Okay, not many surprises on the depth chart for the YSU game (PDF, pg. 3).

Joe Thomas gets the nod over Chris Jacobson at Left Guard. By all accounts this was an even thing, with neither clearly above the other. In the end, Thomas’ experience seems to have given him the nod.

Max Gruder over Manny Williams for the WILL (weakside) Linebacker.  Not a shock, really but Williams was switched to that side after the spring practice where he competed on for the SAM.

At Free Safety Andrew Taglianetti is listed ahead of Elijah Fields, though it is with an “OR.” Still, that Tags was placed ahead is yet another disappointment regarding Fields.

Dan Hutchins is listed ahead of Kevin Harper for Placekicker duties. Meaning he has both punting and kicking to start the year. Lucas Briggs has the kickoff duties.

Aaron Smith is listed as the primary for Punt Returner ahead of Cameron Saddler.

Saddler, though, has the kickoff return duties which he shares with Anwtuan Reed.

Tino Sunseri is the back-up QB. So, it looks like Pat Bostick will get his redshirt year (probably).

One other interesting thing. Oderick Turner is not the de facto starting WR opposite Jonathan Baldwin. He is listed behind Baldwin at the Split End and is also listed at Flanker behind Cedric McGee — though with the “OR” designation.

Coach Wannstedt’s press conference addressed most of these and confirmed most of the reasons for things in the depth chart.

Kickoff is 1pm and hopefully the lots will be open very early.

A collection of individual pieces to get out of the tabs.

Jonathan Baldwin is expecting big things from himself. As are the fans and coaching staff. Especially now that they are more confident in his route running.

“He wants to be a great player,” Pitt receivers coach Bryan Bossard said. “The first sign is to understand what don’t you do well and work on improving it. JB didn’t know much about receiver play – he was a tight end at Aliquippa that they split out wide to throw fades to – so there’s a learning curve here, a lot of adjustments.”

Just how steep of a curve?

Bossard said Baldwin didn’t know how to run many routes last season.

“Slant, fade,” Bossard said. “That’s probably it, to be honest.”

Even so, Baldwin finished with a team-high of 22.4 yards per catch and tied for the lead with three receiving touchdowns, including 52- and 60-yarders.

The one-handed catches became a daily occurrence.

“He’s just showing off,” Bossard said with a laugh, “but he’s got a knack for doing that. I used to get on him a lot last year, catching it with one hand, but sometimes you’ve just got to understand as long as he makes the play.”

And if the QB — whoever is out there — can deliver the fade pass with any degree of accuracy, Baldwin should have a lot more TDs. That or it should set up a lot of 1st and goals for a rushing TD after the pass interference penalties.

Another story on Dorin Dickerson wanting to end his career at Pitt with a strong finish.

“I feel a lot more comfortable at tight end,” Dickerson said. “I have more experience there now than any position at Pitt. I feel good. I can’t wait for the season to start to see what I can do with the position.”

With new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti calling the plays Dickerson could get called upon much more than he did last season when he caught 13 passes for 174 yards and those two touchdowns.

During the offseason, Cignetti and head coach Dave Wannstedt made it a priority to develop more ways for Dickerson to be involved in the offense. He is used in conventional sets, but expect to see him in motion in the form of a H-back as well as split wide, where his speed can be used to create mismatches against linebackers.

“I know we’re excited about finding ways to get him the football,” Wannstedt said. “No one has worked harder in the offseason. He worked his tail off this spring. I’m a Dorin Dickerson fan. No one wants him to have success more than I do. You hope when you look back at the end of the year, you can say he was a huge part of what we did. That’s the plan going in.”

Everyone always talks about those players that seem to have been around forever at a school — the 9th year seniors — but Dickerson is the opposite in my mind. It still seems like he should only be a sophomore or junior. Can we classify him as a 3d year senior?

They still love Bill Stull in the Mahoning Valley.

This cheer, however, came from the visitors.

It was directed at native son Bill Stull, who grew up in Poland, Ohio — a suburb of Youngstown — before becoming a record-setting passer at Seton-La Salle High School and, later, the starting quarterback for the Panthers.

“When he went in, the Youngstown State fans in the corner cheered,” Bill Stull Sr. recalled. “I was so impressed and so happy that they remembered him because the youth football in Youngstown is huge.”

It’s all full circle or something like that.

Phil Bennett gets his touching profile piece, which of course discusses the tragic loss of his first wife to a lightning strike. Not breaking new ground, and as mentioned it was mildly surprising that he his still at Pitt with his wife and family still in Texas.

Bennett had some good job offers after last season but decided to come back to Pitt for a couple of reasons. One, he likes working for Dave Wannstedt, who gave him permission to miss Pitt’s first spring scrimmage this year so he could attend Maddie’s senior high school debutante ball. “One of the best guys I’ve ever worked for,” said Bennett, who has coached at 11 colleges, including two stops at Texas A&M. And two, he loves coaching these Pitt players. Why not? His defense figures to be terrific this season and carry the team as it sorts out its quarterback issues.

“I just felt like we left some unfinished business here,” Bennett said. “We should have won the [Big East] conference last season.”

Bennett was a great hire for DC, and I don’t think anyone will begrudge him when he leaves. Keeping him for a 3d year would be a big bonus.

It can’t be helped. Week opponent from 1-AA or not, I’m ready for the start of the season.

Getting up before the sun rises, driving into the sunrise, meeting in the South Side with friends not seen since the season ended, loading and consolidating the food, drink, chairs, table into a few cars and heading over to the lot. Grilling, drinking, talking and just enjoying things. Then the game and feeling that yes, maybe, Pitt could do something special this year. Can’t wait.

Meanwhile in Youngstown, the goal is a little more modest. Score a TD against a 1-A oppenent.

It began in 2005 with a 41-0 loss at Pitt, followed by a 37-3 loss to Penn State in 2006, while the past two seasons the Penguins fell to Ohio State 38-6 in 2007 and 43-0 last year.

