You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Stephen Thompson's Pitt football chat: 10.28.25
powered byJotCast
Stephen Thompson
12:58
Good afternoon from the South Side. As we speak, I’m watching Pitt equipment staffers load the truck that will carry gloves, gatorade and other gear on the 3,000 mile trek to Palo Alto, Calif. This is one of the more interesting road trips I’ve ever taken. Maybe t’ll be good practice for Ireland in 2027. Until then, allow me to answer some questions.
SDWC
1:10
Any word on Kenny Johnson's status?
Stephen Thompson
1:11
I can only tell you what Coach Narduzzi shared following the game -- Johnson wanted to finish the NC State game, but medical staff advised against it, especially given the score. Appeared to be an upper body injury that was ailing Johnson, something on the right side of his body.
KDub
1:12
Do you expect to see either Reid or Kenny Johnson this week?
JuniataKid
1:12
Any news on the Reid injury? If a guy got decapitated, Narduzzi would only say he’s questionable with an upper body injury, so hoping you have inside info.
Stephen Thompson
1:13
I didn't bring my crystal ball with me to the facility this afternoon, but I think Johnson is more likely to play than Reid. We've not heard anything solid on either player from the program yet, so hang on for that Thursday injury report.
KDub
1:13
Is Persi a season ending injury? Stanley seemed to bounce back last week after the Syracuse game.
Stephen Thompson
1:14
I suppose we can handle all the injury questions now. But no, Jeff Persi's injury is not season-ending. And that's about all I know for now. But I am inclined to agree with you, Kendall Stanley has been very solid for the Panthers beyond that Syracuse game.
1:16
I'd also add Ryan Carretta in as a backup offensive lineman that has really impressed. And to put some numbers behind it, Carretta has played 319 offensive snaps (197 in pass protection) since taking over the starting job and in that time has allowed only seven pressures and one sack, all without committing a penalty.
SDWC
1:18
Although the office is putting up a lot of points, I'm fairly concerned about the lack of balance. Too many running plays gaining 0-2 yards.  Forcing Reid up the middle is either a homerun or a strikeout.  How can they improve this, especially when they need to work the clock and protect leads without throwing the ball 80% of the time?
Stephen Thompson
1:20
This is a fair question SDWC. The running game hasn't been nearly as consistent as you might have hoped. It does put a lot on Mason Heintschel to be supremely accurate, but to his credit the freshman has done that for the most part.

I'd say you need to get comfortable with this team throwing the ball upwards of 40 times in any game that is remotely competitive. It's how the scheme is built and short passes will take the place of run plays to keep Pitt on schedule.
Mr Ed
1:23
Of the 3 game ending season gauntlet, which matchup do you think affords Pitt the best opportunity for an upset?
Stephen Thompson
1:26
I'm inclined to say Georgia Tech, mostly because they've been more resilient than dominant this season and the secondary will offer some opportunities to hit on pass plays down the field. But don't count them out against a Miami team that's made one trip so far north of the Mason Dixon line and it was to California. I'd be interested to see how they handle some post-Thanksgiving weather. Notre Dame has too much up front for me to comfortably predict an upset.
JR
1:26
Stephen: any info on injured players retuning this week?
Stephen Thompson
1:27
Trust me, JR. You and our friends in the chat would be the first to know if I learned anything new.
Wojo
1:27
Why did Narduzzi keep RB Reid in the game with a commanding lead? He had Turner? He has no feel for offense and should only be a DC.
Stephen Thompson
1:30
To your point, Wojo, I am led to believe Narduzzi has taken his hands off the offense to a greater extent since Kade Bell arrived, so I doubt it was entirely his decision. But Narduzzi also said he wasn't entirely comfortable with the lead Pitt had at the time, which makes some sense given the kinds of leads they've blown earlier this season.
Panther in Charlotte
1:34
What a job Heintschel is doing. I really do enjoy watching his style of play and enjoying the moment. Makes PITT football relevant again. Looking ahead, what do you think NFL scouts would say about his arm strength?
Stephen Thompson
1:34
NFL scouts would love his arm strength and athletic ability, but the concerns would likely be about his size. He's sound mechanically, but that he is on the shorter side as far as pro or college prospects go is one of the reasons Heintschel's high school coach believes he wasn't as highly recruited coming out of high school. Though I will add that he's listed at 6-foot-2 and is looks taller than he did when practicing with the team prior to last year's bowl game.
13-9
1:34
Is freshmen running back synkwan smith still on the team? I haven't seen him on the injury report
Stephen Thompson
1:35
Yes, Smith is still on the team. He was healthy last week, which was somewhat of a surprise, hence his absence from the injury report. Still, I wouldn't expect him to see game action this season.
MantherMike
1:35
Yeah a 2650 mile drive .. makes one wonder how they did this trip back in 1922?
Stephen Thompson
1:36
We used to have a fantastic railroad system (relative to its age) in this country, MantherMike.
Panther in Charlotte
1:36
Do you see this team getting healthy enough to compete for the ACC title?
Stephen Thompson
1:39
I certainly do. It's been remarkable not only that this team has won four in a row despite their many injuries on defense, but they've won decisively. The average margin of victory for Pitt over these last four games is 20 points and the only game decided by single digits was the three-point win at Florida State and Pitt held a 10-point lead inside of two minutes left in the game.

