All positions up for grabs next year

If you see a Pitt football player on campus this week, don’t be surprised if he’s constantly… If you see a Pitt football player on campus this week, don’t be surprised if he’s constantly looking over his shoulder.

Head coach Dave Wannstedt wrapped up his first week of practice with the same state of mind that he had at the beginning of the week: Nobody’s spot in the starting 11 is secure on either side of the ball.

“It’s still, in my mind, an open competition,” he said.

And don’t think that Wannstedt is talking about a single position.

“We have openings at middle linebacker, weak-side linebacker, left guard,” he said. “And the other defensive tackle besides Thomas [Smith], the safety spot is wide open, the defensive ends are competitive.”

He also admitted that he’s having trouble singling out a running back to be his feature back. This is a prime spot given that new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh is looking to bring a power running game to the Panthers’ offensive attack.

“All of the running backs have proven that they’re tough guys,” Wannstedt said. He does feel that among all of the competition, Pitt is incredibly solid in one spot.

“Tight end should be one of the strongest positions,” he said. “Erik Gill has a chance to become a complete tight end. He can catch, he’s smart, and he can block.” Steve Buches and Darrell Strong round out what is potentially a very strong tight end corps.

Yesterday, the team held a scrimmage, which gave players a chance to prove their worth at their respective spots, while on Saturday, they spent the first third of practice split into positions with their specific coaches. The original plan for the day called for a scrimmage, but since the new recruits were watching, Wannstedt decided to swap Saturday’s plan with Sunday’s.

“I thought it would be better for prospects to see drills,” he said.

He thus ran several different exercises to show the recruits the kind of practice they can expect.

The most intense of these drills came at the end of the morning session, when the offense ran against the defense in a series of simulated two-minute drills.

“We thought these drills would be good for the flow of the practice,” Wannstedt said.

He admitted that the run-throughs were helpful for him and Cavanaugh, too, as they’re still adjusting from coaching in the NFL.

“We were laughing, the biggest change is the clock stopping,” he said with a smile. “We can run more plays.”

They used the time wisely — the offense won three of four drills, scoring each time on an acrobatic play.

The first trip down, quarterback Tyler Palko found a leaping Joe DelSardo in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. The next series, which featured the second string teams, saw quarterback Joe Flacco exploit a bite-sized opening in the secondary. He hit Derek Kinder, who was covered closely by two defenders, for a score.

On the third trip down the field, Palko again commandeered the offensive unit to six points, this time diving into the end zone himself after the defense flushed him from the pocket. Wannstedt was pleased with what he saw.

“The defense was in position to end the drills,” he said, “but this is what Tyler does. He makes plays.”

The defense won the final drill, intercepting a Flacco pass. This last drive was more representative of the practice as a whole, which the defense dominated. While running full team drills, the defensive line overran their offensive counterparts time and time again. They hurried the quarterbacks repeatedly, ensuring that any passes would be rushed ones. The defensive show was not without problems, though.

“Formations and movements are giving us as much trouble as the plays,” Wannstedt said, referring to the fact that Palko was able to draw the defensive line offsides several times in different drills.

But despite these few mishaps, the mood at camp is very optimistic. A specific moment from inside drills on Saturday shows why. In one play, linebacker Clint Session broke through the backfield and landed a punishing hit on Brandon Mason that elicited some serious hooting from the defense.

Undeterred, the offense broke free the very next play for what would have ended up being a run for a first down and more, had they been playing an actual game. The play drew the same reaction from the offense that the defense had shown just a moment before.

Clearly, both sides of the ball are determined to win, and every player is doing his part to earn a starting spot. As the Big East will be tougher next fall, that’s exactly the kind of work ethic Wannstedt wants to see.