Sorry for the lack of posts this week. It’s been a bit hectic in the offline world. Couple that with the coaching carousel craziness and stuff as the Final Four looms for FanHouse, and it has been a frustratingly neglectful week on Blather. Hopefully there’s been stuff from the Pitt Consortium to help fill the gap.
So, let’s do some catching up.
Over the weekend the one story looked at linebackers not named McKillop.
At the Sam linebacker is senior Adam Gunn, on the other side of McKillop at Will linebacker is junior Shane Murray.
Gunn and Murray started every game last year and, while they didn’t grab headlines the way McKillop did last season, the bookends of the linebacker corps improved every time they took the field.
And that is why Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt expects Gunn and Murray to be the glue of a unit that has the makings, especially with McKillop anchoring the middle, of being special.
“Last year at this time I was convincing Shane that he was going to be a linebacker and not a safety, and Adam Gunn was the one guy we were all convinced everybody on the team could take his job away from him,” Wannstedt said. “They were both battling issues and overcame them, and I expect both of those guys to make big plays this year. They have both come a long way in a year.”
No mention of Brandon Lindsey and Nate Nix pushing Gunn. Nor, Tristan Roberts at the Will spot. Apparently Max Gruder is being groomed to see time in the Middle.
Staying on the defense, after Scott McKillop, Greg Romeus probably has some of the biggest expectations to build on last season. Romeus came on strong as the season went on and got plenty of accolades as a redshirt freshman on the D-line. His pure athleticism and strength helped him overcome what he didn’t know. He and D-line coach Greg Gattuso seem to think that is catching up.
Romeus spent most of his high school days reaching for the basketball rim until the football coach spotted him and explained that at 6-5, he could have more potential in football than basketball.
“I enjoy playing football more because it’s a more aggressive game and more of a team sport,” Romeus said. He laughed.
“I like to hit people.”
Romeus, who redshirted as a freshman, became a hit with his coaches once he started to grasp the nuances of the defense midway through the season. He always had the physical skills, but he needed time to learn the techniques involved with playing college football.
“I feel like I’m adapting more to being a football player,” he said. “Things aren’t as shaky as they were at the beginning of last year. I can play faster now. I just want to learn more every day.”
Romeus’ playing time should increase this season because the defensive line has been depleted by the departure of ends Joe Clermond and Chris McKillop.
“We see it as a rotation with everybody getting time,” Romeus said. “I don’t want to set myself up and say that I expect to start. We’re all going to play.”
He may not expect to start, but everyone else does.
Stop me if you have heard this before. The offensive line is struggling. Really, that should just be a stock headline for Pitt. The facts and circumstances may change, but I can’t remember a year where the O-line wasn’t in some sort of major flux in the spring.
As if it’s not bad enough to lose three starters — tackles Mike McGlynn and Jeff Otah and center Chris Vangas — to graduation, compounding the situation is that Pitt’s most veteran linemen are limited to non-contact drills. The Panthers are without senior left guard C.J. Davis (hamstring), a three-year starter; redshirt freshman right guard Chris Jacobson (knee); and bookend tackles in fifth-year senior Chase Clowser (shoulder) and redshirt sophomore Jason Pinkston (shoulder).
“That’s four guys who should all be starters or competing for starting jobs,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “We’re a little bit thin there because of graduation and injuries, but they’re working hard with them.”
The offensive line now has redshirt freshman Jordan Gibbs at left tackle, fifth-year senior Dom Williams at left guard, junior Robb Houser at center, junior John Malecki at right guard and junior Joe Thomas at right tackle.
While they form a fearsome front in pads, averaging 6-foot-4, 287 pounds, their inexperience shows once the ball is snapped. Gibbs played tight end at Penn Manor High. Williams is a career reserve. Malecki was a defensive tackle the past two seasons. Thomas has the most experience, but all of his 14 starts are at right guard.
Add in the highly heralded Lucas Nix won’t be on the practice field until August. On the bright side, they and the redshirt freshmen are getting a lot of work.
Wannstedt singled out the large group of redshirt freshmen — John Fieger, Greg Gaskins, Jordan Gibbs and Wayne Jones — as the most in need of work, particularly since that group will be counted on to provide depth.
“Those guys are going to need every full-speed situation we can put them in between now and the season,” Wannstedt said. “Like I said, they have done really well when they are coming off the ball in drills and hitting bags and doing that stuff, but, when they have to line up over a Mick Williams or a Greg Romeus and have to block them, that is where we will find out who gives us a chance to play and who doesn’t.”
The good news is that at least JUCO Center Robb Houser has been healthy and looking good.
“It makes a big difference being able to transfer for the spring semester,” said Houser, who is expected to compete with redshirt junior John Bachman at center. “I was lucky enough to be eligible to transfer in the spring. I’m learning everything I can. I’m learning the offense really well right now. I know that if I would’ve only had the summer to learn this, it would even be harder because this is actual football practice, five hours a day, double-day style.”
Houser said he’s benefitting from the extra time by getting acquainted with new teammates, getting used to a new system, studying plays and getting stronger in workouts.
“It really makes it much easier for me to earn a starting job than the people who are coming in in June and July,” he said.
He and JUCO QB Greg Cross are both expected to provide immediate help.
Derek Kinder gets a nice little puff piece in his return for a redshirt senior year and coming back from injury.
“You can make yourself crazy wondering why,” Kinder says. Or you can work like hell to make it all the way back.
Kinder still hasn’t tested how his knee will hold up to lateral movement and likely won’t face full contact until the first game of the fall. Why risk it?
Pitt knows what it has in Kinder — one of the game’s most dynamic receivers when healthy. What we don’t know is how the script will end.
I wasn’t the only one missing in action. The women’s basketball success drew the Trib’s Kevin Gorman away. He has a post on his observations at the first practice he’s caught and what he’s heard. Here’s the quickie summary.
- Max Gruder looks like the back-up for McKillop at MLB
- Elijah Fields is impressing in spring practice — again
- The QB situation still looks like it’s Stull, but Bostick does indeed look good, Cross is as athletic as advertised and Kevan Smith has a very strong arm.
- LeSean McCoy looks good, and so does LaRod Stephens-Howling.
Naturally it’s worth reading the whole thing.
