Two days after Pitt's embarrassing display of offensive ineptitude otherwise known as the Sun Bowl in December, Panthers receiver Jonathan Baldwin showed up at the Pitt indoor facility and spent a few hours running routes and catching passes from backup quarterback Pat Bostick.

"I knew that I didn't do enough last season and I wanted to set the tone for this season right away," Baldwin said about his offseason workouts. "I knew that to do more than I did last year, I'd have to do more on my own in the offseason. I wanted to work with the quarterbacks and get our timing better. I just wanted to get better."

By all accounts, Baldwin got a lot better in the offseason.

He has been one of the most dominant players in Pitt's training camp. and there have only been a few practices in which he hasn't done something special.

But Baldwin, a sophomore from Aliquippa High School, is not only stronger and more physically mature, he has

much better hands, a much better understanding of running routes and beating coverages and a better work ethic than last year.

That's bad news for Pitt's opponents because it means one of the best athletes on any team in the country -- Baldwin is 6 feet 5, 225 pounds, was timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.37 seconds and has a 42-inch vertical leap -- is also on his way to becoming one of the nation's best players.

"He's driven, he really wants to be good and, really, he learned last year that playing receiver requires a lot more than just running fast," said Pitt receivers coach Bryan Bossard said of Baldwin, who was a tight end at Aliquippa.

"He didn't have a lot of background in playing receiver, so we put together a plan for the spring and then the offseason based on what I thought his weaknesses are and what he needed to do to improve.

"I think learning his body position and using his athleticism to go get the ball has enabled him to get to a lot more balls. It is easy to coach him because he wants to be good and he is willing to put in the work to be good."

Baldwin has made a number of big-time plays this camp.

A few days ago, for example, he snatched a ball out of the air with one hand on a fade pattern for a touchdown pass.

And yet, it is the routine plays that separate him from a year ago.

Bossard said that if Baldwin wasn't the primary receiver on a given play last season, he wouldn't not go as hard as he needed. The only routes he ran well were deep ones. So far in camp, however, he is catching short passes, intermediate ones and running after the catch as well as shedding tacklers and playing physical.

The players who cover him every day often are overmatched, testifying to the difference between this year and last.

Cornerback Ricky Gary said trying to cover Baldwin is the ultimate challenge, and the few times he wins the battle he knows he has accomplished a great deal.

"I've never had to cover someone that big with that physical ability," Gary said. "I know if we can compete with him every day and slow him down, it should be easy to defend any other receiver in the country because he is just a physical freak.

"The guy runs a 4.3 and he is 6-foot-5 and with his jumping ability, his ball skills, it is crazy. But he's not just tall, he goes and gets the ball, I've never had to face a receiver whose ball skills are that good."

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NOTES -- Wide receiver Cedric McGee (hamstring), running back Shariff Harris (hamstring) and safety Irvan Brown (calf) returned to practice yesterday. Also, cornerback Buddy Jackson (jaw), tight end Dorin Dickerson (hamstring) and safety Elijah Fields (foot) returned for some light duty and did some drills. Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said that he expects a number of the 12 players -- like tight end Nate Byham (headaches), defensive tackle Mick Williams (shoulder) and defensive end Jabaal Sheard (leg) -- who have minor injuries to return to practice today. ... The team had a light practice that was moved indoors because of the rain. The players were given the morning off and the freshman were taken to lunch. "Rest is the thing we needed most, and we accomplished that today," Wannstedt said. ... Wannstedt said after evaluating the scrimmage Tuesday that freshman tailback Dion Lewis has solidified his grip on the starting job.