Many believe this year’s squad might just be the best of the teams that will take on the Panthers on Saturday. Although preseason predictions have placed the Penguins No. 6 in their own conference, the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and in the early preseason national Football Championship Subdivision polls the Penguins weren’t even ranked among the Top 25.

The 2009 Penguins are a very young team, but they are experienced.

Head coach Jon Heacock, now in his ninth season, has only 12 seniors, but most of them will man key positions both offensively and defensively.

So, now we know what Pitt’s defensive goal should be. No TDs. Keep the streak going.

The only news to wait for today is the first official depth chart of the season. Not that  many questions loom. Will it be Jacobson or Thomas starting at Left Guard? Is Byham sufficiently recovered from his concussion to start at TE? Who will be listed as kicker — Harper or Hutchins? Kick and punt returner?

Those are the only real questions to await this afternoon.

I know that there have been various countdown clocks to the start of college football season and specifically Pitt. Must admit that I have had a hard time getting too jazzed up when the first opponent is 1-AA Youngstown. Even a MAC bottom feeder would be better since they are ostensibly 1-A. And let’s face it YSU hasn’t been the same since they lost Tressel.

Starting tomorrow are the depth charts, the start of specific opponent practices and press conferences addressing those things. So, this final football-free weekend is the local media’s chance for one more look ahead on the season and a bit of a recap of training camp stories.

Paul Zeise started it off yesterday with his 5 nagging questions. Surprise, the QB issue is the lead. Who could have seen that coming? I’ll skip that since we have discussed angsted debated suffered endured beat this into the ground and go to one other on the list.

Will the offensive line be as good as advertised? The answer is incomplete. Right tackle Lucas Nix missed about six days with a leg infection. That was the worst development for the line because, of the slated starters, Nix was the one who least could afford to miss one day. Nix needs to play better than he did early in camp and should improve with experience, but missing that much time has put him behind schedule. Left guard also appears to be unsettled as neither Joe Thomas nor Chris Jacobson did enough to make a case for why they should be the starter over the other. One positive development is that center Robb Houser appeared to have no lingering issues despite the fact that he was coming off a lost season because of a broken leg.

I remain more concerned about Houser and the center more than any other player and position. He cannot get hurt this year, and somehow, someway Pitt needs to work on figuring out who will be the center next year. There is no true center on the roster. As Pablo noted in his breakdown of the O-line, there is no reall plan B other than moving Malecki over. That still leaves a mess for the future.

Other concerns include whether Gunn can handle middle linebacker, who will emerge as the feature back and whether Pitt will avoid any stupid off-the-field problems.

Joe Starkey comes in a timely fashion to repeat what everyone has been saying since the end of last season: the Big East needs a team to step up this year and do better than the projected mass of mediocrity. I’d almost skip this regurgitation entirely if not for one final point he makes.

Speaking of Pitt, it is an original Big East member that has mostly been a drag on the reformed conference. It’s about time the Panthers did some heavy lifting.

We can debate the problems of the early days, the missed opportunities and much else, but the truth remains. Pitt has done very, very little and had just about as much success in the Big East in all permutations.

Zeise also rants on Big East scheduling and that it needs to improve. When compared to the rest of the BCS programs, it isn’t so bad. The problem is the conference and perception kind of demands a more aggressive non-con scheduling to offset.

Of course no matter how you look at Pitt the questions may be on the offense, but the answers are all on defensive front.

Now, Pitt’s front four of Mustakas, tackle Mick Williams and ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard is the catalyst of a defense that is expected to be the best in the Big East Conference and one of the top 10 nationally.

That’s the goal, anyway, for the Panthers.

“We want to be the best d-line in the country,” Mustakas said. “We want to lead the nation in sacks and (tackles for loss). We want to be looked upon when there needs to be a big play. We want to lead this team as far as we can take us, a Big East championship, a national championship.

“We like the pressure.”

No question they have it on them.

Oh, Gilbert. Why? Do you not understand the expectations upon you? You were to be the latest at Pitt to make a stunning leap from your sophomore to junior year. Like Sam Young before you and Aaron Gray before him. It was all lined up for you. Moving to the starting rotation. One of the players expected to be the team leaders. Healthy and knowing it was your chance.

And now? You have put yourself at risk of being Wally Pipped. What happened?

Pitt’s most experienced men’s basketball player will miss the first half of the season on academic suspension.

Redshirt junior Gilbert Brown, who was expected to be the starting small forward for the Panthers, will miss at least the first 11 games after he was suspended from the university last night.

Brown, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound native of Harrisburg who has played in 72 career games for the Panthers, will be eligible to rejoin the team Dec. 20.

Brown has had a team-first attitude that got him the team’s “Coaches Award” after the 2007-08 season. At the end of this season you won the “Academic Excellence Award.” Are you trying to make a mockery of the sanctity that envelops team awards?

Well, it definitely lowers expectations to start the season.

Brown is expected to enroll at the end of the fall term and could be eligible to rejoin the Panthers Dec. 20. In that case, he would miss Pitt’s first 11 games – including the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Kansas City and Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden – but could return in time for the beginning of Big East Conference play.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound redshirt junior small forward from Harrisburg was expected to play a pivotal role for the Panthers, who lost four starters from their Elite Eight team that finished 31-5. Pitt’s lone returning starter, senior guard Jermaine Dixon, is out until mid-September with a foot injury.

The game against Wichita State was no gimme in the CBE, but it becomes even more difficult to have  a chance at Texas.

What the loss of Brown does, is it opens the door for two players in particular at the spot. Sophomore Nasir Robinson and freshman Lamar Patterson will have more opportunities to play early.

More likely, it means Pitt could go with a 3-guard lineup a lot more frequently. Brad Wanamaker playing as a wing guard, or Pitt could go very small at times up front with a mix of guards Chase Adams, Jermaine Dixon, Travon Woodall and Ashton Gibbs. In some cases extremely small and perimeter based if Adams, Woodall and Gibbs were out there together — spread the floor and get the open 3?

Well, the basketball team this offseason was being too positive I guess. This is a big slap of reality in the face.

