PITTSBURGH — It’s the second week again in motion on the South Aspect, and there will probably be three follow periods out there to the media this week, so there needs to be a lot to unpack.

Pitt remained indoors Tuesday, a vibrant however chilly morning, and it was enterprise as ordinary. Phil Jurkovec, Christian Veilleux, Nate Yarnell and Ty Dieffenbach rotated via throws in opposition to the air, and the mini drills continued contained in the indoor facility.

The power across the facility was excessive. Soccer is clearly again on the South Aspect.

I got here away impressed by Yarnell as soon as once more Tuesday. He throws a very nice ball. The quarterbacks had been throwing in opposition to air, working a restricted route tree with the working backs and receivers, however Yarnell fared the perfect.

It’s nonetheless going to be a contest between Jurkovec and Veilleux, even when Pitt says Yarnell is in a three-way battle, and we’re going to wish to see extra from each — particularly because the pads come on — to find out something. It’s solely the second week of spring ball. I’d think about there’s nonetheless some rust being shaken off even.

The duo of Rodney Hammond Jr. and Derrick Davis will probably be vital for Pitt in 2023. I feel Hammond’s in line for a giant season, but when we all know something about Cignetti’s offense, it’s that he likes to make use of a number of working backs. Davis is massive and bodily, listed at 6-foot, 210 kilos and searching even larger, and I feel he’ll work very effectively as a complement to Hammond.

It’s most likely nonetheless too early to inform precisely how somebody like Lamar Seymore is adapting to the collegiate degree, with only a handful of spring ball practices beneath his belt, however I feel the spring will do him wonders. He appears to be like each little bit of 6-foot-1, 185 kilos, and I nonetheless suppose he’s in line to contribute this fall.

And whereas the quarterback competitors will dominate the headlines, the punting competitors is simply as fierce.

Clearly, Sam Vander Haar wasn’t in a position to maintain the beginning spot final yr, as he traded punts down the stretch with Caleb Junko and Cam Guess, however there’s a brand new choice within the room in Elon’s Jeff Yurk.

And Tuesday, as there have been, like, 4 balls shanked off the video board, Yurk was undoubtedly essentially the most spectacular punter within the constructing. He put collectively a formidable profession at Elon, and it is going to be attention-grabbing to see what he can do that spring.

Sean FitzSimmons and Samuel Okunlola earned reward all final spring for his or her early adaption to the defensive system, and it’s Isaiah Neal’s flip this spring. He’s becoming into the defensive position room seamlessly.

The youth of the defensive position needs to be on full show this coming season, however it’s almost not possible for a real freshman to crack the rotation, nonetheless. If Neal is ready to do it, he’ll must study in a short time this spring.

Adham Abouraya has seen all of it now at Pitt. He’s come to city for a gameday expertise, he’s made a visit out for Junior Day and now he’s gotten to see how Pitt conducts a follow.

Abouraya — a 6-foot-5, 280-pound three-star offensive lineman from Downington East Excessive in Downington, Pennsylvania — made his third go to to Pitt for Thursday’s spring follow session, and all he can actually say about Pitt is simply how a lot he likes it.

“In fact, I actually prefer it,” Abouraya informed PSN. “I identical to every part, there’s not likely something I don’t like about it, to be sincere.”

The Junior Day go to in January was very inclusive, as he was in a position to see the services, meet extra in-depth with the teaching workers and actually get a really feel for the tradition round Pitt soccer, however he truly acquired to see some soccer this time.

I imply, he acquired to look at Pitt beat Rhode Island final September, however Thursday’s go to allowed him to stand up shut and private with Pitt’s offensive line room and see precisely how offensive line coach Dave Borbely holds his linemen accountable.

That chance to look at Borbely coach was the spotlight of the go to this time.

“Watching the workforce intervals throughout follow and seeing the protection yelling on the offense and the offense yelling on the protection,” Abouraya stated, “it was fairly enjoyable.

“I’d take a look at one participant and watch his approach, see how he’s doing stuff and see how coach Borbs would critique or repair or no matter and see how I might put that into my very own sport.”

Abouraya actually likes the Pitt teaching workers, Borbely particularly, after all, and that feeling was solely strengthened as he watched Borbely in motion. He wished to look at Borbely coach, and it actually reminded him of how his highschool offensive line coach operates.

However whereas soccer was the headliner Thursday, it wasn’t the one factor Abouraya loved. He had the chance to drive across the Oakland campus for the primary time, and he loved that, too. There isn’t a lot — if something — he doesn’t take pleasure in about Pitt.

