage the other day.

The dominance of the defense in Pitt’s first scrimmage was rewarding for defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, perhaps the most embattled member of Dave Wannstedt’s staff.

The Panthers are trying to shore up a defense that allowed an average of 274.8 rushing yards and 467.6 total yards in the final five games last season and are doing so without the benefit of a bona fide superstar.

Now that Rhoads has taken over the duties of coaching the linebackers, there is an added emphasis on the play of the front four and how it affects the linebacker corps. That the defense kept the first-team offense out of the end zone until red-zone drills lifted their spirits.

A. There’s no “perhaps” about it. Name another member of the coaching staff that is even close to where Rhoads is in fan dissatisfaction. Who should be in it deeper than Rhoads?

B. Gee, if he’s responsible for the linebackers, as well as the overall defense, now he is concerned on how much they have to do? If it actually makes a difference this season, give Coach Wannstedt credit for recognizing that Rhoads likes to make whatever unit he has direct oversight look good and using it to help the defense.

When he had the focus on the secondary, he wouldn’t put them in a position to get burned at the expense of the rest of the defense. Now that he’s got the linebackers, he doesn’t want them looking bad.

Pat Bostick has been back for a couple of days but his practice has been limited since he can’t go to full pads yet, per NCAA regs.

Bostick will take third-team repetitions behind junior Bill Stull and redshirt freshman Kevan Smith, but he already took some second-team snaps away from Smith yesterday.

“They know it’s a competition, and I don’t think they’re going to get hung up on Pat getting some reps mixed in,” Cavanaugh said. “He would’ve been getting them anyway. … So, they all know they’re competing, and they all trust us as a staff that we’ll do the right thing. And we’ll play the guy that we believe is the best one. So, they’ll let it play out.”

Bostick has been offlimits to the media from the outset. He couldn’t talk at media day because NCAA regulations prohibit incoming recruits to do interviews until they’ve had a practice. Bostick left before practice began, and now Pitt is shielding him for a few days. Wannstedt believed Bostick will be ready to talk after Saturday’s scrimmage.

His teammates have been supportive.

To hear a few of his teammates tell it, Bostick received a warm welcome upon his return.

“He didn’t just leave because he wanted to,” senior offensive tackle Jeff Otah said. “The guy was going through some things. He kind of had to get himself away so he could get himself together. I told him, ‘It’s OK. We’re here for you; we’re family.’ Whatever he wants to talk about, I’m going to be here.”

Senior cornerback Lowell Robinson said he spoke with Bostick on the sideline during Tuesday’s scrimmage.

“He told me he felt good and he just needed that time,” Robinson said. “He said he went home, got his thoughts together, and he’s ready to come back and work hard. Once I heard that, I just left him alone. He didn’t go into detail.”

Both Otah and Robinson were JUCO transfers. New to the program and the situation when they came in, yet expected to be upperclassmen and contribute quickly. Given Bostick’s situation — despite being a true freshman — they probably can relate a lot easier to what he might be going through.

Bill Stull, though, is still the starter and it seems his performance has improved the last couple days.

Perhaps the late arrival of Pat Bostick has lit a fire in the competitive spirit of Stull, as the junior quarterback was at his sharpest yet throwing the ball.

“Billy is continuing to get better every day,” Wannstedt said. “I don’t know what his completion percentage was, but we really weren’t a whole lot different going into today’s practice as we were a year ago at this time, as far as completion percentage with all our quarterbacks. We’ve got a lot of work to do but we do see progress being made.”

Stull’s willingness to play through the pain and come back out on the field quickly after an injury to his thumb gets him more credibility and leading by example on the team.

“Everyone looks up to the quarterback position as the leader,” Stull said. “And you never know, they see you with a little cut on your thumb and they see you sitting out for a week, they might start to second-guess your toughness and start to doubt you. But sitting out was never an option, I wanted to see if I could tape it up and get back out there and be with my team.

“The one practice I had to sit out — to sit there and not do anything, for me personally didn’t work. I just want to be out there practicing 24/7 with the team.”

He’s going to have to be tough. Especially if the O-line doesn’t start coming together.

Last week Craig Bokor was trying to make the depth chart at DT. More importantly, he just wanted to stay at one position on one side of the ball after being yo-yo’d in his redshirt year, last season and even in spring. So much for that idea.

Redshirt sophomore Craig Bokor moved from defensive tackle to offensive left guard, and split second-team reps with true freshman Chris Jacobson.

“I think he can go over there and be a second-team player relatively quick,” Wannstedt said. “And then who knows from there.”

It’s one thing to move a kid to a different spot on one line. But to keep shifting him from offense to defense has to be killing his development. I’m sure the kid is saying all the right things and just keeps his head down and works hard. After a while, though, it starts to get unfair. The constant shifting may make him a useful utility player, but it also means he can’t stay settled and really learn and compete for a starting job. He’s always going to be a bit further behind.

To a lesser extent, freshman Aaron Smith seems to be dealing with the same thing.

Freshman Aaron Smith moved from cornerback to receiver, a position he initially played last August before a shoulder injury forced him to grayshirt. Smith was a third-team corner, but can help the receiver position, which was down to seven after losing senior Derek Kinder and redshirt freshman walk-on Francis Johns to torn ACLs.

“We recruited him as a receiver/athlete,” Wannstedt said of Smith. “We moved him just because of the depth situation. We’ll see what transpires.”

I realize the depth chart is important and I know most of the kids just want to play. The shifting doesn’t help their chances that greatly when they have to keep moving from one side to the other. Coach Wannstedt and the staff seem to really emphasize knowing the position before playing. It puts them behind and keeps them there. It only makes the depth chart look more balanced.