Pitt Head Coach Praises Newcomers During Spring Camp

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Kevin Sinclair | Last updated Apr 12, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Via Max Hunt on Twitter.

PITTSBURGH — Which true freshman during the Pitt Panthers spring camp have impressed head coach Pat Narduzzi?

“A lot of them,” Narduzzi said during Thursday’s press conference. “A lot of them.”

That response proved to be true as Coach Narduzzi began to rattle off names. It began with newcomers in the trenches.

“This has been a good class that's come in mid-year, whether it's the transfers or the freshmen,” Narduzzi said. “You guys have heard me talk about them. I mean, obviously those three offensive linemen that have come in have been really impressive.

“I mean, (Jeffrey) Persi all the way to Keith (Gouveia) and (Kendall) Stanley. You look at those defensive ends, the newcomers there, we're happy with those.

Next, a cornerback plucked out of the transfer portal came up.

“Rashan Murray, a little bit banged up,” Narduzzi said. “I just saw him coming out of the indoor (practice facility). Hopefully he's probable (for the spring game), as you saw from the depth chart yesterday.

“So, he's like, 'I want to go! I don't know if the doctors are going to let me.'

“I was like, 'Well, hey, they're going to do what's best for you. It's not what's best for us. It's what's best for you.'

“We're happy with him. So, we're good there.”

PBU ✋ @RashanMurray pic.twitter.com/JkPvVa5XG2
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) March 16, 2025

A common theme in recent post-practice press conferences, Coach Narduzzi expressed excitement around early-entry freshman receivers and a running back, too.

“As far as the freshmen, talk about those receivers that we have in, it's easy to come in as a receiver, a running back, a skill guy,” Narduzzi said. “It's a little harder for, like, a Juju Anderson, the defensive end. His body, it doesn't look like some of those older guys that have been here in the past for Juju.

“When you look at the skill guys, Bryce Yates we already talked about, TK, (Tony) Kinsler looks really good. Cam Sapp looks really good. The running back, Boosie (Ja'Kyrian Turner), I think you guys will be impressed when you watch number 25 run on Saturday. He's been really impressive. I think he was the first tailback off the board (in the spring game draft).

“So, there's a lot of them. I'm probably missing somebody. But those guys stand out to me at those positions.”

Coach Narduzzi also gave a tip of his cap to a rookie battling for a spot behind soon-to-be sixth-year veteran Jake Overman.

“I'll tell you what, Max Hunt, I haven't said enough about Max Hunt,” Narduzzi said. “For a young guy coming in, he had some injuries in high school, he's come in, he's been physical. He's been impressive. He really has.

“For a true freshman to come in and make it through 15 practices, not miss a day, and stay engaged, and continue to stay with the installs that Coach (Kade) Bell has thrown out there, I think he's done an excellent job.”

It sure will be interesting to learn how those young players and incoming veterans from the transfer portal perform on Saturday during the Blue-Gold Game at Acrisure Stadium, even if the Panthers are ‘going thud.’

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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