Depth up-front. It’s there. At least defensively.

Defensive line coach Greg Gattuso, who coached tight ends that first year, remembers those early days of the Wannstedt era and is almost giddy about the wealth of talent he has to work with now.

“I think our depth was challenged a little bit this camp, but we showed we do have the numbers now to survive an injury or two,” Gattuso said. “Obviously, we want all of our guys healthy, but when we first got here we just didn’t have many options. I’ve been impressed with how well the backup guys have played this camp and the great thing is, most of them still have a lot of football to play here so they will only get better.”

Gattuso said a great example of how far the Panthers’ depth at defensive line has come can be found in the fact that a player like Tyrone Ezell (6 feet 4, 270 pounds) — who certainly looks the part — will almost assuredly be redshirted. Five years ago, he would have not only been put on the field and asked to contribute, he might have been the unit’s best player.

“I always say it takes three years for a defensive lineman to really come into his own as a player,” Gattuso said. “We now have enough depth where we can really develop our young guys properly and don’t feel pressured to get them ready to play a game on a given Saturday.”

One other luxury is the variation of players. This gives Gattuso a lot of flexibility, and it gives opposing offenses a lot to think about when deciding how to block.

The match-up stuff may be good, but it is still up to the coaches to use it. Something the defensive coaches struggled to adjust appropriately  in a couple key losses last year (see also, BGSU and Rutgers).

A bit of focus on the defensive backfields as Paul Zeise tries to spell out why he (and presumably the coaching staff) gets so frustrated with Elijah Fields.

Q: I don’t understand exactly what the problem is with Elijah Fields from reading your remarks. Can’t he learn the defenses? Can he not pay attention? Does he not care? We can talk all we want about his “talent” but is it anything more than he runs fast?

ZEISE: I think Pat Benatar would classify Elijah Fields as a “heartbreaker,” because that is what he constantly does to his coaches and his teammates – he breaks their heart. They put their trust in him, they root for him and they believe in him and he seems to find a way to let them down just when they think he is ready to turn the corner and finally realize his enormous potential. A great example was a practice last week when Fields at times was looking like the best player on the field as he flying around and knocking guys senseless. It was one of his best practices. Of course, then near the end in a two-minute drill, he is blitzing on a play and he runs in and knocks quarterback Bill Stull to the ground — even though it was clear the quarterbacks were not live. And instead of taking redirection from coaches about it, he cops an attitude and is promptly sent off the field. It is stuff like that — it is almost never anything malicious but almost always just a sign of immaturity. Another day, he was late for a meeting or something and got demoted to the second team. Again, the he is not a bad kid and I don’t think he is a dumb kid. He knows what he needs to do, he knows where he needs to be — I just think he needs to grow up a little bit and if he does that, then I have no question he is an NFL talent. The problem he has, however, is that time is running out on him and sooner or later he is going to run out of second chances. It really is time for him to get focused on becoming the dominant player he should be.

You know a copy of that ended up nailed in Fields’ locker. Even if he probably reads it and says, “Who the #@%&* is Pat Benatar and where did he coach?”

Anyone else wonder if Buddy Jackson will ever get fully healthy in a preseason to take part in enough practices to be trusted to get in a game? Jared Holley will at least be out there in packages for obvious passing situations. Here’s hoping Aaron Berry is as consistent as he’s been in camp.

Q: Aaron Berry got picked on a lot last year by opposing offensive coordinators — do you see that continuing? If so, does he have the skill to recover and make it stop?

ZEISE: I don’t know that I agree with that completely. He gave up some big plays and I don’t think he had a great year by any measure. But he wasn’t as bad as some people seem convinced he was and he was and is still the Panthers best corner. And don’t forget, he was All-Big East, so he must have done a few things right. And teams certainly didn’t pick on him. That being said, Aaron Berry really had a great camp. He has played as well as anyone on the team and he really does seem more focused this year. I’ve even heard coaches talk about him as a shutdown corner who can take away half the field. I really expect him to have a big season.

The mystery of what is going on with Tony Tucker is still unknown. Pitt has said it is “personal reasons,” excused him and really don’t seem to expect him to return. The kid is from Maryland, and according to the Maryland blog, it seems that there are family things that are in play. So he is looking to be closer to home. Maybe transferring to Maryland or a 1-AA school. Sorry that he’s leaving, but I hope things work out for him.

Then there’s the return game. Cam Saddler and Aaron Smith are battling it out.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Smith is known for possessing the best set of hands among Pitt receivers not named Jonathan Baldwin.

“Aaron makes it look easy,” Saddler said. “I take tips from him every day. He’s relaxed and looks so confident.

“We’re two different types of returners. He has sure hands, and I’ve got the big-play ability. Once I get ‘Aaron hands,’ I think I’ll be all right.”

Smith, however, is haunted by dropping a critical third-down pass against Bowling Green last year in the season opener. Although he played in four games, Smith never saw another pass thrown his way.

“I got caught in a bad situation,” Smith said. “I can’t wait to rebound from that. I had to wait all season to gain their trust back. It’s still up in the air until I get on the field (to prove) I can catch the ball.”

That’s what has kept Saddler from winning the starting punt return job, although he was sidelined last season with a torn ACL in his left knee.

The 5-6, 170-pounder had seven kickoff returns for touchdowns in high school, one short of a national record, and a pair of punt returns for scores as a senior. He averaged 30.7 yards on kick returns and 25.1 on punt returns that year, but he has struggled to catch punts since arriving at Pitt.

“I was never really coached how to catch it,” said Saddler, who is on the first kickoff return unit. “It was just, get back there and catch the ball. Now, I’m getting coached on doing it, and (Wannstedt) wants me to catch everything, so it makes it harder.

“Plus, it doesn’t help that these guys know how to kick. My senior year of high school, it was the center or guard kicking the ball. I knew it wasn’t going over 30 yards, so I could catch it on the bounce.”

Last year, we expected big things from the return game and just ended up with scary. This year I expect a lot more excitement from the return game this year. Almost as scary at times, but also exciting.

