Pat Narduzzi tells ACC Network Pitt's transfer portal defections were no 'gigantic loss'

Barely six months after a 3-9 finish to Pitt’s football season and less than 13 weeks before he’ll have the opportunity to start making amends, Pat Narduzzi said he feels good about the team’s new and emerging players while believing losses in the transfer portal are no big deal.

Narduzzi spoke openly last week on the ACC Network with reporters David Hale and Justin Walters on several topics, including his confidence in offensive coordinator Kade Bell and some eye-popping feats of strength in the weight room.

Narduzzi’s bottom line: “Can’t wait until September gets around.”

ICYMI: We talked to @CoachDuzzPittFB on yesterday’s ACCPM, and he had some great insight on Donovan McMillon, Desmond Reid, Nate Yarnell and especially Kyle Louis. Plus a tremendous note on OL Terrance Moore… pic.twitter.com/kGF4Ixjkpx

— ????????️♈️???? (@ADavidHaleJoint) June 1, 2024

The 2024 season will be an important one for Narduzzi, who will become only the third head coach in Pitt history with double-digit years of service (10) and 60 or more victories (65). He said he understood what went wrong last season and took immediate steps to reverse the issues.

Pitt’s offseason was no more or less turbulent what most schools are facing in the wake of transfers and the quest for rich NIL payments. Pitt lost a total of 19 players to the portal, including presumptive defensive starters Dayon Hayes, Solomon DeShields, Bangally Kamara, DeAndre Jules and Sam Okunlola. In their place are 15 transfers Narduzzi signed from the portal, including defensive ends Nate Matlack and Chief Borders, defensive tackles Nick James and Anthony Johnson and running back Desmond Reid.

Narduzzi said he likes what he observed after most of the dust settled.

“First thing is, we have a happy locker room so anybody we did lose through the portal was not a gigantic loss, I can tell you that,” Narduzzi said. “Because we have guys right behind them who are just as good or better. Some guys may get scared when they aren’t the guy and then they have to leave in the spring.

“The most important thing when you talk about defensive guys and playing in our defense, you better have a motor. If you don’t have a motor, it’s time to go in the portal.”

Asked about returning safety Donovan McMillon, Narduzzi said he has high expectations for the senior from Peters Township.

“He’s walking into his second season at Pitt, just knowing exactly what he’s doing,” Narduzzi said. “I think he knows the defense inside and out. He can be a coach back there, as far as his knowledge.”

McMillon led the team in tackles last season (105, 20 more than runner-up Javon McIntyre), but had no interceptions.

“We hope some people throw at him this year,” Narduzzi said. “He’s a really athletic cover guy, didn’t get a lot of opportunities to get interceptions back there. Hopefully (opponents) take some shots back at him.”

Pitt’s linebacker group will be inexperienced after losing DeShields and Kamara, but Narduzzi said sophomore outside linebacker Kyle Louis will be a player to watch.

“There’s not a player in the locker room who won’t talk about Kyle Louis and what he did in the spring,” the coach said. “The guy’s electric. He’s physical. He’s tough. And he plays the game the way you’re supposed to.”

Referencing an ACC Network video that highlighted tough football players from Pittsburgh, Narduzzi said, “Kyle Louis has all of that.”

Asked about his confidence in Bell, who replaced veteran coordinator Frank Cignetti, Narduzzi said, “If it’s a scale of 10, I’m going up to 10.”

“It’s creativity and, maybe, a little bit of the (fast) tempo that I see. Kade Bell is an excellent football coach, fundamental guy, techniques. Just the schematics as a defensive guy looking at the things that are going to come at people. I just like what he’s teaching our guys. He has a great mindset. He has a ton of energy.”

Narduzzi said dramatic steps were necessary to upgrade an offense that ranked 14th and last in the ACC in average yards gained per game (317.9).

“You’re looking at two different types of offense of what we were and what we’re going to be,” he said. “I was looking for something different because what we were doing wasn’t working.

“Kade’s just got a different mind about him. He’s a football coach’s kid, so I think that’s always special. He grew up being a ballboy and being around his dad (Western Carolina coach Kerwin Bell) all day long. His dad was not only an excellent football coach, but an excellent player as well. He’s been around ball. He loves it. He lives it. It’s what he talks about all day in the office.”

Narduzzi also praised Reid for his toughness.

“He’s not a very big guy, but he’s explosive and he’s tough,” he said of Reid, who rushed for 1,723 yards the past two seasons at Western Carolina.

“Pound for pound, (cornerback) Marquis Williams (5-9, 180) was probably our toughest guy a year ago. Desmond Reid (5-8, 175) will take over as that toughest guy pound for pound, I believe. He’ll block (middle linebacker) Brandon George coming through an A gap. He’ll block a defensive end in gap protection. And he can run. He’s a guy who can be a game-changer as far as if he hits a hole, he has the ability to take it to the house.”

Finally, Hale remarked about nine Pitt players who performed planks in recent workouts, holding themselves off the ground on their arms for more than 20 minutes. Center Terrence Moore (6-5, 305) stayed up the longest, followed by wide receiver Daejon Reynolds, Narduzzi said.

(Moore) has “big marks on his forearms” from the workout,” Narduzzi said. “That’s a big body to stay up that long. He wasn’t going to be denied.”