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John McGonigal's Pitt football chat: 04.16.21
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John McGonigal
12:00
Welcome to this week’s Pitt football live chat. We’ve got an hour to answer as many questions as possible, so let’s get going.
G Money
12:03
John, Should HC Narduzzi be on the hot seat?? He's recruited well, but has been extremely mediocre overall.  6-5 last year.  Barely beating Delaware and OH the year before.  He's not a very strong winner.  Bad losses to BC, VA, NC State. Thoughts?
John McGonigal
12:06
I don’t think so, at least not heading into the 2021 season. If Pitt has a losing record, that’s a different story. But if Pitt decided to play in the postseason last year, which it could have, it would have been Narduzzi’s fifth bowl appearance in six years. Say what you will about the actual games they’re playing in — and I know Dave Wannstedt got let go for worse results — but that’s nothing to scoff at.
Idggy DeBeau
12:07
Where do you see Pitt being  ranked nationally going into the 2021 season?  And in the Coastal?
John McGonigal
12:11
Judging by all the way-too-early rankings and ESPN’s FPI projections, which has Pitt around a 6 or 7-win team in the regular season, I don’t think they’ll be in anyone’s preseason top-25. And I don’t think they should. I get that some schools automatically get tossed in at 21 or 22 and don’t necessarily deserve it (cough, Virginia Tech, cough). But Pitt has to do more to earn a preseason ranking. As for the Coastal, they’ll probably be fourth in the preseason, behind North Carolina, Miami and Virginia Tech.
Lturko
12:13
Does Pitt win all the games its supposed to?  Or does it have another disappointing loss like it always seems to?
John McGonigal
12:16
OK, so in this category I would put the following games: UMass, Western Michigan, New Hampshire, Duke and Syracuse. You could argue for Georgia Tech, and I think Pitt will beat Georgia Tech. But the Yellow Jackets will be better than they were last year, and playing a team three straight years on the road isn’t easy. So if we exclude Georgia Tech as a potential toss-up, no, I don’t think the Panthers will lose any of the other aforementioned games. Blame me and solely me if they do.
Gman
12:18
How does the O line look any better after a weak running performance last year and Morrissey being gone?
John McGonigal
12:23
Keep in mind, it’s rare you hear anything negative coming out of spring camp. But Owen Drexel has taken control of the line at center, filling in for Jimmy Morrissey. At left guard, Maryland transfer Marcus Minor has impressed as Pitt finds its replacement for Bryce Hargrove. Jake Kradel seems settled at right guard. And right now, veterans Carter Warren and Gabe Houy are winning a three-way battle for the starting tackle spots, with redshirt sophomore Matt Goncalves on their heels. No doubt, the running game wasn’t good last year. It wasn’t good the year before, either. But there were encouraging signs in the Florida State and Georgia Tech games near the end of the season. As long as Pitt knows how to utilize its running game — as a complement to its pass-heavy scheme and not forcing it in inopportune scenarios — I think Vincent Davis, Israel Abanikanda and company could have a decent year.
G Credit
12:23
Is the freshman Bartholemew emerging as the #2 Tight End?  HCPN has praised him several times but asking a true Frosh to take on TE blocking responsibilities seems a tall order.  Does GB have the chops?
John McGonigal
12:27
It does seem like a tall order, but Narduzzi actually said early enrollee Gavin Bartholomew is Pitt’s most physical tight end right now. So if that’s the case, he’s going to play in the fall.
Kevan
12:27
If you could have a convo with any former Pitt player, who would it be?
John McGonigal
12:31
I’m going to go with someone I can’t have a conversation with, which leads me to the late Jock Sutherland. A Scotsman who wins two national championships as a player under Pop Warner, then coaches Pitt to five titles in the 1920s and 30s? Sounds like an awesome pick to have a beer or coffee with. I would love to know more about college football in its early days — and how he’d react to what the game is now.
Dick Groat
12:34
Tell me where I'm wrong in ranking the position groups by skill of the starter(s): QB > DL > LB > WR > RB > OL > DB
John McGonigal
12:38
Hmmmm. That’s pretty good. By skill of the starter, not depth, I might drop the defensive line a peg or two and move up wide receiver. Jordan Addison is a stud, and Taysir Mack seems poised for a rebound season. Linebacker has five guys who could start, so that’s hard to ignore. Also, I think the return of Damarri Mathis will be big for the secondary. So I think I’d go QB > LB > WR > DL > RB > DB > OL
V. Fontaine
12:40
How much of an impact will Brennan Marion have on the offense this year? Is he Mark Whipple's successor?
John McGonigal
12:44
It’s hard to tell at this point without being at practice. And I’m sure if Pitt has installed any two-back sets from Marion’s GoGo offense, Narduzzi won’t show anyone at the spring game. But Marion said that Pitt’s offensive staff room is pretty open about hearing and implementing new ideas. So I think you’ll see some in 2021. Narduzzi would be doing the program a disservice if he hired an innovative mind like Marion and didn’t use his concepts. As for becoming Whipple’s successor, I guess that depends on how Pitt performs in the fall and what the 64-year-old offensive coordinator’s retirement plan is.
Marky
12:45
John - If he had eligibility, then would Craig Meyer step in and immediately be named the starting place kicker?
John McGonigal
12:46
Eh, I think either Ben Sauls or Sam Scarton would win out. No disrespect to my guy Craig.
Cahl
12:47
Best football movie?
John McGonigal
12:51
Certainly not Rudy. Brian’s Song is overlooked. Waterboy is hilarious. And I’m a big fan of We Are Marshall and Remember the Titans. But I gotta pick Friday Night Lights. This may be a hot take, too, but I think FNL the show is better than the movie. Love them both. But from Riggins to Saracen to Vince Howard, the show is my pick.
Ryan
12:52
Good afternoon John how has tre Tipton and John petrishen looked so far for pitt this spring
John McGonigal
12:55
We haven’t heard much about Tre Tipton, other than seeing photos of him at practice. Taysir Mack complimented his technique and footwork the other day. I’m intrigued to see what kind of role he’ll have in a crowded wide receiver room featuring Addison, Mack, Jared Wayne, Shocky Jacques-Louis, Jaylon Barden, new freshmen and Hawaii transfer Melquise Stovall.
As for John Petrishen, we spoke to him last week, and he’s really enjoying his camp. Narduzzi said he’s had “a heck of a spring” competing for time at linebacker. The most important thing for Petrishen is, he’s healthy. After having three surgeries in four years at Penn State, he’s hoping his seventh season is the one he’s been looking forward to for a long time.
John Walker
12:57
Which Avengers character would be the best college football recruiter? Multiple answers are acceptable.
John McGonigal
1:00
Oh jeez, that’s a good question. I would compare Nick Fury to Nick Saban in a way. He commands a room and has the credentials. It’s either you want to join his elite team of freakish athletes or not. If you’re putting Nick Fury in charge of the Crimson Tide or Clemson or Ohio State, he’d be a natural fit. Tony Stark at USC makes a whole lot of sense given the Hollywood vibes. I see Korg from Thor: Ragnarok being a motivated recruiting assistant for a Group Five team, trying to make some noise and revolutionize the game. With more and more international prospects coming over, Peggy Carter would be valuable to any cutting edge program. And while it’s not recruiting, I don’t know if there’s a better MCU-college football fit than Drax as a strength coach.
1:01
Okiedoke folks, that’s all the time we have for questions this week. Thanks for joining as always, and we’ll be back next Wednesday for another one of these. Have a good weekend.
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