Actually have some things to get out regarding basketball.

ESPN.com has their ESPNU top-100 list for 2010 compiled, Isiah Epps checks in at #93. A little lower than I expected. Cashmere Wright didn’t make the list, but only for now. He was on the final cutdown list and still could make the final rankings according to their recruiting guy.

Wright is an athletic wing who has steadily improved this spring and summer. He excels in transition and in the half court with slashes to the basket, where he can finish through contact. He consistently hits the boards and can initiate the fast break on a defensive rebound. Wright plays with energy and urgency on both ends of the floor. He will be a capable multiple position defender for Pitt coach Jamie Dixon.

Pitt had a visit the other day from another player they offered for 2010. Maurice Walker had a nice time, but is keeping it close to the vest regarding where he’s leaning.

RM: Did you commit before leaving campus?

MW: I’m not gonna commit to them until i take some other visits and get a feel for some other programs and see what they have to offer.
———–

RM: What’s your list look like?

At the moment I’m looking at six schools. Pitt, Marquette, Georgetown, UConn, Kansas and Texas A&M.

Walker is a 6-10, 275 pound Canadian who will attend Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Pitt does not have a scholarship open at this time, but that has never stopped any team.

As for 2011, well Pitt will have 3 scholarships (Gilbert Brown, Gary McGhee and Brad Wanamaker). One of them may be on the verge of being filled. Say hello to John Johnson — who should not be confused with John Jackson of the Fingerlicans or his bitter rival Jack Johnson of the Tastycrats — a rising junior from the Philly area. He took a visit to Pitt and it left an impression.

“It was beautiful, I loved it,” Johnson said. “[I’m] thinking about taking the offer from them.”

…

“[I’ll] probably decide around the 1st or 2nd week of school,” he said in a text message.

Scout.com has him as a 3-star and already ranks him as the 18th best shooting guard nationally. Rivals.com does not have rankings yet, but notes that his offers include ND, VT, GT, Villanova. Plus UCLA and Marquette are showing interest.

ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. doesn’t have anything recent on Johnson but this review of him (Insider subs) as a freshman is encouraging (and a little disturbing to put any stock in).

Johnson displayed great burst off the dribble and the ability to drain shots from deep. His quickness and playmaking ability had the whole gym buzzing. Johnson plays with a confidence well beyond his years. Remember the name.

Consider it recalled.

ESPN.com is doing it’s conference shoot-arounds this week. Here’s the Big East’s. There’s not much on Pitt. Jay Bilas picks Pitt for 7th in the conference.

Is this the year Pitt takes a small step back? It certainly hasn’t happened yet, despite previous predictions. The heart and soul of the team graduated to the NBA, but the leadership and toughness of Levance Fields will be the toughest to replace. Pitt is younger and less experienced, but the Panthers will still play hard and tough. I am looking for Gilbert Brown, Ashton Gibbs and Jermaine Dixon to step forward, but the freshmen have to produce. Dante Taylor needs some time, but he has a chance to be special.

Taylor also made the list of “10 freshmen we can’t wait to see” in the Big East. Jermaine Dixon was one of the conference’s key players.

The lone returning starter for Pitt will have a lot to shoulder if the Panthers are going to keep their successful run going. This is his team, and more, his backcourt, now that Levance Fields is gone. How he handles his new role will go a long way in determining Pittsburgh’s success.

Think there might be a meme getting established about Fields’ departure? No mention of Chase Adams, so I think this was put together before he transferred.

The last practice was yesterday. Tonight is FanFest at Heinz Field. Unlike previous years there won’t be any practice to watch. All the other bells and whistles — autographs, music, cheerleaders, live media interviews, kids’ stuff — barely a half-speed practice.

“Tomorrow we have FanFest so we’ll get down to the stadium in the afternoon and give the guys a chance to get in the locker room and do the pre-game warm up and do limited work on the field. We’ll still throw the ball around a little bit and give them a taste of what it’ll be like come game time. So, I think we’re right on schedule at this point. I’m glad we’re not playing Saturday; we’re not by any means ready to play a football game. We have to clean some things up in all phases and we have to get a little better in all phases. We have time, and we will. But, I think we’re right where we need to be at this point.”

I’ll be curious to find out what kind of turnout will take place, especially with the weather being overcast and possible rain all day.

Coach Wannstedt also addressed the return game. Something Pitt struggled with last year.

On Aaron Smith and Cameron Saddler concerning punt return drills:
“I thought we started off the season doing a poor job with our return game in general. We ended up first in the Big East in punt returns, but we started off not very good and so we did spend more time with that and we tried to create more situations where they would have to make decisions and handle the ball under pressure, and they’re both doing a good job. Right now we probably have four or five guys that can do it, Aaron Smith and Cam Saddler would be the top two.”

Concerning kickoffs:
“We got Cam back on kicks, we’re working Aundre Wright, and we’re working Dion Lewis. We have Antwuan Reed back there. We haven’t finalized anything yet.”

Losing Saddler in training camp last year was a big hit to what was expected in the return game. As long as his ACL is healed and he trusts it, I am expecting him to have a significant impact in the return game.

(more…)

It’s all stories about players finding new places on the team.

Tony Tucker appears to be gone from Pitt for whatever personal reasons. The offer to come back is apparently open, but it seems unlikely that his spot on the two-deep will be there.

The departure of Tucker, though, opened the door for Brandon Lindsey after converting to DE from linebacker.

Lindsey contemplated his future while watching classmate Greg Williams develop into a potential four-year starter at strong-side linebacker. During spring drills, Lindsey told Pitt coaches that he intended to transfer to Division I-AA Norfolk State. Instead, the Panthers promised a change and moved Lindsey to defensive end.

It was an instant success, as the 6-foot-2, 240-pound redshirt sophomore from Aliquippa proved to be a pass-rushing specialist who starred in the Blue-Gold Game with four solo tackles and two sacks. He has sacks in both scrimmages in training camp and has taken advantage of injuries to starter Jabaal Sheard and top backup Shayne Hale to take repetitions with the first-team defense in the past week.

