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Brian Batko's Pitt football chat: 8.15.18
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Brian Batko
11:00
Hello, everybody. Welcome to the chat. I've got about a half hour here in between the part of Pitt football practice we don't get to see and then player interviews. Fire at will.
SOMD Panther
11:00
Is Ricky Towns anywhere near ready to play if #8 gets hurt?
Brian Batko
11:02
First off, it's Ricky *Town* - we're sticklers for details in this chat. But that's a good question, one that I'm not sure I can say yes to. We get to see very little real football on a day-to-day basis in South Side, but from what we have seen, Town hasn't looked all that sharp. And when asked today about Kenny Pickett's interception-free camp, Pat Narduzzi said his DBs are catching the ball, just not from No. 8, so read into that however you will.
GeoffLovesND
11:03
Although not as talented on paper as the OL last year, do you think that the lack of constant shuffling has provided some cohesion along the line this year?
Brian Batko
11:05
I think it has, Geoff (if that's your real name). Last year's unit had more size, more game experience, probably more raw talent, but it never truly solidified. The coaches seemed to kind of take a "6th man" approach, starting with camp and then lasting into the season, probably to try to create competition but that didn't really work out all that well. Narduzzi mentioned in passing yesterday that he and new position coach Dave Borbely have a lot to talk about: "We’re worried about who’s gonna be the backup left tackle or right tackle." Notice he didn't say they're worried about who's starting at left or right guard.
Jim
11:06
Are those in and around the program getting carried away with all of the Pickett hype? Or does he just have "it" and everybody simply knows it? Lot of pressure on this young man....
Brian Batko
11:08
You could probably make that case, Jim. Pickett's starting to reach Chuck Norris Jokes level of hype - he can kill two stones with one bird - but no one around the team has really taken the bait to downplay Pickett's performance. He might really just have that "it" - but indeed, the pressure is mounting.
DCPantherZ
11:08
Are we capable of stopping McSorley? Is D being hyped too much.
Brian Batko
11:10
Similar question, similar answer from me. The coaches and players can talk about the defense's improvements, and experience, and talent, and depth, all they want, and in a mostly closed training camp, that's really all you can do. But some of these same ideas were put forth this time a year ago, and didn't really show themselves until late in the season. I'm not as high on Trace McSorley as most, but he certainly pilots an impressive offense that won't be easy to contain, let alone stop.
Maximus
11:11
I know he’s just a freshman, but I haven’t heard Devin Danielson’s name mentioned. How’s he doing?
Brian Batko
11:12
Yeah, haven't heard him brought up either, but as you alluded to, that's not uncommon for a newcomer. It's much more of a story when a true freshman is mentioned, such as Shocky Jacques-Louis, John Morgan and Marquis Williams have been. Danielson is still like he was at Thomas Jefferson, a big dude who looks imposing out there. Will try to remember to ask about him soon, but that DT position has a lot of bodies.
11:13
Hey, should I answer all the Paris Ford questions in a row or one by one?
RevisIsland
11:13
Where do you see Paris Ford fitting into the defense this year? How much, if any, inclusion do you see him getting into the offense?
Brian Batko
11:14
Tough to say, RevisIsland. He's still working at cornerback as far as I know, but Narduzzi mentioned today that he's still asking Ford about the safety position, so who knows? As for offense, Narduzzi also got that question this morning, and he shrugged it off. I guess it remains to be seen whether that's all a good thing (Ford is incredibly versatile and might make a Jordan Whitehead-esque impact) or a bad thing (he hasn't yet found his niche or a steady role in any area).
H2P
11:15
Will Paris Ford have any involvement in the return game and what position is he going to be settling into this fall? Safety or Corner?
Brian Batko
11:16
That's another phase of the game I neglected to mention: Special teams. I've also got a question in the queue from Maximus asking about return men, so I'll just tell you the candidates appear to be Shocky, Maurice Ffrench, Paris Ford, RaRa Araujo-Lopes, freshman DB V'Lique Carter and freshman walk-on wideout John Vardzel. Those are the guys who catch punts every day at the start of practice.
Peter Paparazzo
11:16
How much of an impact do you expect Paris to make right out of the gate? I feel like his athleticism and playmaking ability combined with the swagger he carries himself with could really improve the secondary.
