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One week to go in spring football, which means there will be two more Q&A's before we take a hiatus until the fall. But keep all the questions flowing and I will do my best to answer them over the next two weeks. Don't forget tonight you can witness the Panthers on your own if you can make the short drive to the South Hills. They are practicing at Thomas Jefferson High School at 7 p.m. The practice is open to the public and free so if you are interested in the Panthers, it is a good chance for you to get a glimpse of what they are doing.
Q: It seems like the players are more comfortable with the playbook this year. Are the players to the point where they believe in the coaching staff?
Kory Parsia, Limerick, Pa.
Zeise: I don't think it is a matter of trusting or believing in the coaching staff more or less than last year. It is a matter of getting comfortable with a new system. Many of the veterans had two, three even four years in Walt Harris's system before last year, which is a lot to unlearn and then relearn. That's why it can be tough to transition from one staff to another and there were some guys who just never got it. When everyone is not on the same page, things will go wrong and breakdowns will happen. I think now, every player seems to understand his role better, they seem to understand what they are expected to do and they understand the scheme and how it works. That alone should make for a more efficient team.
Q: Tell me, with all these good players -- Palko, Stephens-Howling, Brooks, Collier, Kinder, Turner, McGee, Dickerson, Buches, Strong and Byham -- why Pitt can't win eight games this year?
Mike Stevens, San Marcos, Ca.
Zeise: Did you notice that not one of those players you named is a lineman. They are all skill players. Pitt has a lot of good skill players, a lot of faster guys and a lot of guys who will make big plays. Until they can win the battle up front consistently, they will always float somewhere around mediocrity.
Q: What are your thoughts on Tyler Palko's future as a pro?
Keith D., Langhorne, Pa.
Zeise: He'll get a shot, no question, and he will have a chance to make it because nobody is going to outwork him. He is the kind of player coaches love to have around because he is so committed and so dedicated. He'll do what he's asked and work as hard as he can to improve and learn. He is a smart football player, so learning a scheme and a playbook won't be hard. The question then becomes does he have the physical tools to play in the NFL? There will be some concerns about his size and his arm strength, but if he is able to prove in a combine setting that he can make all the throws necessary to be an NFL quarterback, he'll no doubt get a shot.
Q: Why did Pitt continue to try and use LaRod Stephens-Howling as a power back and run him up the middle instead of running more pitches and run the ball outside with his speed?
Jeremy McIntire, Washington, Pa.
Zeise: I think they were trying to see if he can be an every down back, and to do that he has to be able to run both between the tackles and around the end. They ran him around the end plenty, but defenses were starting to catch on to that. By changing it up every now and then, there was some element of surprise in what he was doing. I would like to see them find a way to get him the ball out of the backfield more, get it to him in the flat more and let him do his thing. I did think they tried too often to run him between the tackles in goal line situations, especially when they had a big back like Rashad Jennings waiting on the sidelines.
Q: Are there any walk-ons who have a chance to see action this year?
Ligori Lacey, Slippery Rock
Zeise: Well, Conor Lee is right in the mix for the starting kicking job and could win it. There are a number of other former walk-ons, like Joe Delsardo and Joe Villani, who have scholarships now and will play but other than Lee, I don't think there are any others who will have a chance to make an impact.
Q: Everyone keeps talking about Dorin Dickerson, did people forget about Elijah Fields? And what about Woodland Hills' Greg Webster?
Mike Lane, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Zeise: No, I think people are talking about both of those kids as well. The coaches would love to put Fields at safety: in fact, Dave Wannstedt said he sees a young Sean Taylor when he looks at Fields, but they are going to start him out at receiver and see how he progresses. And Webster will be the back-up middle linebacker, if not when the season begins, by mid-season. He is clearly the kind of player who would make a nice transition at that spot when H.B. Blades moves on.
Q: I hear that Michael Hearn is transferring, is that true?
Jason Slove, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Zeise: I don't know what he is doing but one thing he isn't doing is playing football for Pitt any more. He is not on the roster and is not participating in spring drills.
Q: Has Wannstedt considered red-shirtting a majority of these freshmen coming in order to build depth and maturity for 2007 and beyond?
Todd S., Mattews, NC
Zeise: In a perfect world he could and, hopefully, in the near future he'll have that luxury. But right now, he doesn't. The kids that can play, they need to play, especially anyone that can help on the line. That's just reality. Pitt doesn't have enough playmakers to sit anyone down who can help right away. Plus, I think it is imperative that the staff shows a commitment to trying to have a winning season, just from a perception standpoint. I don't think a winning season is going to be easy to achieve, but at least if you put your best 22 players on the field you give yourself a chance to have one.
Q: What is Dave Wannstedt doing so differently that he is getting so many four-star recruits?
Tom O'Connor, Johnstown, Pa.
Zeise: I think it is a matter of commitment and effort. That's not to say the last coach didn't work hard, but recruiting wasn't one of his favorite things. Dave Wannstedt lives to recruit, he loves it. He goes on the road for five weeks in the spring -- something that is almost unheard of among head coaches at BCS schools. Some go out for a part of the time or for a few days -- Wannstedt will spend the entire spring recruiting period on the road, knocking on doors, meeting people, etc., etc., Most head coaches have no idea what a text message is (some can't even use their cell phone or retrieve messages from their voice mail) and they have their flunkies texting and e-mailing kids. Wannstedt texts and e-mails prospects all the time. He is really into it and he has a tremendous personality. He is a guy that is very easy to like and it is clear he is very passionate about what he is doing.
The best way to sum it up is this: One of his assistants, who has been around the block a time or two and has been around a lot of coaches, said Wannstedt is the "most competitive recruiter I've ever been around and there isn't a close second." I've said this before and I'll say it again -- if this regime ultimately fails, it will not be because of a lack of talent. That will not be the issue because this guy is going to get players. If he wants someone, he goes after them and makes it very clear they are at the top of his priority list. That makes a huge difference.
Q: I was at the practice at Center high school and I didn't see Tommie Campbell getting many reps at defensive back. Is he getting lost in the shuffle?
Eli Peich, Aliquippa, Pa.
Zeise: Tommie Campbell was moved to linebacker and he has a chance to play some there. He is a little undersized but he can fly to the football and make plays. The Panthers are so loaded in the secondary that it made sense to move at least one of those guys down to the linebacker spot and, given his frame and his speed, if they can beef him up they'll have a great looking linebacker who hopefully plays as well as he looks. He is very fast and very strong, so he should have a chance to make an impact.
Q: I was wondering about two junior college recruits -- Lowell Robinson and Jeff Otah. How do you think they will fit into the mix?
Josh Casale, Loretto, Pa.
Zeise: Jeff Otah will be the starting left tackle on opening day unless he comes in and is terrible. I think he might even be able to get the job if he is just bad (joking). Seriously, though, the job is Otah's to lose and that is something the coaching staff has made clear. He needs to get in here, get up to speed on the offense and prove he is worthy of the hype. He is a big piece of the puzzle for this team. Defensive back Lowell Robinson is another guy who will be competing to get on the field this year. He has a lot of competition at his position, but from all I've heard about him, he is physical and a heavy hitter, so he sounds like he is a high impact player and the defense could use another one or two of them. He certainly is going to have a chance to play this year.
