Well, it isn’t just The Pitt Blather talking about Manny Stocker rise through the ranks.  The Post-Gazette’s Craig Myer has a nice article on him also.  Check this part closely:

 After an experiment at wide receiver in 2015, his first with the Panthers, Stocker once again is playing quarterback, the position he has played virtually his entire career. He also has been reunited with offensive coordinator Matt Canada, with whom he spent one season at North Carolina State in 2013.

It’s a strange return to normalcy in some ways, but there’s also a certain solace for Stocker as he works to make an impact in a quarterbacks group that, outside of starter Nate Peterman, largely lacks experience.

The reason I clipped that quote is that we have seen Pat Narduzzi not hesitate to look at his roster and make decisions based on the talent at hand.  It is one thing when a phenom like Jordan Whitehead, a highly rated and sought after recruit, walks into camp and claims a starting job.  Many other coaches do that in allowing true FR to start playing right away. But Narduzzi sat down an established starting QB in his first year in a HC position.

Showing of course that every position on the team is truly up for grabs.

So it isn’t too surprising that Narduzzi liked what he saw out of Stocker and made a decision based on it:

Lured to the Panthers partially by his younger brother, Jay, a redshirt freshman defensive back, Stocker initially shied away from playing quarterback in the face of a crowded field of passers that included Peterman and then-starter Chad Voytik. In hopes of seeing the field, Stocker switched to wide receiver and played five games in special-teams capacities in 2015.

In that time, though, he was a scout-team quarterback and impressed Narduzzi enough to prompt his coach to switch him back to his original position in January. Around that same time, Pitt hired Canada as its offensive coordinator, leading teammates to call and text Stocker to find out more about their new coach.

Our transfer DE from Tennessee, rsSO Dewayne Hendrix,  looks to do the same thing that Nate Peterman did last fall, and apparently what Stocker may do on a slightly smaller scale at QB2, and that is come into the program and end up in a starting position.

Over at the Tribune-Review Jerry D. wrote an interesting piece on the defense’s work so far this spring.

Here’s a squib about the aforementioned Dewayne Hendrix, who by the way is 6’4″ and 270 lbs.  For comparison to Hendrix, in their senior seasons Jabaal Sheard was 6’4″ and 260 and Greg Romeus was 6’6″ and 270 – so you can see Hendrix’s size fits right in with our two best DEs in recent history.

Hendrix is causing a stir after he recorded 4 ¹/₂ sacks in a closed scrimmage Saturday, according to statistics released by Pitt.  Even coach Pat Narduzzi joked the number might have been inflated, but Hendrix is proving difficult for blockers to handle while he’s still learning the basics of the defense.

“He is pretty good, a lot of raw talent,” Caprara said. “He shows a lot of good things.  “If you get him in the playbook and (he) understands where it becomes a habit, he can be a beast.”

Speaking of Hendrix he just may be our next true star on defense… Whitehead included.  Here is his recruit listing on Rivals.com and take a close look at that offer sheet.  Not only was he a 4* kid the “Big Boy” programs wanted him to play for them – OSU, Nebraska, PSU, Florida, MSU… we got a nice steal here I think.

He just wasn’t happy with the atmosphere at UT and didn’t like the way the staff treated the players – something we have all heard before with HC Butch Jones at the helm.  So he left.

Let’s review what Hendrix did in high school:

After that nice showing in the scrimmage Saturday Hendrix is an easy target to write about – even the Beaver County Times gets into the ring:

After playing in seven games behind freshman all-American Derek Barnett for the Volunteers, Hendrix opted to transfer to Pitt.  “When I decided to transfer, I didn’t know where I wanted to go,” Hendrix said. “A good buddy of mine, quarterback Nate Peterman, played a big part in it. As I started to take more and more visits here, I really started to like the place.”

While Hendrix had to sit out the 2015 season under NCAA transfer rules, the 6-foot-2, 270-pounder made an impact just by showing up at Pitt last summer.  “He looks like a Division I college football player,” defensive coordinator Josh Conklin said at the outset of spring practice. “He’s an SEC defensive end. When you look out there, there’s a marked difference in terms of what he looks like.”

Huh, another reason to thank Nate Peterman.  By the way – that article was written by local guy Tony DeFazio who I like to check in on every so often to see what he has to say.  His website is the Pittsburgh Sports Report and is worth putting into your “Pitt Favorite Websites” (if you have one).

The Pitt News even gets into the act with this on Hendrix:

Last season, Ejuan Price was undoubtedly ‘the guy’ on Pitt’s defensive line. With top-end quickness and pass-rushing technique, Price amassed 11.5 sacks.

Now, Price might have some competition in that proverbial pecking order. After sitting out the past season due to transfer rules, Dewayne Hendrix has been a spring practice star, sacking the quarterback 4.5 times in Pitt’s first scrimmage.

Not that Price is complaining — especially if that means fewer double teams for him. “Hopefully Dewayne gets them all,” Price said with a laugh. “Hopefully I get all the one-on-ones.”