“I think it was a natural move. He was probably a step-slow linebacker, but he’s a step-fast defensive end,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “I’m hoping we get the same results with Nate Nix. They were both ‘Sam’ (strong-side) linebackers a year ago, and they’re both rushing the passer today.”

Lindsey was a 3-4 star recruit coming out of high school with offers from OSU, BC and WVU as well. He now has a chance to see more action since Pitt rotates DEs a lot, especially when compared to the minimal rotation at the linebacker spots.

Greg Williams ended up jumping Lindsey last year at outside linebacker. He, of course, had his own conversion to the spot from running back despite his bloodlines with Edgerrin James (cousin) and Albert Bentley (uncle). He now admits that he wasn’t thrilled with the change at first, but…

“Once I got on the field, I realized I enjoyed linebacker,” Williams said. “I didn’t know what I was doing half the time, but I was flying around and making plays.”

Now he actually knows what he’s doing, too. He’s not Scott McKillop in that respect, but he definitely isn’t Clint Sessions either.

On the other side of the ball, Joe Thomas is the jack-of-all-trades on the line. Trying to get the starting left guard spot — which would be his third position in four years on the O-line.

“It’s not something I expected, but it’s good,” Thomas said. “It keeps the fire going. It never lets you get comfortable. You always have to be on top of your game — keeping on task with your mental assignments and the physical aspects of the game. So it’s actually really good.”

Offensive line coach Tony Wise said Thomas’ situation is a natural part of being in a major-college football program.

“The interesting thing is that no one seems to understand about athletics is that you try to recruit guys so [current players] progress,” Wise said. “As well as he has done, there are guys who are climbing. There are guys who are working hard, have a lot of talent. I look at it as a natural progression. There are always guys nipping at guys’ heels. At least there should be.”

Thomas ought to know. He was one of those hot-shot recruits coming out of high school. He turned down scholarship offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin to come to Pitt. He stepped in and played right away as a freshman.

Thomas is using his experience to help in making the transition back to guard.

“It’s not something that’s totally brand new to me,” Thomas said. “There are a few minor adjustments that I have to get used to and keep working through. At guard, you have to react a lot quicker. There is a lot more traffic in a smaller space.”

He does a good job of keeping positive. Shame he can’t do center, though. Could really use some more reassurance there.

Then there is Dorin Dickerson and at last at home as the hybrid TE/halfback and trying to finish a bit of a star-crossed career at Pitt on the upswing.

Dickerson says he doesn’t blame the coaching staff for moving him around so much.

“Part of it was my fault,” he said. “I came in and probably my head was too big. I didn’t think I had to work as hard as everybody else.

“I had to look in the mirror and mature and do more to be a better player. Wherever I play at, it doesn’t matter. I was just like an athlete; I could play anywhere, but I never really had a set position. But (tight end) is the best place for me. It’s very comforting for me to know I’ve had the same position now for two years in a row.”

The past is the past. The future still holds promise.

Dickerson’s versatility gives Pitt a lot of options. They can play him in two tight end receiver sets with Byham, a first team All-Big East selection last season. Dickerson can line up as a receiver, or he can shift to the backfield as a fullback. The tight end could become a bigger weapon in the Panthers’ offense this season with LeSean McCoy no longer around.

“I bring more speed to it, and Nate brings more size,” Dickerson said. “I’m like a hybrid. I can play anywhere.”

The one-time blue chipper who saw himself as a surefire NFL draft pick has now adopted a blue collar attitude.

“I never thought I’d say this to you right now,” he says, “but it’s the best feeling to see a running back score a touchdown or gain 10 yards and you helped make the block.”

Dickerson has been frustrating for Pitt fans. Not for his attitude, which has simply been outstanding the entire time. Nor for anything off the field or anything he has done. It’s that everyone has known abut his talent since he was a freshman. Everyone just wants him out there to be the playmaker as expected..

He’s been dealing with a disturbingly nagging hamstring injury in camp. Here’s hoping it fully heals and he haves the year we all want.

Browser tabs starting to pile up, so it is time to get some of the material out there.

Sporting News has general Big East preview stuff. A list of the “best.” No idea what their parameters were for picking the best blog, though I’m guessing they only looked mainstream media. That they picked Tampa Bay Online rather than Troy Nunes or any of the other excellent Big East team blogs out there. Here’s the “best” stuff related to Pitt.

Personality: Greg Romeus, DE, Pitt
Offensive coordinator: Frank Cignetti, Pitt
In man-to-man coverage: Aaron Berry, Pitt
Defensive line: Pitt
Bet to be a head coach soon: David Walker, running backs coach, Pitt
Backup QB: Pat Bostick, Pitt
Chance for a turnaround: Bill Stull, QB, Pitt

Think the Pitt QB issue doesn’t have everyone a little hesitant about picking them?

WE SAY: Pitt will win its first outright conference championship in school history.

Former Pitt All-American BILL FRALIC says: “My perspective, candidly, is there is no clear-cut favorite in the Big East. But here’s why Pitt can do it: The conference may be down a hair overall, and we have a great defense. The critical part of the equation is quarterback play. I’m cautiously optimistic that whoever plays—Billy Stull or Pat Bostick—there’s going to be a bigger impact at that position than in the past.”

The rest of us are cautiously terrified.

Sticking with previews, predictions and scenarios, Brian Bennett at ESPN.com hits Pitt’s best and worst cases.

Paul Zeise blogs a lot of Pitt player lists: MVPs, Best, Best Athletes, Best NFL Prospects, Best young players. Lists. Fodder to pass the time.

Scrimmage was canceled for today. All the contact drills from the day before apparently rendered it moot. It seems cheap tickets and a catiously optimistic fanbase result in a better season ticket sales.

Pitt season tickets are selling at a pace that would equal the second-most sold in the program’s history. Chris Ferris, the associate athletic director for marketing and promotions, said the Panthers will surpass last year’s 42,000 season-ticket sales. The record for season-ticket sales was more than 57,000 in 2003 when the Larry Fitzgerald-led Panthers were a preseason top 20 team and played a home schedule that included Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Miami.

