Wannstedt hopes to give freshmen as shot at starting jobs
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh head coach Dave Wannstedt wants to give incoming freshmen a chance to compete for starting jobs in training camp before finalizing his depth chart. “I probably won’t do that until two weeks before the season begins,” Wannstedt said. “The best guys will play.”
He said he expects to have a workable depth chart ready for the annual Blue-Gold game on Saturday at Heinz Field.
Among the more notable recruits is Jeff Otah, a 6-foot-6, 340-pound left tackle who played last fall at Valley Forge Military Academy.
He will be eligible in the fall, along with wideout Dorin Dickerson from West Allegheny, defensive linemen John Malecki from Franklin Regional and Jason Pinkston from Baldwin, and wideout Elijah Fields from Duquesne. Fields, however, could be moved to safety.
Defensive back Lowell Robinson, a transfer from Erie Community College, also could make an immediate impact.
“I think that we’re still doing a little bit of experimenting with some players and moving them around,” Wannstedt said. “But that’s probably going to be a work in progress until a week or two weeks before that opener.
“We’ve got to continue to evaluate and create a real sense of competition to have every player go out and play as good as they’re capable of playing. But we are ahead of last year, at least from a coaching standpoint, in knowing what our players can do.”
The Panthers have just two more workouts this week before the Blue-Gold game, but several players who have made position switches this spring already have shown improvement.
Irvan Brown, who was recruited before last season as a running back, was redshirted and moved to cornerback. This spring, he switched to safety, and has played better with every practice.
“Irvan has good ball skills, and he’s not afraid of contact,” defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said. “He can be a very good safety for us as he gains more experience.”
Coaches also praised the work of former linebacker Doug Fulmer, who has pushed starter Charles Sallet at right defensive end, and former safety Tommie Campbell, who is vying for playing time at an outside linebacker spot.
“I’m much more confident now, at linebacker,” Campbell said. “I don’t have to worry so much about making mistakes. I can just play football. In high school, I was closer to the line of scrimmage than I was to the secondary, so this has worked out a lot better for me.”
Coaches hope that players like Campbell, with size (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and speed (he was a PIAA track champion), can take Pitt’s defense to another level.
“I’m playing weak-side linebacker, but it’s just like a safety,” Campbell said. “There’s not much difference, but I like it a lot better.”