Football: Harper, Yoklic step into starting roles

When Pitt named Todd Graham the head football coach in January, Graham announced that his system… When Pitt named Todd Graham the head football coach in January, Graham announced that his system wasn’t just a no-huddle offense, but a no-huddle football team.

That meant that all the athletes would be affected by Graham’s intense, up-tempo philosophy, including, as Matt Yoklic and Kevin Harper quickly learned, the punter and the kicker.

“In the weight room, we do the same exact thing as everyone else now,” Yoklic said. “Last year, we had the specialist regimen.”

Last season, Dan Hutchins handled both the kicking and punting duties for the Panthers. So when he graduated, two starting positions opened. Redshirt freshman Yoklic assumed punting duties, and Harper, a redshirt sophomore, took over as kicker.

As Harper and Yoklic have attempted to adjust to their new starting positions, they’ve also had to adapt to Graham’s coaching style — which Harper describes as more intense than former head coach Dave Wannstedt’s.

“We have to do tackling drills now; we’re treated like real players and not just specialists,” Harper said.

Yoklic said he appreciates Graham’s fresh energy.

“It’s been different, but I definitely like the change,” Yoklic said.

Harper agreed.

“What we’re doing is making us stronger, better teammates and better overall athletes,” he said.

Graham said he likes that the kickers are competitive and that he wants them to train like any other members of the team.

“They go through our tackling drills every day,” he said. “They appreciate that they’re included. They’re not just some guys who go and kick.”

For both Yoklic and Harper, the biggest repercussion of the new system seems to be the added emphasis on running.

“One of the big things is running on and off the field,” Yoklic said. “He has made a point to [make us] run on and off the field at full speed to try and catch the defense off-guard.”

Harper is already feeling the wear and tear on his legs.

“The biggest challenge is keeping my legs fresh to kick because we’re always running, lifting and kicking hard,” Harper said. “But it’ll be good in the long run because they’ll be fresh every Saturday.”

And during Saturdays this year, Harper and Yoklic will have to adjust to being Pitt’s go-to kicker and punter, respectively.

Yoklic, a local product who graduated from Pine-Richland High, was an All-Quad North punter when he played for the Rams. He averaged 39.45 yards per punt as a senior. He walked onto Pitt as a freshman and was redshirted, and last year, he backed up Hutchins at punter.

Harper, rated the No. 5 kicker by Scout and No. 9 by Rivals out of high school, said he’d have to adjust to being Pitt’s go-to kicker. Since his freshman year, he had competed with former kicker and punter, Hutchins.

“It’s different now that he’s moved on, and I’ve got to be the man,” he said.

Harper was named to the Division I All-Ohio team as a senior in high school.

So far in his college career, he’s completed 10 kickoffs for an average of 63.8 yards to go along with one missed field goal attempt from 51 yards out. Despite the lack of experience, Harper sets big goals.

“If I had any goals I want to accomplish my next two years here at Pitt, it’d be First Team All-Big East, make an All-American team and [earn] the Lou Groza kicking award,” Harper said.