You know what would really help ticket sales for the rest of the season? Not stumbling out of the gate in September.

Here’s what Coach Wannstedt says about the upcoming year.

Q: What can fans look forward to during the 2009 Pitt football season?

A: I think that we’re going to have great leadership. I think our defense is going to be as good as we’ve been in a while. And I think we’re going to see more big plays in the passing game than we have in the past few years. I think our quarterbacks are better, I think our skilled guys are all improved, and I look for some big years out of those guys. We’re excited to get this year going.

Wins. Looking for wins in things to look forward to.

For good and bad. Puff pieces and overcoming hardships. The individual players have some stories to tell. There have been several over the last couple days so let’s put them in one post.

Senior tight end Nate Byham has a very compelling personal backstory. It’s one that was first told a couple years ago. It is worth re-telling as Byham starts his final year at Pitt and has really beaten the odds with a lot of things in his family history.

Nate lived with his grandfather from the time he was born until kindergarten, when he moved in with his mother and aunt in Franklin. He moved back in with his grandfather for the fifth and sixth grade, but went back to Franklin to live in the seventh grade because the sports programs were better there. By the time he was in high school, Nate was sleeping at the homes of his friends because the situation at his mother’s was not good, and another move back to his grandfather’s would have meant changing schools again.

Even when Nate was not living under his roof, Ron kept close tabs on him. Nate remembers a time shortly after moving back in with his mother when he started to make some bad decisions. He said he doesn’t know what would have happened if his grandfather did not intervene.

“It’s really hard to think about because there was a stretch early in middle school when I started to follow the wrong path,” Nate said. “I started messing around with the wrong crowd. I wasn’t doing horrible things, but the kids around me were drinking and smoking weed. This was in the seventh grade. I was in that crowd. I started getting into some trouble.

“That’s when my grandfather talked to me and straightened me out. He made me look down the road and see my future. I could look at mom and other people around me. I really didn’t want to end up like that.”

As much as it is a credit to his grandfather for helping Nate Byham down the right path and raising him, it is a credit to Byham for having the maturity and focus to actually see the paths. A 13 or 14-year old finding the maturity and strength to ignore the temptations and easy ways of his social group and within his own family.

Senior defensive tackle Mick Williams has remained strong against his own personal and athletic problems.

“Mick is a lot more focused on what is at the end of the tunnel,” Junko said. “He can see the light. Some guys never see the light.”

No one would have blamed Williams if he lost his way in darkness. His father, Ernest, died of a heart attack when Mick was 6. His mother, Robin Stover, has struggled to raise six children. Williams spent the week before camp helping his family move from West Mifflin back to Monessen after they lost their house to foreclosure.

Even so, he doesn’t complain about misfortunes.

“Everybody has a problem,” Williams said. “I’m blessed we’ve got a new home, that we’re not homeless.”

No one would have blamed Williams if he would have quit Pitt football. A series of shoulder injuries and concussions left him sidelined his first two seasons. His grandfather, Donald Stover — as strong of a father figure as Williams has had — died in the spring of his redshirt freshman year. So did two of his mother’s sisters, Sheryl Graham and Valerie Stover, and Graham’s husband, Larry Detwiler. A cousin who lost both parents was jailed when he turned to dealing drugs, and Williams was tempted to do the same.

If Pitt has a big season, you can just visualize the soft-focus features being run on College GameDay.

For on the field overcoming injuries and maturity, Jason Pinkston is key to the O-line.

Now Pinkston is, perhaps, the most irreplaceable player on Pitt’s front five as the left tackle who protects the quarterback’s blind side. The difficulty of doing so was abundantly clear in his absence in the bowl game, and the Panthers don’t have an experienced backup.

“It makes me feel comfortable when I have a guy like that who’s protecting my blind side,” fifth-year senior quarterback Bill Stull said. “It’s a big help having him healthy.”

What Pinkston, a 6-foot-4, 312-pound redshirt junior from Baldwin, has to prove now is that he can live up to the potential that matches his enormous frame and the high expectations set by his demanding position coach. Tony Wise sees the talent in Pinkston and believes, with better technique and steadier performance, that he can become a physical force for the Panthers.

I’m not saying panic in the streets if Pinkston goes down to injury this year, but it won’t be a good feeling.

Shane Murray is Pitt’s jack-of-all-linebackers and coming back from an ACL tear.

Pitt coaches asked Murray to learn all three linebacker positions, and the 6-foot-2, 230-pound, fifth-year senior from Hazelwood is considered the Panthers’ top backup at both outside linebacker spots and a starter on all four special-teams units. Not bad for someone 10 months removed from surgery.

“The last two days, he’s made some headway,” defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said. “We haven’t pushed him to the extent of some of them because we need him. I think he knows his role. We expect him to play about 20 plays a game. We’re not asking him to be an every-down player.”

A player not counted on to be a star, but to be an important component of the team and hopefully overall success.

I’m hesitant about this. Apparently the practice yesterday afternoon excited Kevin Gorman, the Trib’s beat writer.

The Panthers conducted perhaps their most entertaining and exciting offensive practice of training camp this afternoon.

Sorry I can’t tell you about it.

There are certain things we are privy to watching in practice but are not permitted to report, and offensive formations and gimmick plays are primary among them. So, I can’t share what I saw. Please forgive the tease.

What I can say is that Pitt has some playmakers and, when used in certain formations, its offense has the potential to be explosive. And we’re not just talking about receivers Jonathan Baldwin and Oderick Turner as deep threats or tailbacks Dion Lewis and Ray Graham and their make-you-miss moves in the open field.

…

The fun resulted in big plays that broke up the monotony of training camp, energized the team and proved contagious.

Sounds very exciting and promising, but this is training camp. Even within the gushing about the action there was a bit of caution.

If Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt allows offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. some creativity in his play-calling, especially when the Panthers face an opponent that is considerably slower, like Pitt’s 2005-06 teams.

