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John McGonigal's Pitt football chat: 12.18.20
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John McGonigal
1:00
Good afternoon all, and welcome to what’s probably the last Pitt football live chat of 2020. Between signing day, Kenny Pickett’s return and several departures, we’ve got a lot to address. So let’s get it going.
Bleed Blue and Gold
1:02
Why do you think Pickett is coming back? He must be optimistic about next year's o-line and receivers and coaches, right?
John McGonigal
1:05
I think it was a combination of how 2020 went and this year’s stacked quarterback class. Even though he played well and scouts saw that, Pickett dealt with the ankle injury, played through pain after surgery and Pitt finished 6-5 overall. That’s not how he wanted to go out — and with Jordan Addison, Lucas Krull and a host of other receivers returning, he has a chance to move up a round or two in 2022. There might be six quarterbacks taken in the first round this year. Then you get into passers like Kellen Mond, Brock Purdy, Sam Ehlinger, Jamie Newman. With a poor Senior Day, how far could Pickett fall? Coming back is a risk, but it’s probably worth it.
Chipper
1:06
It's not up to me, and I respect the team not playing amidst the virus surge...plus there are NFL prospects on the team...I just don't get why the team would skip all the extra practices and decline a bowl bid.  Was it a bad season: definitely, but the team finished over .500 and probably would have had a shot at a decent bowl.  Is there a conflict between coaches and players?  Now that cow school in the middle of the state will almost assuredly go to a bowl with their paltry record.  At least Pickett is staying.
John McGonigal
1:10
The coaches understand why the players made the decision they did. No one can fault them for that. And this year is different, making the emphasis on bowl practices not a big deal. The team has been on campus since June 8, and the Panthers practiced more this year than ever before. Plus, in an alternate universe, Pitt finds out Saturday where they’re going for a bowl game, it’s the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 26, and they have two, maybe three, practices before the game. How much value is in that?
JR
1:12
John: great job covering Pitt. Did Pitt try to recruit Josh Hough? Thanks Merry Christmas!
John McGonigal
1:16
Thanks, JR, and the same to you. Pitt did offer Beaver Falls running back Josh Hough, but it was a week before he committed to Syracuse. Perhaps his mind was already made up. Pitt already had three-star running back Rodney Hammond committed at that point, and a month after Hough committed to Syracuse, Pitt landed Malik Newton, too. You always want to keep local talent home, but this situation seems to have worked out for both parties.
Fry
1:16
Assuming Pitt sticks with Whipple for another year, could you see Narduzzi adding a "running game coordinator"? I'm thinking of a 2019 LSU-type setup.
John McGonigal
1:19
If programs were allowed unlimited assistant coaches, then sure. But with every team capped at 10 — and Pitt already at that number — an assistant would have to go to make room for such a hire. I like where your head’s at, though.
Matt
1:20
Now that signing day is over, will there be staff changes? Whipple is staying apparently but Borbley has to go, right?
John McGonigal
1:23
Post-signing day is when staff changes are made, but I’m not sure at this point if there will be any. It does sound like Mark Whipple will remain Pitt’s offensive coordinator. I don’t think Pickett would come back with the uncertainty of a new play-caller. I don’t think offensive line coach Dave Borbely “has” to go. His players love him, and he’s an experienced coach. But the offensive line has been the team’s worst unit the last two seasons. So if there’s a change, that would make the most sense.
Darnell Dickerson
1:25
Hi John. While the Panthers’ season was disappointing, your coverage & writing is always top notch & much appreciated. Thank you! Question: the blame for the failure to run the ball this year is the fault of 1) play calling 2) poor O-line play and 3) inconsistent RBs. In your opinion, which of those areas can be most easily improved upon in 2021 to establish an at least *adequate* rushing attack and why?
John McGonigal
1:30
Thanks, Darnell. I appreciate that. In terms of which area is the easiest to improve, give me the blocking. It’ll hurt losing Jimmy Morrissey at center. But when I talked to him last week, he couldn’t stop complimenting his backup, Owen Drexel, calling him a “top 5 center in the ACC.” Drexel will be a fifth-year player next year, so there’s confidence he’ll keep the line moving. Also, Pitt might have found something down the stretch in left tackle Matt Goncalves. Let him develop on the left, maybe move Carter Warren to right tackle and stick Gabe Houy back at guard, and that could be a serviceable line. Add in the return of tight end Lucas Krull, and Pitt shouldn’t need fullback Jake Zilinskas as much in the run game. Also: I actually liked some of Whipple’s calls in the run game. The delayed handoffs to Vincent Davis — especially when Pitt went up tempo — often worked. He didn’t stick with it enough, but the line didn’t give him much reason to keep trying. Too many times Pitt’s backs were hit at or behind th
Santa Claus
1:31
If Pitt had decided to go to a bowl this year, which bowl do you think they would have gone to?
John McGonigal
1:32
My bet would be the Duke’s Mayo Bowl or the Military Bowl.
