Questions on the field. Questions off the field. Questions about the coaches. They are all there. Some will get sorted out in the next few weeks. Some will only be put to rest once the season begins.

Here are my top issues as camp begins. Actually, this list kind of got long, so I’m splitting it into a few posts.

1. Quarterback. Natch. Covered this yesterday so I won’t repeat it.

2. Defensive Coordinator Matt House. The defense is expected/needed to be the strength of this squad. The man in charge of the defense is a first time DC. A man with a total of 4 years of position coaching experience. Outside of new Defensive Ends & Linebackers Coach John Palmero the rest of the position coaches on the defense have 4 years or less of experience coaching at the college level.

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The pro-am Summer League begins tonight. Full rosters are in place (PDF). The Pitt players are grouped on four different squads out of seven. The only player not listed is JUCO transfer Joseph Uchebo. Derrick Randall, the big man from Rutgers is on the roster.

PGT — Talib Zanna and James Robinson. Rest of the squad is primarily Youngstown St. and Robert Morris

UPMC — James Newkirk, Jamel Artis and Durand Johnson. Rest is RMU and a few other places.

Oliveiero Peppers — Cam Wright, Derrick Randall and Chris Jones. Six? Six WVU players on this roster.

SPK Law — Lamar Patterson, Mike Young and Mike Lecak (walk-on). RMU and YSU on this one.

Interesting to note that Duquesne and WVU are concentrated on 2 squads. Duquesne makes some sense with only 8 players. But WVU have 11 players participating. If I had to hazard a guess, they got it that way as a convenience since they have the drive to-and-from Morgantown. (And a quick look at the schedule (PDF) does show only two nights where both WVU squads are not playing.)

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I’m sure it has something to do with Pitt’s academic calendar, but trying to hold a scheduled outside event in Pitsburgh in early- to mid-April is just an invitation for miserable weather.

The annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage seemingly continues the streak of heavy cloud cover, rain and wind. But don’t worry, having at 7pm will make it that much more comfortable.

/pours some bourbon

/sits in front of the computer to watch the feed on ESPN3

/realizes its not even 9am

/shrugs and drinks bourbon

So, good luck to the hearty souls who will go out to Bethel Park tonight. I hope the number of people in the stands outnumbers the combined number of players on the sidelines and people up in the press box.

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I suggested to my wife that for our anniversary, we take off work early, pull the kids from school and take a romantic drive to Bethel Park for the Pitt Spring Game. That went about as well as you would expect. It did, however, make her more amenable to me watching the livefeed on ESPN3 at 7 pm.

The big thing is that Spring Practices are nearly done, and it feels like not a lot has been learned. Yes, there was the drama of Rushel Shell deciding to transfer, but that was more distraction. Not on-the-field, except to give Isaac Bennett and Malcolm Crockett a lot more first team snaps.

Pitt ran its practices almost entirely under cover of the NCAA Tournament. For Paul Chryst that may not have been the plan, but it was definitely a perk.

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I’ll spare everyone the half-hearted attempts at fake news on April 1. That sort of thing is way too tired to waste time. No Pederson fired. No Dixon changes mind and takes the USC job. No new stadium down in Panther Hollow. No return of the Pitt Script. No NCAA investigation.

The downside is there isn’t much going on at the moment for Pitt. Rushel Shell is maintaining radio silence. Isaac Bennett and Malcolm Crockett were expecting to take advantage of the opening.

“It’s something I’ve been preparing for,” Crockett said. “I knew my time would come. Now it’s here, so every rep, every second, I’m just going to go hard to the fullest and eventually try to start.”

Both saw limited action in 2012. Bennett had 29 carries for 141 yards and three touchdowns. When Shell was suspended for the season opener against Youngstown State, Bennett ran for 42 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries backing up Ray Graham.

Crockett gained 50 yards on 12 carries last season and served as Shell’s backup in the BBVA Compass Bowl, rushing five times for 18 yards.

Bennett and Crockett described themselves as similar running backs, hard runners with a little bit of speed.

“I’m trying to work on my quickness a little bit, and he’s a little quicker right now,” Bennett said. “But we’re both competitors out there on the field.”

Pitt coach Paul Chryst acknowledged the similarities, but appreciated the differences.

“I think each guy’s different,” he said. “I think the similarities are that they both run hard. I think they like the game.

“I think Malcolm, I think he can continue to learn to tempo his runs a little bit. I think he’s sometimes just one speed. They just seem to have a little bit different style. I don’t think I’ve got to figure out exactly what it is, so I don’t spend a lot of time trying.”