That’s the “if.” Coach Wannstedt is not known for being particularly adventurous on offense, and has come off as deploring innovations on offense as gadgets and gimmick plays — the Wildcat formation comes to mind as does the oft-cited ignoring of Greg Cross last season.

It’s one thing to shake-up a training camp practice by running some of these plays and getting the players juiced. It’s something far different to pull the trigger on calling the play in a game. Especially a game that might be tight or against a non-patsy opponent.

I’m not trying to be so negative about some offensive creativity, but Coach Wannstedt is still the head guy, and as much as strong defense is his hallmark so too is a highly conservative offense. One of the defenses of former OC Matt Cavanaugh’s questionable play-calling was that it was the offense his head coach wanted.

We will find out a lot this year about that defense.

Chase Adams has a good interview with Big East Basketball Report.

Pittsburgh, according to Chase were chosen over “Marquette, the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Texas State and Miami of Ohio” (Pitt and Texas State offered scholarships), for a variety of reasons.

“Close to home,” said Adams of the attractiveness of Pitt. “It’s a great program. The coach (Jamie Dixon), he’s had a lot of success. They have a lot of returning players, but need a little bit more experience at point guard.”

His coaches from his summer team and old high school coach helped steer him towards Pitt. Good to read the implications of Pitt being a good place for kids from the Baltimore area. He comes to Pitt this week for year.

He and Dante Tayler just finished up in the DC Kenner League. Taylor had a slightly harder time.

Coming into the Big East, Taylor is known as a banger capable of finishing and filling lanes, while also rebounding and scoring in the half court via jump hooks and put backs. His Kenner League performance did nothing to dispute that scouting report, as Taylor, a McDonald All-American did all the above.

The difference when playing against older, stronger players is that Dante didn’t excel constantly; there were times when he faded in and out. He also couldn’t bull his way to the cup as easily as he did on the prep level at National Christian (Oxon Hill, MD). Expect him to develop a go-to and counter moves, plus more strength at Pitt, enabling him to impact conference play.

At least he already has an idea that it won’t be as easy as high school.

I couldn’t help but take note that Eloy Vargas would be academically ineligible at Florida this coming year. He was injured for much of his first year and then did little last year. Now, he apparently is bailing on Florida.

Sources indicate that former Florida forward Eloy Vargas has received his release and is on campus at Kentucky.

The 6-foot-10 native of the Dominican Republic battled an injury last season and barely played.

Sources indicated that Donovan was not happy with Vargas’ work ethic and also that Vargas’ academics are suspect.

I guess Orlando Antigua still likes him.

Just a reminder of luck and the vagaries of recruiting. Even for the big talent. Sometimes you get lucky for the ones who turn you down at the end.

A 4-star, best player in Florida, top-26 national player with a very high ceiling. Pitt seemingly had him until  a late swoop-in by Florida coming off of back-to-back national championships.

Vargas was a big miss for Pitt, Dixon and Antigua. Another big  player that Pitt and Dixon couldn’t close the deal on landing.

Now he will hope to salvage some of his college time. I’d be surprised if he actually ends up at Kentucky. He doesn’t seem to fit them at this point (and I don’t even know if they have a scholarship to offer).

As for observations from the scrimmage, well that is where the beat writers’ blogs come into play. The posts are chock-full of good bits, and I’m not going to provide annotations of them. Everyone takes different things from them, and later we really find out what was foreshadowed.

The obvious thing that jumps out is that the scrimmage featured bad QB play all-around and Coach Wannstedt decided to just skip it.

The one thing you have to understand about a controlled scrimmage is that the play-calling can and will be manipulated by the coaching staff, which makes training camp scrimmages no different than the dog-and-pony show in the spring called the Blue-Gold Game.

So, for those hoping that the second scrimmage would create separation in the quarterback competition and force Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt to play backup Tino Sunseri ahead of starter Bill Stull, think again.

Wannstedt, after all, is the one calling the shots.

When it became evident that Pitt’s passing game wasn’t going well — Stull was 2 of 7 for 3 yards, Sunseri 4 of 10 for 36 — Wannstedt made it a day to focus on the running game. Smart move. Instead of Pitt fans walking away wondering why star receiver Jonathan Baldwin hasn’t caught a pass in two scrimmages, they marveled at the elusive open-field running of freshman tailback Ray Graham.

“Of the quarterbacks, I don’t think anybody really did anything bad,” Wannstedt said. “I don’t think anybody did anything to make you jump up and down, partially because of the limited number of passes we threw today and the emphasis being on the running game.”

Bostick was 3 of 4, but was working with 2nd and 3d teams. It seems he might be headed for a redshirt year at long last.

Bostick has worked exclusively with the second- and third-team offense this week, and it appears that he’s headed for a redshirt year. Neither Wannstedt nor offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. has mentioned as much, always counting Bostick when talking about quarterbacks, but Bostick addressed the idea when asked about it Saturday.

“I’m open to it,” Bostick said. “I don’t know what they’re thinking. I can’t read minds. I’m not too concerned about it. I’m just concerned with getting better every day. Those decisions are out of my control. I go out there every day, try to improve. Whatever decisions are made, those are the decisions that are made. If the redshirt’s in the back of their mind, OK. If not, OK, let’s move forward. I just try to take it all in stride.”

No, not too much to figure whether to try and read between the lines or simply take at face value.

Zeise looks at seven items from the scrimmage. He really seems high on Graham because of his ability to make the big play running the ball, Aaron Berry has looked really good and the depth is really far better than it ever has in years (something Gorman also noted). Then there was this bit.

The right tackle position is the only shaky position on the offensive line and mostly because the starter is a sophomore (Lucas Nix) who needed a lot of work but spent the past four or five days watching with a leg infection. And even before he got hurt he was swimming a little bit, though trying to block Jabaal Sheard would make a lot of guys look shaky. There is no question, however, that Nix needs to get back and work his tail off over the next two weeks in order to get ready to play. If he does come on, the line will be pretty good as the other four guys, and in particular Jason Pinkston and John Malecki, are playing really well. And that is regardless of who emerges at left guard because both Chris Jacobson and Joe Thomas have played solid throughout camp.

