University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Five Takeaways from Pitt Football Training Camp Practice No. 17
8/26/2026 2:48:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH—Pitt Football returned to the field Wednesday for its 17th practice of training camp and final full-pads session of the week. Head Coach Pat Narduzzi was joined by defensive lineman Jeremiah Warren and running back Ja'Kyrian Turner for media availability.
Here are five takeaways from Wednesday:
1. Wannstedt Brings a Message of Toughness
Former Pitt Head Coach Dave Wannstedt visited the Panthers and spoke during Wednesday morning's team meeting.
Narduzzi said Wannstedt's physical teams helped attract him to Pitt after facing the Panthers while coaching at Cincinnati and Michigan State.
"The reason I wanted to come to Pitt was because of Dave Wannstedt and what he built toughness-wise here," Narduzzi said. "The teams he fielded out there, you knew were tough."
2. Knight Establishes Himself as a Top Target
Malik Knight has already secured a prominent role in Pitt's offense following a consistently productive camp.
"He's already established that Malik Knight is one of our top guys," Narduzzi said. "He's considered a starter on our offense."
Narduzzi highlighted an impressive contested catch Knight made during Sunday's scrimmage and praised the receiver for continuing to practice through painful blisters.
"He's got toughness," Narduzzi said. "He's a playmaker, and he can run."
3. Ferguson Adds Another Weapon
Freshman running back Damon Ferguson continues to make an impression with his combination of size, quickness and physicality.
"He's a shifty runner, and he's big," Narduzzi said. "He's kind of that in-between back. He's pretty special."
Turner said Ferguson's decisiveness stands out when the ball is in his hands.
"He's not scared or hesitant," Turner said. "He's one cut and go. He gets vertical and hits the hole."
4. Turner Embraces a Larger Role
Despite entering the season atop the running back depth chart, Turner said his approach has not changed. His focus remains on consistency and doing whatever is needed to help Pitt win.
"It just tells me to go harder every day, remain humble and be as consistent as I can be," Turner said.
Turner also wants to become a more vocal leader while continuing to lead through his work. On the field, he expects to contribute more as a receiver and create explosive plays in space.
"You're going to see more of me getting the ball out of the backfield," Turner said. "I'm going to make the best out of each rep."
5. Warren Confident in Defensive Line Depth
Warren said his understanding of Pitt's aggressive defense has grown significantly since spring practice.
"I'm much better as far as knowing the defense and knowing my role," Warren said. "Now I'm very comfortable with it, and I'm ready to make my plays."
He believes Pitt's defensive line possesses quality depth throughout the room, with younger players such as Josh Pittman and Reston Lehman making notable plays during camp.
"I feel like there's no drop-off from the ones to the twos," Warren said. "Each and every day, we're trying to raise our standards."
