Pat Narduzzi tinkers with Pitt's roster, adds veteran wide receiver D.J. Turner

Never let it be said Pat Narduzzi is satisfied with his roster.

Less than two weeks before the first game, Pitt’s coach added graduate transfer wide receiver D.J. Turner to the team.

Turner (5-foot-9, 206 pounds) has one season of eligibility remaining — two, if he chooses to take advantage of the NCAA’s one-time waiver this year. He can immediately play after graduating from Maryland.

Narduzzi said he believes Turner, who enrolled last week and practiced for the first time Tuesday, can help as soon as the first game Sept. 12 against Austin Peay.

“He looked really good out on the field,” he said. “(Wide receivers) Coach (Chris) Beatty coached him in the past (at Maryland). After Day 1, this guy is really smart. He’s got legs bigger than mine.”

Turner played in only the first three games for Maryland last season before he was charged Sept. 20 with driving while under the influence of alcohol, according to The Washington Post.

“We’re going to utilize the redshirt year that he has to allow him to continue to work on his issues off the field, which he’s doing a great job on,” Maryland coach Mike Locksley said at the time. “We want to keep supporting him as we have been, but we’re going to utilize the redshirt season that he has, and hopefully get him back next year to play.”

But the Big Ten postponed fall football this year amid covid-19 concerns, leaving Turner without a season. Narduzzi said his first contact with Turner occurred when he received a call from Turner’s brother, Mark Hayes, who played for him at Rhode Island in the 1990s.

In three games last season, Turner had four receptions for 84 yards and returned three punts for 107 and a touchdown. He recorded returns of 55 yards against Temple and 40 yards for a score against Howard.

Overall, Turner caught 24 passes for 294 yards in four seasons at Maryland.

Turner was rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com in 2016 when he came from DeMatha High School in Washington D.C. He could help Pitt as a slot receiver or on the outside in a group of experienced pass catchers that includes Taysir Mack, Shocky Jacques-Louis and Jared Wayne, plus freshman Jordan Addison.

Turner wasn’t the only Pitt player to receive a scholarship during the final weeks of training camp. In keeping with tradition, Narduzzi put senior walk-ons Jake Zilinskas and John Petrishen (Central Catholic) on scholarship.

Petrishen (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) transferred from Penn State last year. This season, he moved from safety to outside linebacker, where he is the No. 1 backup to starter Cam Bright.

Zilinskas, an Indiana High School graduate, has practiced at a variety of positions at Pitt, including quarterback, tight end, fullback, wide receiver and linebacker since he transferred from John Carroll in 2017. Narduzzi said Zilinskas has been at wide receiver and fullback this summer.

“You always noticed him,” the coach said. “He loves football. There is a difference between guys who love it and like it. Not many walk-ons make it to their senior year. They kind of give up.

“There is a lot of work that goes into it, a lot of sacrifices that his family made for him to be here.

“It’s the persistence that he’s had that’s kept him on the field. He could have walked away a year ago and never got to this point.”

Narduzzi said Zilinskas thanked him after practice, saying, “This is the best day of my life.”

NOTE: The ACC announced kickoff times for Pitt’s first two games — 4 p.m. Sept. 12 against Austin Peay and noon Sept. 19 vs. Syracuse. Both games televised from Heinz Field by the ACC Network.

EARNED. Congrats to @JacobZili and @jP5_ERA ‼️?? #H2P pic.twitter.com/j00FQcsHZr

— Pat Narduzzi (@CoachDuzzPittFB) September 1, 2020

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