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.
