Training Camp Takeaways: Day 23
8/21/2025 3:10:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH — The Panthers held their 18th and final practice of training camp on the South Side on Thursday. Joining Head Coach Pat Narduzzi for media availability were linebacker Braylan Lovelace and placekicker Trey Butkowski—each offering their perspective on the team and the push toward the Aug. 30 season opener against Duquesne.
Here are three key takeaways from Day 23:
1. From Walk-On to Week 1 Starter
True freshman Trey Butkowski, a walk-on from Orlando, Fla., was officially named Pitt's starting kicker—a decision Narduzzi announced earlier in the day.
"Mentally, I would tell myself I have nothing to lose," Butkowski said. "Just go out there and swing my swing."
Narduzzi acknowledged the challenge of choosing a walk-on over a scholarship player, but emphasized performance over pedigree.
"Obviously, as a head coach, you kind of go to the scholarship guy, 'You better win the job,'" Narduzzi said. "But we won a [ACC] championship with a walk-on kicker and earned a scholarship because of it in camp. So then we had two kickers on scholarship. That's the name of the game."
2. Next Man Up at Linebacker
Narduzzi also confirmed that linebackers Jeremiah Marcelin and Jayden Bonsu will miss the 2025 season due to injury, leaving the unit down two talented young contributors. Still, he expressed strong confidence in the current depth chart, led by Rasheem Biles, Kyle Louis, and Braylan Lovelace.
"You feel great with those three guys," Narduzzi said. "But Cam Lindsey keeps getting better every day… The light bulb's really coming on. Just physical thudding up stuff. I'm like, is that him? What's he weighing now? He looks like he weighs 225."
He also highlighted the strong camp of Nick Lapi, saying the group still feels deep despite the setbacks.
"Those guys got to step up. And again, it's just the next man up. We still feel good at that position, obviously."
3. Lovelace Looks to Set the Tone
As part of Pitt's veteran linebacker trio, Braylan Lovelace said the mindset in the room is clear: they're not just looking to get guys on the ground—they want every tackle to leave an impact.
"We don't want regular tackles," Lovelace said. "We want tackles for losses and sacks. We're trying to bring some enforcement with our hits, too. Last year, we might have just wrapped and rolled. This year, we're trying to put our face on them. We're bringing more of an emphasis to really trying to 'eat somebody's face.'"
With training camp officially in the books, Pitt now shifts its full focus toward the regular season. The Panthers will continue to refine their depth chart and finalize roles ahead of their Aug. 30 season opener against Duquesne at Acrisure Stadium.
