Three Takeaways: Pitt Completes First Scrimmage

The Pitt Panthers learned a lot from their first scrimmage of the season.

Steel Valley's Cruce Brookins stiff-arms Beaver Falls' Trey Singleton during Friday's Class 2A WPIAL / Sally Maxson/For BCT / USA TODAY NETWORK

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have completed their first intrasquad scrimmage of the year and some new stars are starting to emerge as they face live competition for the first time this spring.

Here are three takeaways from the Panthers' first practice of the week, focusing on a rising freshmen, results of the scrimmage and an intriguing position battle brewing on offense.

Cruce Brookins Is The Real Deal
The safety spot seemed set for the Panthers heading into spring ball. There were one or two players to be excited about looking forward but in the immediate future, there were three guys and three guys only - Donovan McMillon, Javon McIntyre and P.J. O'Brien - that were going to take the overwhelming majority of the snaps. That doesn't seem like it'll be the case anymore.

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi and others have continued to sing the praises of freshman safety Cruce Brookins and its getting easier and easier to buy into the hype. He's a physical player with good instincts that have allowed him to push for playing time at a position where, at least on paper, it seemed like he would have to wait another year or two before really seeing the field.

Instead, Brookins will see some time as the fifth defensive back in Pitt's "delta package" while also working into the boundary safety rotation, according to Narduzzi. Classmates Braylan Lovelace, Rasheem Biles, Jordan Bass, Isaiah Neal, B.J. Williams and Kenny Johnson all contributed to varying degrees to the 2023 team as true freshmen and, alongside Brookins, are building the foundation of the future.

Ball Security in Inclement Weather
The Pitt defense won their first scrimmage of the year at Acrisure Stadium last weekend - as their new blue jerseys at practice prove - and when that's the case, turnovers usually make the difference. There were a couple more "TAKEAWAY" stickers on the helmets of Panther defenders, which obviously means the offense had a rough day.

It was raw and cold on Saturday afternoon - football weather - and that might of played a part in the loose handling of the ball. But Narduzzi didn't want to excuse it. After all, the weather in Pittsburgh doesn't get any milder in November. So in a departure from what they had done during the first two weeks of spring practices, Pitt stayed outdoors during a rainy morning on the South Side and worked on their ball security. Narduzzi made stops around at every drill, demanding his players test each other so the loose balls stop falling out.

Filling Out WR Depth Chart
This team's top three wideouts are all but set. More ofen than not, Daejon Reynolds, Konata Mumpfield and Kenny Johnson will be the set of receivers to take the first snap of the game on fall Saturdays this season. But Narduzzi believes that, because of the pace of the offense, they will need as many as six wide receivers that can be considered "starters" heading into each gameday. So where will those other three come from?

It sounds like San Diego State and Western Carolina transfer Raphael "Poppi" Williams had a good day at the scrimmage last weekend, hauling in some impressive over-the-shoulder catches and scoring multiple times. He's got speed and route running ability that should pop in an offensive system he's thrived in before. Let's go ahead and pencil him among the "second line" for now.

Moving from there, I'd have to assume at least one of these three freshmen - Zion Fowler-El, Izzy Polk and Lamar Seymore - takes another spot. We heard last year that Polk is the furthest along of the three, but Fowler-El is explosive athletically and Seymore has burners. Let's slide Polk in there for now since he seems to be the most advanced of the group, knowing that could change as everyone gets acclimated to a new system.

That leaves an interesting battle for the final spot between Fowler-El, Seymore, another Western Carolina transfer in C.J. Lee and walk-on-turned-scholarship player Jake McConnachie. I think one of the freshmen have the upper hand because they bring such immense talent at young ages. But Lee brings knowledge of the system and McConnachie adds some size to a group that might need it, especially in games where it is a more run-heavy approach.

One or two positions have started to sort themselves out over these first few weeks and receiver might be next in line.

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