One look at Pitt’s Julian Dugger immediately tells you he is seriously unlike many of his teammates. And not just because he plays quarterback, the most important position on the field.

He stands 6-foot-3 and is 205 pounds, and he is blessed with those long legs built for striding that — if the blocking holds up — can get him into open spaces faster than many others who play his position.

Yet Dugger, a redshirt freshman, knows there’s more to playing quarterback at the ACC level than looking good.

“Being gifted athletically, that’s a given,” Dugger said Tuesday after Pitt’s 13th of 15 spring practices. “But trying to build a quarterback and working on things for that (to happen) was a big thing for me this (off-)season.”

Dugger, a Penn Hills graduate, received lots of — but not nearly enough — valuable experience in the GameAbove Sports Bowl at the end of last season. Although he didn’t start the 48-46 loss to Toledo, he took charge of matters late in the six-overtime marathon.

Yes, he ran for 88 yards and threw two touchdown passes in regulation and two more for scores in overtime, but he also threw an interception that 311-pound defensive tackle Darius Alexander returned for a touchdown.

Now, he is the top choice to be Eli Holstein’s backup when Pitt opens summer training camp in August.

“Julian’s been really good,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “Julian is going to beat you with his feet. He strides it out.

“Julian has taken it to the next level. He’s a totally different player, mentally and physically. I think he’s studying the game more. That bowl game was great for him, as far as his confidence. (He said), ‘OK, I got it.’

“He’s really dedicated. I know he’s watching a lot of tape on his iPad.”

Dugger said the bowl game taught him how to prepare for games, but, in the aftermath, he sat down, watched more video and noted what went right and what went wrong.

“Only way you can (improve) is looking at more tape, seeing what you can do better,” he said. He said he’s specifically working on his footwork and anticipating where to make the proper throw.

Of course, there are moments when he can’t help himself and the athleticism just takes over. The best example this spring was his 69-yard touchdown run where Narduzzi said he wasn’t touched.

“The defensive end went with the running back, so I pulled (the football into his body), made a few guys miss and took off down the sideline.”

There’s plenty of teaching done on the field and in conference rooms, but there’s no substitute for the speed and elusiveness that can’t be taught.

“When something breaks down or something is not the way it’s supposed to look,” Dugger said, “if you have the ability to get out of the pocket and make plays with your feet, it just makes everything much easier. Take off and run. Don’t sit and wait there.”

Stay on your feet

Narduzzi said the Blue-Gold Game on Saturday will be a thud session, rather than one where live tackling is allowed. Basically, thud means keep as many people as possible upright (especially the ball carriers, pass catchers and quarterbacks).

“Stay up and stay as healthy as we can,” Narduzzi said. “Being that it’s not on the ACC Network, I want to make sure it’s thud. If it was (on) ACC Network, I would have gone live probably.

“Thud is pretty lively. It’s just keeping guys off the ground. The O-Line and D-Line are going live every snap. Sometimes, thud gets scarier than live. I’ll try to make it a light thud. The problem with thud is some guys are going full speed trying to impress Mom in the stands.”

Without offering specifics, Narduzzi acknowledged the team is “banged up a little bit” after several players had postseason surgeries and more are expected this spring.

“That’s part of the game. Luckily, it’s nothing bad.”

He said all of the injured will be ready to go in August.

Quarterback Eli Holstein, who had an injury-plagued 2024 season, remains “a work in progress,” according to the coach. “Still not 100%. Still a little hesitation in my opinion.”

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