Pitt's Incoming Linemen Showing Early Sign of Success

The Pitt Panthers new big men are impressing early at spring practice.

Oct 5, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In the Pitt Panthers post-practice press conference on Tuesday, March 18, head coach Pat Narduzzi discussed an upcoming live scrimmage. 

Coach Narduzzi expects to learn plenty about his 2025-26 squad through that session. 

“Saturday, scrimmage. We got out in shells on Thursday, get to Acrisure on Saturday, barring that the weather is good,” Narduzzi said. “We’ll get to see what we really have that day. You know, when you go live for a whole scrimmage, you find out what you have.

“Saturday, we’ll be live the whole time. We’ll get 100-plus plays. We’ll be live. Oh yeah.”

With key pieces working along the offensive line and defensive line, newcomers through the transfer portal and one specific lineman heading into Year Three in Pittsburgh, Narduzzi expressed optimism around upgrades in the trenches. 

First, the Panthers head coach touched on the new and emerging defensive linemen. 

“The new guys have done a nice job. I’ll mention Maverick (Gracio). He’s done a good job…He’s using his hands better than he was in the (fall),” Narduzzi said. “He’s a new guy but he’s not a new guy. So, I’ve seen some spurts out of him. I really like what I see there. 

“Joey Zelinsky’s really done a nice job. You know, Jaeden (Moore) has done a really nice job as well. So, all those guys are what we thought they were or more. So, I’m happy with, really, where we are there. I think that spot is better right now than it was a year ago at this time.”

Here is #Pitt DL Maverick Gracio's punt block against West Virginia in gif form #H2P @MaverickGracio pic.twitter.com/ZGjGE8wBxr

— Jeff Gamza 📷 (@jgamza) September 16, 2024

Gracio is currently a redshirt sophomore, seeing action in four games last year as a 6-foot-4, 245-pound defensive end out of West Palm Beach (Fla.) Cardinal Newman.

Of course, Zelinsky (Eastern Michigan) and Moore (Oregon) are new faces plucked from the portal. 

Additional incoming transfers came up early during Narduzzi’s press conference segment. 

“Those new guys, you get ‘em to play left tackle, right tackle, and center,” Narduzzi said. “So, we’ve got right now (Jeffrey) Persi at left tackle, (Kendall) Stanley at right tackle as well. Just letting them get used to it and rotating as well with the ones and twos. And Keith (Gouveia) is playing left guard as well. 

“We really focused on the left side right now, and get some consistency there. You know, let them get their feet on the ground.”

Both groups of linemen will be vital in the upcoming season, and both sets of newcomers will be surrounded by successful veterans. 

Gracio, Zelinsky, and Moore will be working in front of Pitt’s prized All-American linebacker Kyle Louis along with his quality counterpart Rasheem Biles. Up front, the trio is joined by veteran Jimmy Scott (13 TFL, 6 sacks in 2024) among others. 

Offensively, Persi, Stanley, and Gouveia work to protect Eli Holstein and to create lanes for returning star running back Desmond Reid. 

It’ll be interesting to see how the new names on the roster mesh with the returning producers on both sides of the ball. 

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