Nix is starting to make his way back on the field, but the infection is scary. No one has uttered that dread word of locker room/athletic infections to this point (rhymes with laugh), but you can bet it is being monitored and watched closely. Just get Nix healthy and healed first, then worry about getting him back up to speed.

After a day spent shuttling around home improvement and paint stores arguing discussing color gradients over which I don’t really care and color choices for a Corian countertop, I’m glad to get back to blogging practice reports. I realize there might be a potential liability issue with the power tools and lawn tractors, but the profit margins would be huge for Home Depot or Lowe’s if they stuck a small bar right next to the paint or kitchen design centers.

The day after the Saturday scrimmage was very light, non-contact. So not much there other than Tony Tucker’s continued excused absence for “personal reasons.”

The status of redshirt sophomore defensive end is still unresolved, as he was excused for the sixth day of training camp to deal with “personal issues.” It’s not a disciplinary matter, and Wannstedt wasn’t sure whether Tucker will rejoin the team but said Tucker is welcome back.

“I don’t know if it’s going to work out or not. There’s been some personal issues going on with him,” Wannstedt said. “We’re trying to help Tony in any way that we can.”

The clock, however, is ticking.

“Obviously,” Wannstedt said, “it needs to be resolved here pretty quick.”

Well, the scrimmage seemed to resolve nothing in terms of the depth chart. Left guard is still a position that is “officially” still up in the air.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said that the competition between Thomas and Jacobson will continue at least through this week because the two are so close.

“Physically they are really very, very close,” Wannstedt said. “Chris is still making some inexperience mistakes that Joe has not made. So in my mind it is a little bit like [safeties] Andrew Taglianetti and Elijah Fields, they are both starters, they are both capable, but if we were playing tonight, Joe Thomas would probably be the starter.

“But we have two weeks before we play so we will see, but Joe had a good scrimmage and it really right now is just experience versus inexperience.”

It’s Joe Thomas at this point. Experience matters more to Wannstedt. We all know that.

As for safety, Elijah Fields is apparently freelancing a bit too much for the coaching staff. That’s the only explanation for Andrew Taglianetti apparently getting the nod at the moment. Tags does not have the physical gifts or size of Fields, but he is more disciplined and much like Scott McKillop, just makes plays. Fields on the field gives Pitt better size in the secondary and speed, but if the coaches don’t trust that he will play smart enough and stick to his assignments he won’t get the starting nod.

Robb Houser seems to have re-established himself to be the starting center. Like last year, it’s the lack of anyone behind him that makes it an unnerving thing.

Q: How much depth is there at the center position? How big of a deal is it if Robb Houser goes down?

ZEISE: I’d say considering the back-up is a walk-on, Alex Karabin, there isn’t much. Not that Karabin isn’t a good player or capable, just that it speaks volumes that none of the scholarship guys they have can beat him out. Karabin is athletically pretty good, but he is a tad undersized and I think if Houser went down the coaches would consider moving John Malecki over to center and putting Joe Thomas into Malecki’s spot.

Which, in light of the way C.J. Davis played there when he had to move over there after Houser went down seems to be less of a concern. The problem is what that does to overall depth. The O-line still remains a very thin unit and losing depth by moving Malecki would mean if any other lineman went down, the drop-off would be that much more dramatic.

Especially since Lucas Nix has been out for a bit with a leg infection.

“I think that Greg Gaskins made a lot of progress last week. He closed the gap a little bit on Lucas Nix. It’s not Lucas’ fault, he’s hurt, but he has to get back with it.”

The kicking game actually seems to be okay. Dan Hutchins has been named the starting punter (no surprise), and is still battling Kevin Harper for placekicking duties. Some concern over Harper’s accuracy, but not his leg.

“There’s no question that Harper’s got the strongest leg. If we were attempting any 50-plus field goals, he gives you the best chance to make it because his leg is so strong,” Wannstedt said. “But, as we all know, field goal kickers make their money kicking between the 30s and 40s.”

I’m still picking Harper to get placekicker duties. He has been nearly as consistent as Hutchins in shorter yardage, but he is close. I just don’t see Wannstedt being very comfortable using two kickers depending on the yardage. He wants consistency in the units.

On to running backs, where Ray Graham did not fumble and had statistically the best day.

Graham, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound freshman tailback from Elizabeth, N.J., put on a show by picking up 152 all-purpose yards and scoring two touchdowns in Pitt’s second scrimmage of training camp Saturday.

“I’m real excited with what Graham did,” Wannstedt said. “Now, will he know what to do? Will he hold onto the ball and do all the other things to trust him in a football game? That is still up for evaluation, but the statement he made today is: ‘I have the ability to make guys miss.’

“He did some Shady moves out there today.”

At this point it is Dion Lewis and then Ray Graham for the two-deep at tailback.

Dan Mason appears poised to grab the middle linebacker spot — if not starting playing there a lot more than the coaches expected this season.

Another true freshman who made a strong case to crack the two-deep depth chart was middle linebacker Dan Mason, a Penn Hills High School graduate. Mason has been one of the standouts throughout camp and yesterday had a team-high six tackles, including two for a loss.

“People see if you work hard. I just want to continue to work hard and, if they want to play me [as opposed to redshirt me], then I would be OK with that,” Mason said. “I’ve been playing hard and I am getting it down mentally, so I think I should [play this season].”

Wannstedt said, “We played Dan Mason with the second unit today and he showed up. He is going to be a player, we know that.”

The beat writers both envision Mason playing middle and Adam Gunn moving outside to play with him. That makes sense to have the experienced Gunn out there with a playmaker like Mason in the best spot.

Nate Nix is happier playing at DE.

“Because of injuries we moved Nate to defensive end and he made some plays. After practice he asked me if he could stay at defensive end, and I said he could. Coach Gattuso is excited to have him.”

Given the depth all across the D-line, this is not a major move, but if it puts the players in their best spot to help and be their most productive then it is a good move.