Speaking of the Pitt News they had this tongue-in-cheek (a la’ The Onion) article “Pitt announces new tactic for tackling poor attendance”  and said this:

After numerous attempts to keep students at Heinz Field after the third quarter of football games, Pitt Athletics announced Thursday that it will try out a strapping new method.

Last year, to remedy the overwhelming exodus of student fans after “Sweet Caroline” during Panthers’ games at Heinz Field, Pitt left free snacks on the buses for students who stayed. This year, to save money, Pitt has decided to go with an alternative that will only cost thousands of dollars in student tuition money once, rather than every game.

After halftime, over-the-shoulder restraints will clamp down on every seat in the student section of Heinz Field, locking students in place until the game’s bitter end.

“The team really needs to see its fans in the stands, especially during those last crucial moments of play,” Pitt Athletic Director Scott Barnes said in a release. “If that means we have to literally lock those kids into the commitment, so be it. We’ll do anything for a win.”

According to E.J. Borghetti, spokesperson for Pitt Athletics, the snack tactic was more than just costly — it also just wasn’t cutting it for Panther fans.

“Kids kept complaining that the soda was flat and the off-brand pork rinds weren’t enough incentive to stay for a full game,” Borghetti said. He added, under his breath as he turned away, “This ought to teach them to be grateful.”

 It’s a great read and actually hits pretty close to home with the Scott Barnes news being discussed so much over the last week.

The Trib-Review also offers us this interview with Pat Narduzzi:

Here is something I found about Penn State football that I think will be interesting to us Pitt Fans.

And of course we end it with the standard post-practice Pitt Media Dept news release.

Pitt Spring Practice #10
April 5, 2016

 PDF LINK: 2016 Pitt Spring Football Guide

 Coach Pat Narduzzi Quote Sheet

On this past Saturday’s scrimmage:

“We had a solid scrimmage. We got into Heinz Field. When the lights turn on at Heinz Field, you’ve got to bring your best game. (Editor’s Note: WTF?!?!)  We had some guys show up and we had some other ones that maybe didn’t show up like we wanted them to. It’s a work in progress. On offense, we threw the ball well. We had some guys play well in the passing game.

We probably didn’t get Darrin Hall enough rushes. We wish we would have gotten him a few more carries, but the further the game goes, you don’t notice what’s going on there. But the three rushes he had he looked pretty good. Defensively, we did a pretty good job at stopping the run, which is what we better do. I think we gave up some plays, which, in a 112-play scrimmage that may happen. It was a long scrimmage, but we’ve just got to continue to push forward and continue to get better.”

On who stood out on Saturday:

“A lot of guys did. To name a few, I think Matt Galambos played well inside. I thought Reggie Mitchell played well. Inside, Shakir Soto really had a good day. Offensively, the entire offensive line played solid. Jester Weah made a heck of a play. You guys should have seen it. But you’ll see it April 16 [spring game].”

On some of the defensive stats from Saturday:

“A lot of times, when you see a sack, was it the quarterback’s fault? Was it the running back’s fault? Whatever. I think the offensive line has done a solid job. Dewayne Hendrix is good, but I think the stats were inflated.”

On whether the defense will improve this fall:

“You can’t tell when you’re going up against each other. I think we’re going to be a better football team. The word ‘think’, that’s like ‘potential.’ We’ve just got to keep getting better each day. I think our kids are locked in and focused and I think they want to get better and we’ll find out. Villanova won a national championship last night, and Villanova’s next biggest game is to come in to Heinz Field, so we’ve got to be ready to go.”

On whether the majority of the TFLs were against the second-team offensive line:

“There were more against the second-team offensive line. Some of those were sacks or fumbles and some sloppy stuff we’ve got to clean up. There were some different things going on in the backfield. We’ve looked at them and they’re very correctable. Our defense is playing fast and our offense is learning something new. I’m happy with where our offense and defense is.”

On the decision to have backup quarterbacks go live:

“We tried to find a backup quarterback. We didn’t want Nathan Peterman to get hurt, so we left a red jersey on him. I didn’t think anybody was going to get hurt. So we wanted those twos and threes and fours and five quarterbacks to go live and play the game. That’s really the only way to tell who’s ready to go. To see who’s ready to make plays with their feet.

I think with Manny Stocker back there and with Ben DiNucci, those are two guys who can move around, and I blew the whistle fast on Adam Bertke one time. He was mad, he turned around and glared at me. I think he would have turned loose. We’ve got to make those guys go live to play the game and find out who they really are. We may do it again this weekend to find out.”

On finding a second-string quarterback:

“I know Nathan Peterman is the number one quarterback. We’re still hunting. I’d say Manny Stocker is ahead right now at this point. That’s been a daily change, but after today who knows where he is. Manny had a couple nice plays in the game and then a couple plays where you go, ‘What are you doing?’ It’s something that’s going to take a little time.”

On receiver Dontez Ford’s practice status:

“He’s getting closer. He did some stuff today, but he’s not full yet.”