Crockett, however, hurt his leg in the second scrimmage. And Demetrius Davis is also hurt.

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I can’t say I’ve given it too much thought. Kind of wonder if that is what Coach Paul Chryst wanted when he set it up to be completely overlapping with the NCAA Tournament, and spreading it out over so many weeks. It’s been hard to glean much in the way of information.

There’s the basic roughing of what the 2-deep looks like. At the same time, most of that seemed to be in place before spring practice even began.

The O-line at least has more bodies. T.J. Clemmings seems to be making a very rapid transition to the O-line. He is even in line to be a starter at right tackle. That is either a great reflection on the effort he is putting into the move and the coaching he is receiving. Or it is a terrifying indictment of how thin the O-line remains in terms of talent.

…Or yes, it could be both. But where’s the fun in that. Don’t we all prefer to either believe the sky is falling or that its rainbows and unicorns for all.

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First day of practice out of the way. First open session with the media for a few weeks. If you expected anything concrete, you are delusional.

Spring practice is the ultimate mirage. The illusion of football, especially for the starved fans. On the bright side, it’s about a month of fluffy content that isn’t centered on the decisionmaking process of 16-17 year-old boys.

It’s been two months since the last time they played. Motivation, conditioning, recovery from injury or just the season as a whole will vary. A kid who redshirted last year is more energized and has a lot less to recover from during the down time than the junior who went through all 13 games.

What we see. What we think we know. Don’t get caught up in the little stuff. This is broader picture. Who has recovered from what injury, or how much longer will they need. A rough outline of the depth chart. To whom the coaches will need to send a message about the summer conditioning and fall training camp. Who they need to ride herd on to stay up on their academic obligations, so there won’t be a real problem come the fall.

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Spring practice starts today. Coach Chryst is already speaking with the media. I’m sure he’ll be his usual loquacious and charming self. Guy just doesn’t know when to stop talking. Look at these rambling answers.

Where do you think you guys will make the most progress this year? Or where would you like to see the most progress?

PC: Everywhere, seriously, we need to. The only consistent thing for us last was we were consistently inconsistent. We need to make strides and grow across the board. There’s not two or three things you can say, ‘Well, if we got this squared away we’d be that much better.’ In every area we have to get better.

Not sure what he means by “everywhere.” I only saw issues at QB, O-line, linebackers, special teams and D-line last year. I mean, sure there’s only one returning starter for the receiving corps. A new kicker will have to be found. Someone has to replace Holley at safety. But, um, I feel real good about the cornerbacks, running back and punter.

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Amidst all the hoopla of signing day, the Paul Chryst press conference praising the newest Panthers and promising that a DC will be named soon. There was information about the Spring practices and the annual Blue-Gold scrimmage.

The spring practices start on March 5. Seems a bit early when you are limited to only 15 practices, but okay.

They culminate with the Blue-Gold scrimmage that will be held this year at Bethel Park High School. Okay, we knew that the plan was to rotate to different high schools in Western PA. Just so happens to be the same HS as a big 2014 recruiting target for the O-line in Mike Grimm. Nice.

The game will be played on April 12 at 7pm. That’s a Friday. What the hell?

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The bye week has given plenty of time for injured players to recover. Todd Thomas will finally get a chance to see some action.

Coach Paul Chryst said linebacker Todd Thomas, who has missed the entire season after January knee surgery but has been practicing for several weeks, might play Friday at Syracuse. Thomas started six games last season. “I am certainly looking forward to watching him play,” Chryst said.

Tight end Hubie Graham, defensive tackle Aaron Donald, and fullback Mark Giubilato are also recovered from various injuries. The only player on the two-deep that is out is defensive end, Jack Lippert.

Rushel Shell still appears to be dealing with some back issues that have been on-and-off since training camp, but is also likely to be ready.

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Well, yesterday was the last practice for training camp. It’s FanFest tonight. Then all practices are geared towards getting ready for games.

The big news is that right after reports surfaced that Ray Graham would be “unlikely” for the season opener, it was learned that he actually practiced for a series without the “do not touch” jersey.

He ran one series in the blue jersey, taking four carries. He then put his green, no-contact jersey back on, but said it felt good to take live hits.

“Just really fly around and actually be live, it kind of felt good to see where I was at,” he said. “I put a couple of moves on people. Even getting hit, just to see what was going on, it kind of felt good.”

Graham came to Chryst with the idea of going live, and Chryst was receptive to it. With just over a week to go until Pitt’s opener, Graham remained optimistic that he would be ready to go Sept. 1.

