Five Takeaways From Pitt Spring Game

The Pitt Panthers enjoyed a successful Spring Game at Acrisure Stadium.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers walked away with a lot to be happy about after the defense won a new-look spring game, 33-32, over the offense. 

New stars and possible immediate contributors emerged, while a couple of position battles also appeared to wrap up after fantastic performances from potential starters. 

Means Making Plays

Bub Means was one of, if not the, most impressive players on the field this weekend at Acrisure Stadium. His 2022 campaign was disjointed. He arrived late in the summer as a transfer from Louisiana Tech and it clearly took some time for him to get his feet under him and learn the offense. 

Means finished 2022 strong with four catches for 84 yards and a touchdown in the Sun Bowl and carried that momentum into the spring, where he's earned the praise of coaches and teammates alike routinely before looking smooth, athletic and just generally impressive in the Spring Game. 

He caught a pair of passes for 39 yards and gained 11 yards on his lone rush of the game - an average of 16.7 yards per touch - during his limited drives. Means showed athleticism, toughness, speed and agility that wasn't always apparent in his first season with the Panthers, a good sign that the potential folks raved about before last year was not smoke and mirrors.  

Veilleux Makes His Case

Penn State transfer Christian Veilleux demonstrated a smooth, capable arm in his time leading the second team offense. Veilleux hung in the pocket well against a furious opposing pass rush and delivered pretty ball after pretty ball. He showed competency in the new offense after going through just 15 practices with it and that resulted in a strong Spring Game stat line. 

Veilleux completed six of his nine passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. His best throw of the day came early, when he hit wideout Jake McConnachie streaking over the middle of the field for a 24-yard gain to set up a touchdown pass to Derrick Davis along the sideline. It's worth noting that Veilleux did most of his work against the first team defense.

There is likely not a quarterback controversy brewing beyond his battle with Nate Yarnell for the backup spot - Phil Jurkovec appears to have a stranglehold on the starting job - but no one can deny that Veilleux was impressive in his first somewhat live game action. 

Freshman Standouts

One of the best things about Spring Games is the chance to get an early look at young players who might be able to impact this team in the future. Pitt got to do that, walking away from the Blue-Gold game and spring practices having seen some good things from their new freshmen. 

Wide receiver Israel Polk was the offensive freshman head coach Pat Narduzzi was most impressed with during spring drills. His knowledge of the offense helped him see the field with the first and second teams often in the Spring Game, when he caught a pair of passes for 24 yards. 

Samuel Okunlola, bigger and stronger now than he was last fall and winter, was a force on the defensive line, recording a sack and two total tackles. 

Che Nwabuko filled in as punt returner with M.J. Devonshire taking the day off from those duties and Braylan Lovelace earned praise from Narduzzi for his excellent introduction to college football. Narduzzi even went as far to say that Lovelace, who recorded four tackles in the Blue-Gold game, "looks like a man" and could play as soon as this fall. 

Pitt Has Future Stars in Secondary

If his spring game performance is any indication, Javon McIntyre and P.J. O'Brien are stars in the making. They both turned in strong Spring Games, capstone performances to impressive sets of spring practices. McIntyre delivered multiple devastating hits, two for a loss and O'Brien recorded two tackles before delivering the 50-yard interception return for a touchdown that all but secured a win for the defense. Even Stephon Hall made an impressive pass breakup on a deep ball intended for the red-hot Means from Jurkovec. 

Pitt no longer has to sweat the transition from Brandon Hill and Erick Hallett to whoever comes next. They not only have options between Hall, McIntyre, O'Brien and Donovan McMillon, but depth and talent all over the room. What might have been considered a liability for this defense in the fall could end up being one of it's strengths.

Junko Separates Himself

The punting competition between Caleb Junko and Jeff Yurk has been a lowkey, but crucial position battle for Pitt this spring. The Panthers' punting unit let them down routinely at points last season but they appear to have found their answer for those special team woes. 

Junko was mightily impressive in the Blue-Gold game, averaging 49.5 yards with great hang time. The highlight of his afternoon was a booming, well-placed 59-yard kick that was caught on the one-yard line right at the near corner of the field where the goal line and the sideline meet. 

This is another position that Pitt can enter the summer confident in. 

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