Defensive Line Coach Tom Sims Quote Sheet

On defensive end Dewayne Hendrix’s productive scrimmage:

“It means he’s headed in the right direction. Dewayne is a hard worker and he plays hard, and that’s the foundation of the success of what we do—developing the right habits and working to be what you can be. He definitely is doing that right now. And when you combine that with talent you can go a long way.”

On the dynamic of having two reliable ends:

“You like to have five or six and that’s what we’re working towards. The more the merrier. But we’re pleased with [Hendrix’s] progress. By no means is he at where he’s capable of being or where we need him to be. But he is on the way and he is working every day to be there. So his work ethic is what pleases me the most.”

On freshman end Patrick Jones II and his early enrollment:

”There’s no doubt that coming in early [will benefit him]. He got thrown in the deep end a little bit here and he’s held his own. He’s done a good job and he’s working hard to get better every day. He’s another young man whose work ethic is impressive. You appreciate a kid who gives you that.”

On defensive tackle Shakir Soto’s spring:

“He’s doing well. He’s improving every day. If he keeps going at the clip that he’s going, he’s going to be a significant contributor in there. He’s doing a great job.”

On returning All-ACC defensive end Ejuan Price:

“I want him to work like he’s an unknown commodity. I want him to come out here with the mindset that he’s got something to prove every single day. If there’s nobody that he feels is competing with him for the position, he’ll have to compete with himself then. It’s about getting to the point where he is the best he can possibly be. Will he ever get there? Probably not, but it’s something he needs to get towards.”

On the emergence of Hendrix helping Price:

“I expect Hendrix to continue to work hard and get better and do his job. And the more he can do, the more we’re going to allow him to do, quite frankly. I don’t think his presence takes pressure off any one particular person, but if he continues to develop, he can get to the point where we’re a better defense, and that’s what really matters—helping us become a better team.”

On end Allen Edwards being hindered by injury this spring:

“He’s trying to work his way back into it. He’s definitely got the skill set to be a contributor. But he just has to get to the point where he’s on the field and can prove that he can be a contributor. But he has the skill set.”

“Primarily he was on the scout team [in 2015]. When you’re not an active on-the-field player or contributor, you’re on the scout team. And that’s where he was for the majority of the year. He did get some work with us and he did travel some, but for the most part this is a real opportunity for him to prove that he can compete and get to the level where he needs to be. So we’ve got to get him back healthy.”

“He benefitted from lifting weights in our strength and conditioning program. And when you’re down on the scout team, you’re going against a good player every play, so it was definitely beneficial to his development.”

Linebacker Mike Caprara Quote Sheet

On Dewayne Hendrix and his performance in Saturday’s scrimmage:

“Yeah he’s pretty good. He has a lot of raw talent and shows a lot of good things. It’s encouraging to watch, as more of an Xs and Os guy. If you can get him in the playbook a bit more, to understand it where it becomes a habit, then he can be a beast.”

On the young linebackers:

“They’re doing really well. [Offensive coordinator] Coach [Matt] Canada is throwing a lot at us [in scrimmages], so a lot of those times when those younger guys are making mistakes it’s understandable. You want to get them fixed as a coach and as veterans looking towards the younger guys. I think they’re doing a pretty good job, they’re learning, and getting better each day. They just have to take it one day at a time with a lot of the stuff that’s being thrown at us.”

 Defensive End Ejuan Price Quote Sheet

On the young players progressing on the line:

“You don’t have to tell them much because they’re all eager to learn. When you don’t have to get after a guy and he’s policing himself, that’s always a good thing. I don’t really have to say anything to them because every day they come in to work.”

On the competition on the line:

“I feel like we push each other. I get extra work in and they get extra work in. We’re always trying to get better than the next guy. I think that’s funny, like sometimes I’ll come in to get some work in and don’t tell them, and sometimes they get in and don’t tell me. Like we’re trying to sneak in and get some work in.”

On how the defense looks compared to last year:

“I feel like when you’re more experienced in a system you’ll always be in a better position than last year. I know we lost a couple of playmakers, but I feel like we’re more familiar with the scheme then we were last year. I feel like we’re a step above of where we were at this time last year.”

On what a good day is at practice:

“When you don’t get yelled at it’s a good day. When you mess up, they’re going to let you know. If it’s a quiet practice, that’s how you know the defense had a good day.”

On what he looks to improve compared to last year:

“Before the season starts, probably just my body and things like that. Sharpen up a little, the little things, my technique, my physique. I think that’ll take me to the next level of where I want to be next season.”

On the overall defensive front:

“I think we have a good front four all around. You can’t really key on anybody because we can all make plays. We have Tyrique Jarrett in the middle as well as Shakir Soto and a couple other guys. I feel like if they try to key on one of us, somebody else is going to make a play. I feel like we’re pretty well balanced at this point.”

On Shakir Soto’s transition to inside:

“He’s looking real natural at tackle at this point. He’s obviously a lot quicker than a normal tackle. He’s getting bigger in the weight room, putting on some pounds and its showing, he’s holding his point. He’s looking real good at this point.