Pitt Spring Practice #7 March 28, 2015
Scrimmage # 2 was held today and below are the videos, stats and quotes from today’s practice session. This is the last full scrimmage until the Spring Game on April 18th at Highmark Stadium in Station Square.
Video: Saturday Scrimmage Highlights
Some things in that film jumped out at me that might not have been referenced in the quotes below. You’ll notice that this scrimmage saw a lot of TE use as receivers by both Voytik and Bertke. #81 rsFR Tony Harper is a TE who looks bigger than the listed 6’2” & 220 and who presents a large target and #83 Scott Orndoff is as much like a TE/H-Back hybrid as he is pure TE and I think we’ll see him some more in that H-Back role this season.
Even though Orndoff is 6’5” & 260, the perfect size for a college TE, his ability level and quickness allows a staff to set him back into the backfield (almost) and either act as a alternate Fullback with Parrish, but to also drop into pass block and/or release for swing passes out in the flat.
Anyway, from seeing the videos this spring it looks like we may see some of that in the fall. Holtz, on the other hand, is a bruiser who is very hard to take down after the catch. You get him the ball on a 3rd and long anywhere near the sticks and he’ll move them.
I have been touting #37 rsFR RB Quadree Ollison on here since the moment he set foot in fall camp last year. Watching those practices and scrimmages (ah, the good old days) you could see his talent level was right up there with Chris James. Actually Ollison might have been better in camp but the staff went with James for their own reasons.
In a conversation with RB Coach John Settle in mid-camp last fall he told me that the decision on who to redshirt would go down to the final practice before the season started. If you look back at Ollison’s offer sheet you see it is pretty impressive with 12 other FBS schools wanting him including PSU and Wisconsin.
I kind of expect to see a lot of Ollison this season because since it is almost automatic that James Conner goes in the draft (short RB shelf life) we need Ollison’s size , he is up to 6’2” and 235 now) and speed to complement James’ semi-bowling ball running style.
There has been a lot of camp talk about #30 JR MLB Mike Caprara lately and apparently this staff likes undersized linebackers who have heart. Kidding there, he is a kid who set tackling records (350) at his Woodland Hills HS and has a nose for the ball.