And if there’s a place group that Pat Narduzzi enjoys loading up on, the offensive linemen can be manner up there. Abouraya matches the mildew of a Pitt lineman. He performs sort out at Downingtown East, however he’s able to enjoying guard or sort out, and he’s fast and athletic in an enormous body — helped by his wrestling feats.

The Downingtown East groups run the ball quite a bit, so he has loads of expertise getting bodily and opening up holes for operating backs to blow up by means of — which can also be the form of offense Narduzzi likes to run.

247Sports charges Abouraya because the 791st-ranked recruit within the class (Fiftieth-ranked inside offensive lineman and the Twenty fifth-ranked recruit from Pennsylvania). On3 charges him because the 77th-ranked offensive sort out and Thirty first-ranked recruit from Pennsylvania whereas Rivals charges him because the Thirtieth-ranked recruit from Pennsylvania.

With presents from Bowling Inexperienced, Cincinnati, Maryland, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple and West Virginia, Abouraya has a stable record of contenders rising. He can be headed to Rutgers in April, and the following time he can be again at Pitt will probably be for an official go to.

“Pitt is certainly one of my prime faculties proper now, undoubtedly,” Abouraya stated.

Pitt has but to land an offensive lineman within the class of 2024, and Abouraya can be a really stable addition, particularly as an in-state recruit.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — “We put Pitt again on the map.”

Greg Elliott, Jamarius Burton, and Nelly Cummings all proclaimed shortly after the emotional Panthers fell to 3-seed Xavier to conclude their magical season.

“The long run is shiny,” Burton stated. “We put Pitt on the nationwide stage. They’re going to have the ability to get transfers out of the portal, and it’s as much as the blokes that are available in to imagine in Coach and imagine in this system and take it from right here.”

Nike Sibande — a sixth-year senior who missed all of final season with a torn ACL, solely to win ACC Sixth Man of the Yr this 12 months — adopted with a mirrored image of his personal.

“I agree with what Jamarius stated,” Sibande added. “We positively introduced Pitt again to, you already know, a nationwide stage to the place it has a number of consideration now. So I feel in our future it’s going to be shiny for Pitt. I feel lots of people ought to come right here and imagine in Coach. He did a tremendous job this 12 months with this group, and I admire every part, each expertise we had this 12 months for positive.”

Subsequent got here Nelly Cummings, the 6-foot graduate senior who grew up a Pitt fan out in Midland, PA. Cummings concluded his collegiate profession with three NCAA Event appearances, and greater than 1,500 factors and 380 assists.

“I agree with what each of them guys stated,” Cummings added. “So as to add to that, like J.B. stated, we put Pitt again on the map, so we’re positively pleased with what we did right here, and the longer term is de facto shiny as a result of the teaching workers and everyone on this program, all of them have a perception about themselves that may translate to guys who are available in, like transfers like me. So I feel there’s going to be a number of guys who will see that and perceive that Pitt is unquestionably a spot to be.”

Greg Elliott, like Cummings, transferred on this previous offseason after spending 4 seasons in Milwaukee with Marquette. Elliott began 36 video games this season for Pitt, hitting a career-high 77 three pointers and taking pictures 42% from three-point vary.

“You already know, identical to my teammates simply stated, the longer term is unquestionably shiny for Pitt basketball as a result of now we have Coach Capel on the helm,” Elliott stated. “He wasn’t ACC Coach of the Yr for nothing. He is aware of what he’s doing. You already know, like they only stated, we’re again on a nationwide stage now. Everyone is aware of who Pitt is once more. So if you wish to come make noise, why wouldn’t you come to Pitt?”

Aidan Fisch, the manager-turned-walk-on-turned-scholarship participant for Pitt, was additionally emotional about his time with the Panthers after the sport on Sunday.

Aidan Fisch represents Pitt basketball. pic.twitter.com/9qoni4V4WN

— George Michalowski (@MichalowskiCBB) March 19, 2023

“The unbelievable teammates that I had and the countless combat,” stated Fisch, when requested what he’ll keep in mind about this season. “The truth that they introduced, we introduced, Pitt again to nationwide prominence, was unbelievable.”

Pitt finishes its season with a 24-12 document — this system’s finest since 2013-14. The Panthers earned two NCAA Event wins — one over No. 11 Mississippi State within the First 4 and one over No. 6 Iowa State within the first spherical — advancing to the second spherical of the match in 12 months 5 of the Jeff Capel period.