New Faces in Pitt Secondary Meshing During Spring Practices

The Pitt Panthers are looking for their next great safety grouping.

PITTSBURGH -- Erick Hallett and Brandon Hill are both trying their luck in professional football this spring. Both are hanging around the Pitt Panthers' practice facility, watching their now former team go through spring ball before participating in Pitt's Pro Day events next week. As they leave, there are massive holes in the secondary they roamed for more than two years as a tandem. 

The Panthers will now be looking for their next great safety grouping this fall. Damar Hamlin and Paris Ford gave way to Hallett and Hill who will now give way to the next generation. It's no definite thing but returning junior Javon McIntyre and Florida transfer Donovan McMillon appear best suited to win those jobs by the end of fall training camp and, according to head coach Pat Narduzzi, sophomore P.J. O'Brien is in the mix for major playing time as well. 

This group will play with live ammo for the first time this weekend, when the Panthers hold their first scrimmage of the year at Arisure Stadium. There, Narduzzi and his coaching staff will get to see some impatient veterans get a shot at first team reps. 

“Those guys have been ready," Narduzzi said. "It’s not like all of a sudden they’ve been buying in now. They bought in a year ago and had to wait for their time. They get five plays a game, they got to make them the five best plays you can. They bought in a long time ago. ... That’s what they do, waiting to be that next guy.”

Narduzzi believes there's no doubt his new trio will take care of business physically - these are not the type of players to shy away from contact - but he is interested to see how they mesh mentally. As the players with the best vantage point on the whole play, the safeties need to be excellent communicators and build chemistry. 

Additionally, all three of those players - McMillon, McIntyre and O'Brien - have limited, if any, starting experience in Pitt's system. O'Brien and McIntyre have played sparingly as reserves but the only start for Pitt between those two was from McIntyre in the Sun Bowl against UCLA last season and he was far from perfect in that game. Like the rest of the trio, McIntyre is working on the mental side of his game most aggressively. 

“I think he’s working on the mental part of it more than anything," Narduzzi said. "He’s a talented kid who’s got the ability to be a really good player but it’s more confidence, I think, knowing what you’re doing. You know, he had two major busts in the bowl game. I mean big time. ... The mental part of it is as important as the physical part of that. So he’s gotten better at that over the offseason”

McMillon's had to do the same thing, according to Narduzzi, but the coaching staff is happy, overall, with what they've gotten from the new kid on the block this spring. 

"He’s still learning," Narduzzi said. "He’s probably the new guy back there, trying to learn it all, but he’s picked it up well and we’re happy with where he is right now.”

McIntyre claims he's gotten close with McMillon during winter workouts and as neighbors on the depth chart last year, he's tight with O'Brien as well. All three of them have waited their turn and are eager to prove themselves on the field. 

There won't be any cameras or crowds this weekend at Acrisure Stadium, when the Panthers scrimmage behind closed doors, but it's still an opportunity to shine playing real football that McIntyre is eager to capitalize on. 

“I been knew what I could do, always trusting myself and knowing that when the time came, I’d make the most of it," he said. "So now I can finally show the world what I can do.”

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