SDWC
1:33
Who do you see as the best option to be opposite Addison?  Seems like Taysir Mack but he had a strange year.  The other guys seem to be less impactful and more role players.
John McGonigal
1:38
Mack did have an odd year, not playing in three games and catching only 23 passes for 305 yards, with 152 of those yards coming in the NC State and Boston College games. I would lean toward him as long as he’s healthy (and as long as DJ Turner doesn’t return). Pitt will need more than just Mack to step up, though, if Whipple and company want to avoid Addison getting doubled every game. Shocky Jacques-Louis was lightly used this year, as was Jared Wayne until he caught 10 passes in Pitt’s final two games. I expect more from Jaylon Barden next year, too.
SDWC
1:39
So with Kenny returning, safe to say Whipple is a lock to come back?
John McGonigal
1:40
Pickett opting to return was a surprise, so nothing should be dismissed in 2020. But at this point, I would be shocked if Whipple isn't Pitt's play-caller in 2021. Pickett probably wouldn't have come back to learn a new offense.
Mutha
1:41
Why do so many Pitt fans insist on Kenny Pickett being a legitimate quarterback? He’s never had more than 13 TDs in a season and never performs well in big games.
John McGonigal
1:45
For as many passes as he throws, it is surprising that Pickett doesn’t have more touchdowns. But Pitt’s inefficiencies in the red zone accounts for a lot of that, and that’s not really on him (Whipple, OL, drops, etc.). When you flip on the tape and watch him, it’s easy to see why scouts like him. That’s pretty much what Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy told me last month — that even though the stats don’t indicate it, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the 2021 class. Now, he’ll be one of the top QBs in the 2022 class, assuming he doesn’t regress significantly. I wouldn’t count on it, though. He threw a better ball this past season than he did in 2019, when his adjusted completion percentage led the ACC.
Gary Rossini
1:45
Hey John, long time first time. If Santa was giving Pitt and Coach a present for their season this year, what would it be and why?
John McGonigal
1:47
I think Narduzzi already received the best present he could in Kenny Pickett returning. And if wide receiver DJ Turner comes back, that would be a little something extra in his stocking.
Matt from LA
1:47
Realistically, how much of real difference does the extra practices with a bowl game make on the next season? I read that every year, but rarely see it in noticeable or substantial improvement in the next season.
John McGonigal
1:52
It makes a difference for the younger players in the program. They get more live reps, and there’s usually a day dedicated during bowl practice to scout team players / freshmen going live in a scrimmage. But this year, bowl practices wouldn’t have been as important, considering how much the players have already practiced this year and how close the bowl game announcement would be to gameday.
jlop
1:52
Name one player on offense and defense that we havent seen, or seen very little of to date,  that will be most impactful next season
John McGonigal
1:56
The obvious one would be Lucas Krull on offense. The Florida graduate transfer tight end played in one game and missed the rest of the year with a knee injury. Krull has a good relationship with Pickett, and he could help alleviate Pitt’s red-zone woes. Defensively, I’ll give you two: Middle linebacker Wendell Davis and defensive end John Morgan. Davis suffered a season-ending injury after earning the starting MIKE job in camp over Chase Pine. His return should elevate an already talented linebacker room. And Morgan, while he’s played quite a bit in a reserve role this year, will probably start opposite Deslin Alexandre with Patrick Jones and Rashad Weaver moving on. Morgan showed flashes in 2020 with four sacks and seven TFLs.
Matt from LA
1:56
Was A. J. Davis's performance again GT a premonition of the future or an aberration?
John McGonigal
1:58
I think Vincent Davis is a talented back. Do I think he’ll ever rush for 247 yards again? Probably not. So by definition, I have to go with an aberration. But I do think when he’s utilized correctly (delayed handoffs, inside zone in tempo, etc.) he’s an effective back at his size. Not to mention, he’s a fun postgame interview, too.
Connie
1:58
Best ACC stadium you went to this season?
John McGonigal
2:00
Well, this year I went to three away games: Boston College, Clemson and Georgia Tech. I enjoy Boston and Atlanta as cities, and the view from the open-air press box at Bobby Dodd Stadium is unbeatable. But being at a game in Death Valley, seeing the Howard’s Rock tradition, etc. was really cool, even in a pandemic with only 18,000 fans there. So I’d go with that one based on atmosphere alone.
Jock Sutherland
2:00
Hi John No question today.  Xmas came a bit early with Pickett deciding to stay next season!    Just wanted to say thank you for the chats. You do a great job covering Pitt Football.
John McGonigal
2:03
Thank you very much, I appreciate that. And folks, I appreciated all the questions all year long. This is a fun gig, and the live chats are a part of that. We’ll be back on this at some point. But in the meantime, continue to follow our weekly college sports podcast on The North Shore Drive. Don’t hesitate to reach out on Twitter @jmcgonigal9 with any further questions, and have a happy holidays.
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