Five Takeaways from Pitt Football Training Camp Practice No. 11

PITTSBURGH — Pitt Football continued their training camp on Tuesday with their 11^th practice of the fall. Head Coach Pat Narduzzi, linebacker Davin Brewton and running back Synkwan Smith met with the media.

Here are five takeaways:

1.Holding the Pitt Standard

When asked about the standard held within the linebacker room, linebacker David Brewton spoke about why he and his teammates came to Pitt.

"My standard is to be great – that's always been the standard here at Pitt. You came here to make a legacy for yourself," Brewton said. "Everyone in that linebacker room is trying to make a legacy for themselves. We're competing every single day and making each other better."

2.It's the Little Things

Coach Narduzzi harped on the importance of the team's attention to detail this morning when asked if stacking small improvements each day can translate to wins.

"No question about it. I don't care if it's cleaning out your locker, getting the ball snapped faster, getting your receivers and running backs set… If you take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves."

3.The Depth at Defensive End

Narduzzi praised his defensive ends for their performance in camp so far this August.

The Chris Bickell '97 Head Football Coach highlighted their four-man rotation of Jimmy Scott, Isaiah Neal, Zach Crothers and Jaeden Moore while complimenting true freshman Reston Lehman and Josh Pittman for their ability to push for playing time this season.

4.Brewton is Determined to Grow as a Leader

After being named one of Pitt's Ed Conway Award winners for being the most improved defensive player in the spring, Davin Brewton is driven to continue growing into a leadership role within the defense.

"I've been working hard every day – trying to push my linebacker room, the defense and everyone on the team," Davin said. "I'm trying to take that leadership role more personally and drive everybody while continuing to understand the playbook, gain the knowledge and play fast on the field."

Brewton continued, "I've been embracing that middle linebacker role. You have to be a hard, gritty, vocal dude. And that's what I'm trying to do."

5.The Importance of the Run Game

Coach Narduzzi and running back Synkwan Smith both voiced the importance of, and their confidence in, Pitt's running game ahead of the 2026 season.

"I think we made some major improvements in the offseason (in the run game) – not only personnel wise but structurally," Coach Narduzzi said. "We know for us to win a championship, we have to have a better run game."

Smith highlighted that playing faster will benefit his game and Pitt's offense.

"I've been learning and taking notes from the older guys in the room, understanding the game and playing faster."

Smith continued by saying that Ja'Kyrian Turner emphasized his speed in the offseason.