Pitt's Kenny Pickett approaches senior season with confidence

His eyes never dropped.

His chin remained elevated.

His words were direct and confident.

If Kenny Pickett is feeling pressure as he approaches the last of his three seasons as Pitt’s starting quarterback, he wasn’t showing it Monday after the first day of spring drills.

With seven starters returning on each side of the ball after an eight-win season, Pitt’s expectations are greater. But Pickett, who will be a 22-year-old senior by the time camp opens in August, refuses to bow to nerves or anxiety, even knowing this is his last chance at Pitt.

“The preparation takes all that away,” said Pickett, who has been throwing on his own — with teammates — three times a week almost since the season ended Dec. 26. “I’m really confident in how hard I work and how hard we work as a team and a unit.

“I wouldn’t say it’s nerves. It’s more (eagerness). You’re more excited to get out there and cut it loose. Once you know what you’re doing and you’re confident in yourself, you can go out there and play well.”

That’s the hope, of course.

But Pickett has the keys to a Pitt offense that finished 87th of 130 schools nationally and 10th in the 14-team ACC last season.

Like his quarterback, coach Pat Narduzzi refused to admit to feeling any outside pressure.

“If I feel pressure, we got issues,” the coach said. “I pressure myself. I don’t need pressure from anybody up at the Pete (Petersen Events Center, where administrators have offices) or anywhere else. I have pressure every day.

“I do believe this: Continuity is important.”

And that’s what Narduzzi has this season, with Mark Whipple returning for his second season as offensive coordinator, giving Pickett an extra layer of comfort.

“Me and coach Whip are pretty tight,” Pickett said.

Narduzzi pointed out how the defense improved last season (from 59th to 15th in the country) under second-year coordinator Randy Bates.

“We expect the same thing out of the offense (from) first year to second year,” Narduzzi said.

Pickett’s progression has been interesting to follow, starting in 2017 with his only start as a freshman, an upset of then-No. 2 Miami in the last game of a 5-7 season.

“His second year, under the same coordinator (Shawn Watson), we go to the ACC championship,” Narduzzi said.

“We ran the ball pretty well. He got us in all the right plays. We had a ton of run checks that year. We didn’t throw the ball much. Last year was our first year really throwing the ball, so he’s a pass quarterback. Then, you come into this year (as) a team that really knows how to throw the football now. I think they’re throwing it with a lot of confidence and a lot of speed.”

For now, anyway.

“We’ll see,” Narduzzi said. “We have a lot of work to do. It’s early.”

There are areas that need work.

Pickett said red-zone efficiency will be addressed this spring. Pitt scored only 18 touchdowns from that area in 38 attempts last season. Also, Pickett was 92nd in the nation in yards-per-pass attempt (6.6). The offense will stagnate without more explosive plays.

Whether he takes time to notice or not, Pickett is in rare company among Pitt quarterbacks over the past quarter century. If the season goes as planned, he will join Tyler Palko and Tino Sunseri as the only quarterbacks since 1995 to lead Pitt in passing yards for three consecutive seasons.

He said experience matters, not just at quarterback, and even on the first of 15 spring drills.

He said it manifested itself Monday in “knowing what you’re doing and being able to play faster. Being able to go full speed, instead of being hesitant and thinking.”

“For a first day, that was pretty good.”

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