The offensive line has stepped up. Defensive end is plug and play. Should the linebacker room get healthy, this is a team capable of competing with anyone in the conference.
MantherMike
1:40
Had Pitt beaten WVU they would have likely been in the Top 15 rankings?
Stephen Thompson
1:40
Top 15 feels ambitious, but top 20 would certainly be within the realm of possibility. If you reverse the outcome of the Louisville game, then Pitt would maybe have an argument for a top 15 spot in the rankings.
Bill
1:41
How much wsill Pitt depend on the "portal" for its 2026 squad?
Stephen Thompson
1:43
This is a hard thing to predict Bill, especially if you are talking about football. They seem set with most of the offense but they will need one new tackle and one new interior lineman. You can always count on them making an addition at wide receiver too.

Defense is much less certain. It depends a lot on whether Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles make moves to the NFL. But defensive tackle and end will need to be replenished too, though I'm more optimistic about the depth up front than at linebacker or in the secondary.
Bruce
1:43
Good afternoon Stephen. When I was making that haul up 79 from Morgantown a few weeks ago this season looked like a total write off.  Now we have an ACC Championship and a playoff berth sitting on the table. I think that Narduzzi and his staff have done their best work ever at Pitt. Thoughts?
Stephen Thompson
1:46
This is a 30,000-foot view worth considering in longer form, Bruce. Perhaps I'll write about it sometime next week. But I have marveled at how the coaching staff has plugged holes on defense and in the offensive line. It's a testament to strong recruiting that so many freshmen have stepped in and contributed. But Pitt is also proving itself as a development program this season. Did anyone else see Ryan Carretta or Nick Lapi becoming massive contributors this season? I certainly didn't.
Will
1:47
With all the big name coaches being fired recently I think it points to how the portal has evened things up for the second tier teams. No longer can the Clemson's, LSU's, Penn State's, etc. hoard 4 deep talent like the past. Players on those teams who are stuck on the 3rd and 4th units but are good players can move on to a lesser team and play where they couldn't in the past. Now he Vanderbilt's, Virginia's, etc. are competitive and are beating the big shots. You agree or am I FOS?
Stephen Thompson
1:51
What I think we're seeing is a disconnect between the current reality of week-to-week college football and expectations from this blue blood programs. It is much harder to plug transfers in and expect them to gel with a team in one summer. But administrators are much less comfortable with a step back in performance while high school talent develops and the best teams are built on high school recruiting. You're also learning that a lot more schools have the money and will to improve their football programs now than under the old system.
13-9
1:51
Stephen: is this the most impactful freshmen class narduzzi has every brought in? Heintschel, Turner, Lee, Butkowski and even Guerier have looked like future (or even present) all conference players?
Stephen Thompson
1:53
Heintschel, Bukowski and Turner I could easily see all earning 2nd team All-ACC honors at some point in their career. Butkowski has been  impressive early as well, although even Ben Sauls didn't earn the kind of accolades I thought he would last season. Guerrier has loads of talent, but I will reserve judgement until he sees the field more consistently.

Whether it's been Narduzzi's most impactful freshman class is another interesting question I will have to explore more during the bye week.
Bruce
1:54
Mason Heintshel has stated that he has a lot to learn and appears to be a very introspective young man. I think that he really took advantage of the short pass to the open receiver rather than throw deep to someone who is covered. He's a very impressive person. I can't believe that he wasn't more heavily recruited
Stephen Thompson
1:55
I will always remember following the Syracuse game that Heintschel ended every single one of his answers in the postgame press conference with some version of "I have to be better," even if the question wasn't about him. They've been limited, but in my interactions with Heintschel I have seen a lot of humility. If nothing else, he knows the right things to say.
coolGem
1:57
Will Holstein likely portal out? He appears to need to learn how to process quickly. I'm not sure he will ever develop that ability.
Stephen Thompson
1:58
That is my expectation at this point. If a younger player passes you over for a starting job, that's a logical next step. I still believe Holstein has loads of talent and athletic ability. In hindsight, this scheme Kade Bell runs might not have been a great fit for him.
1:59
That's all for this week's live chat. We ran fast and furious but I appreciate the questions. Some even helped me generate ideas for some bye week writing. We're onto Palo Alto. Hope to see some of you there.
Load More Messages
Connecting…