Brian Batko
11:17
Right out of the gate? Well, I'd say he has as good a chance to make an impact against Albany as any other team, but that probably goes for everyone on the Panthers sideline Sept. 1.
Arnold
11:17
Will the ‘sniper gang’ in the secondary be better than the secondary the last few years? Is Paris Ford going to end up at corner or safety?
Brian Batko
11:17
It better be, or else they'll be called the Burnt Toast Brigade, am I right?
Bobby Bottleservice
11:17
To help you out in response to DCPantherZ, if you’re an actual college football fan you shouldn’t be afraid of McSorely, without hamilton and geisicki he can’t just toss it up anymore and Sanders may be a good tailback but he’s nowhere near Saquon so the pressure on trace is immense and he will crack
Brian Batko
11:18
You heard it here first from Bobby Bottleservice. Don't cash those Heisman bets just yet.
SOMD Panther
11:18
Now that you've had time to reflect on the ACCLIMATIZATION period, do you have any "Looks Good in Shorts" awards to give out?
Brian Batko
11:20
Lots of dudes looking good in shorts. In the backfield alone, George Aston and Qadree Ollison look like they've really toned their physiques entering their senior years. Jason "Truck" Edwards, another fullback, the walk-on from BLUEFIELD, West Virginia (shoutout Tom Birdsong), he's a stout individual. And sophomore long-snapper Cal Adomitis looks great, not because of anything body-wise, but the flow to that man's hair is just outrageous these days. It's a sight to behold. I'll ask one of our photographers to get a shot of it soon.
Bart
11:21
Do you see Paris ford playing safety or corner more this season now the narduzzi mentioned it? Also if he will be used in the offense at all.
Brian Batko
11:24
Narduzzi specifically said he wasn't moving back to safety when asked, but that doesn't necessarily mean much. Honestly, I'm tempted to say safety. I thought he was a tremendous prospect at that spot in high school, as did lots of others, and it might be a more clear path to playing time. Damar Hamlin seems to have the free safety slot locked down, but he also needs to stay healthy. Boundary safety maybe isn't as good of a fit for Paris, but is probably the spot with the least amount of depth. Cornerback potentially has five other guys who might be ready to play a lot (Jackson, Motley, Pinnock, Mathis, Williams).
H2P
11:25
How are the young RBs looking?  Concern is putting too much on KP's shoulders and youth on OL.  Are the RBs going to be able to relieve some of that pressure?
Brian Batko
11:26
When you talk about position battles that we really can't get a feel for in camp, tailback is right up there. We don't see them do much at all, especially since if we do get any live action, it's just 7-on-7. Find someone who was perched up in the South Side treetops during Saturday's scrimmage to shed some light on that one (but I don't think there's any concern that the room is lacking behind Darrin Hall and Qadree Ollison).
SOMD Panther
11:27
The coaches seem to like what they see from Dane Jacksons and Jason Pinnocks, but I'm finding it hard to believe that Paris Fords doesn't start. Any sense of the rotation at CB this far into camp?
Brian Batko
11:28
Not too much. Cornerbacks coach Archie Collins told me last week that it'd be tough for someone to unseat Dane Jackson, given that he's "battle tested" but also added that the best guys will play, by any means necessary. The rare times we've seen the "starting" defense, Jackson isn't always out there with the first two corners, so I do think competition is fierce. Pinnock, by all accounts, has been really good.
SOMD Panther
11:29
Let's get down to the question on everyone's minds: how are the DeMatha boys doing? Is All-ACC Freshman Team to low of a floor for these two?
Brian Batko
11:30
Oh, of course. True freshmen John Morgan and Judson Tallandier. Morgan has been one of those camp surprises, I reckon, factoring into the mix at DE (though now there's another body there in converted linebacker Chase Pine). As for Tallandier, he's probably just trying to figure some things out right now about playing defensive back in Pitt's system, but he absolutely looks the part. Tall, long - hey, another one of those guys who looks good in shorts.
But OK, that's all the time I've got today and I think I got to pretty much every question, so that's a swish! We'll probably be back to the 2 p.m. chat time next week and for the balance of the 2018 season. Thanks for stopping in...
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