“It’s looking good,” he said. “We’ve got a week and some change before the game, and it’s feeling good. I’ve been taking it one day at a time and, as the days go on, I feel much better and that much more confident.”

Kind of hard to see that as a sign he will play against YSU. It’s another step, but it doesn’t seem like something that should be treated as meaning he is back. It is more like clearing another hurdle.

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You can almost feel the trepidation in the words. The hesitation to publish. The dread at what may come from it. Yet it happened and it must be reported: Chad Voytik had a very good practice.

In his best practice since coming to Pitt this summer, the freshman quarterback showed almost all of the tools that drew the reviews of national scouting evaluators, enticed the last coaching staff, made the current staff want to keep him in the recruiting class, and had Pitt fans excited.

On display Monday night was an impressive combination of pocket presence, arm strength, accuracy, speed, downfield awareness while rolling out, and an ability to throw on the run. And the key word there was the adjective:

Impressive.

Oh, god…

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Today’s the second scrimmage of training camp. As noted yesterday, plenty of minor injuries. That’s also the theme in both papers today.

The upside, is that players potentially buried on the depth chart get a chance to show what they can do in the 1st team. Some receivers have taken advantage of that.

“Ronald [Jones has] done a heck of a job, stepped up and done really well, and Josh [Brinson] has done some real nice things,” Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph said. “He now knows multiple spots, which is invaluable, you need guys like that.

“Those guys are taking advantage of their opportunities right now.”

The article notes that Jones seems to be connecting well with Sunseri — which has had him thriving. Brinson, though, might be the one to get the increased playing time when the season starts because of his versatility and size.

Jones is Cam Saddler size, and it makes it unlike he will be out there in multiple receiver sets at the same time as Saddler. Brinson is over six-foot and a bigger target. Being able to play wherever needed simply translates for more chances to be out on the field.

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Yes, Coach Paul Chryst is downplaying the injuries at this point in training camp. Probably with good reason. Most of them are bangs and bruises where it seems there is erring on the side of caution. There are only a handful of serious or concerning injuries or holding players out of practices.

Among the injured players are four potential starters on defense, including safety Jason Hendricks, linebackers Todd Thomas and Shane Gordon, and defensive tackle K.K. Mosley-Smith. Cornerback Lafayette Pitts had a death in his family and was excused from practice. He was replaced by Cullen Christian. Also out is wide receiver Mike Shanahan (hamstring) and backup safety Steve Williams, who had his left arm in a sling.

K.K. Smith and LaQuentin Smith returned yesterday, so there is that.

Hendricks was already coming back from a season ending injury. His struggles to stay healthy, though, could cost him his starting safety position. Pitt has the depth at the spot and at some point he falls too far behind in practice.

Todd Thomas is much more of a concern since he has the potential to be Pitt’s best linebacker this season. Definitely the most athletic. Shane Gordon has not played since the scrimmage when he got knocked out cold. Haven’t seen an actual listing of the injury, but I think it would be safe to say he’s out with a concussion or “concussion-like symptons.”

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As much blame has been (deservedly) heaped upon Tino Sunseri, he was not helped by his wide receivers last year. Plenty of drops on their part, not great effort at points, clear lapses of concentration, and sloppy route running. They generally did little to help. Yes, they were no longer in a pro-style system, and it wasn’t playing to their strengths, and they had to learn a new system. Well, those excuses wore thin with Sunseri, so they should not be allowed to excuse their performance.

Devin Street particularly frustrated me. He seemed to continually not fight for passes if there was any chance the corner was going to be able to battle for the ball. In the second half of the season, he began to show more fight and desire. Showing flashes of the skill to match his natural size, strength and athleticism. Something he is hoping to take into this season.

Pitt will need Street to become that player this season, along with senior wide receivers Mike Shanahan and Cam Saddler. Young pass catchers such as redshirt junior Ed Tinker, redshirt sophomore Brendon Felder and sophomore Ronald Jones also will be in the mix before coaches settle on a rotation at the end of camp.

Street said the new offense under Chryst allows him to diversify his role, line up in the slot or split to the sideline, with several different routes in his playbook.

“Last year, I ran 10-15 routes,” he said, “but this year I can run anywhere.”

His standing as a redshirt junior all but demands more productivity.

“It’s crunch time,” he said “It’s time to turn it up.”

Street is a strider. His long legs allow him  to move swiftly, and pick up speed. But it is not explosive or sudden. And it definitely doesn’t corner well. It builds. Get him the ball heading north or south and he can turn it up. Have him going east or west, or come back for the ball and there aren’t going to be yards after the catch. He definitely will be in a position to have a huge year.

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