So anyone really believe it will be anything but Bill Stull as the starter, Kevan Smith and Greg Cross as the back-ups and Pat Bostick getting a redshirt? Neither do I.

Although redshirt junior Bill Stull has taken almost every first-team snap, Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said the Panthers won’t name a starting quarterback until after Wednesday’s scrimmage — the third of training camp.

“Once we finish up on Wednesday, we’ll evaluate the film and then finalize our depth charts at every position,” Wannstedt said.

Bostick getting a redshirt still seems like the likely course of action.

Q: How does Pat Bostick’s mechanics look this year? And how about his arm strength?

ZEISE: Better, much better, but still not where they need to be. He still has that hitch, though it isn’t as pronounced as it was last year, and he has a quicker release and throws the ball with more zip, too. That progress has been a good sign that if he takes a redshirt this season and spends it in the weight room, conditioning with Buddy Morris as well as working with Matt Cavanaugh on his mechanics and footwork, that he’ll come back next year really ready to play at the level he needs to in order to give the Panthers a chance to win big. And that is why he is going to redshirt, because coaches believe he can use some more seasoning.

Bostick has been the second-best QB in the camp, by all accounts. A little more consistency than Kevan Smith. His potential and the actual growth from last year to this year, make it less likely the coaching staff will “waste” a year of his eligibility as a back-up if they can avoid it.

So what about right tackle and Joe Thomas. He’s struggled, in camp and Coach Wannstedt came out and said that Lucas Nix will be seeing time as a freshman.

On Lucas Nix:

“I think he’s going to have to play, and not that I’m dissatisfied with the play of the right tackle, but we have to get more consistent there, Lucas has the ability to deliver and I think the competition between him and Joe Thomas is good.”

Sure enough, on Monday…

One day after Dave Wannstedt sent a message that the right tackle job was up for grabs by raving about freshman Lucas Nix, the Panthers inserted the 6-foot-6, 300-pounder from Thomas Jefferson into the starting lineup.

Nix split first-team repetitions with junior Joe Thomas in today’s second session, and the Pitt coach said it was both a reward for Nix and a warning sign to Thomas that his job isn’t safe.

“Joe Thomas was a little bit inconsistent and we’ve got to make sure that everybody understands that we have to prove ourselves every day we come onto this field,” Wannstedt said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a senior or a freshman or who you are.”

And if that wasn’t enough of a message to Thomas, there was this.

On the offensive line’s progress:

“I thought offensively today might have been the best set of practices we have had. We blocked well, caught well, ran well and threw well today.”

Hint, hint, hint.

That said, Joe Thomas will start the season as the starting right tackle. You know Wannstedt doesn’t like to start freshmen at most positions. Probably more so on the offensive line. I can see Nix taking the job, though. Thomas may have slimmed down, but he is still struggling.

Jonathan Baldwin is a different story with starting.

Q: Do you see Jonathan Baldwin starting any games this year?

ZEISE: An interesting question. The early answer would be not unless there is an injury to someone ahead of him — but only because there are veteran players ahead of him that aren’t likely to lose their starting jobs. Also, for all the talk of his circus catches — and they are amazing, don’t get me wrong — the fact remains that he has a long, long way to go to become a consistent and refined receiver. He still needs to work on his route running, his blocking and all of the little things that separate the good ones from the great ones. There is no question he is the most physically gifted of all of Pitt’s receivers and he will certainly see the field and probably get a lot of playing time, particularly in the red zone. But unless there is an injury I don’t see him moving ahead of any of the current starters.

See, I can see him starting a game later in the season without injuries. I can see him being the #3 receiver very soon. There’s also a cheating way to win this. All it takes is for Pitt to come out in the opening drive with a 4 wide receiver set. You know Baldwin would be in that group as a deep threat. I can see Pitt at least lining up like that… and then handing the ball off to McCoy.