Practice makes perfect for former Hampton receiver Benny Haselrig at Pitt

The video replay revealed what Hampton’s Benny Haselrig already knew.

The freshman wide receiver at Pitt had made the wrong read during an option route in the opening days of football training camp, and the film review didn’t lie.

“You have to read the defense and decide which direction to go,” Haselrig said. “There are four different options you can do. The first time we ran it, I probably could have made a better decision.

“Then I went and watched the films and the coaches talked about it, and the next day, it was the same situation and I ended up making the right decision and I was wide open and caught the ball and ran up the sideline.”

Day by day, Haselrig, a preferred walk-on, is working to get better as coach Pat Narduzzi’s Panthers prepare for the 2023 season, which kicks off Sept. 2 against visiting Wofford.

“It’s making small improvements every day in some way,” said Haselrig, a three-time first-team all-Greater Allegheny Conference receiver, “and all that will add up.”

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Haselrig, who is wearing uniform No. 82, knows his odds of making an impact this season are slim. There are 18 players in a crowded Pitt wide receiver room, including junior Konata Mumpfield and fifth-year senior Bub Means, the only two receivers on the roster who caught a pass for Pitt last season, along with a transfer from the SEC (Florida’s Daejon Reynolds) and a former Texas state champion sprinter (Che Nwabuko).

Throw in a handful of highly-regarded recruits, and Haselrig is fighting an uphill battle as a true freshman.

“There’s a lot of guys in our room,” Haselrig said. “As far as game-time helping (Pitt) this year, we’re going to have to see how that goes. But as far as practice, I feel like it’s going pretty well and I’m getting better every time.”

Pitt wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood, the former Rutgers standout and five-year NFL player, said Haselrig has shown a desire to improve.

“Benny has been an outstanding addition to our wide receivers room,” Underwood said. “I’ve really been impressed with his work ethic and attention to detail. … I’m looking forward to watching his development this August, and I know he is going to maximize every rep he gets during camp.”

Haselrig, who last season caught 58 passes for 937 yards and 14 touchdowns for Hampton, prepared for the month-long training camp with six-day-a-week offseason workouts. Whether it was yoga to improve his flexibility or catching passes at Hampton’s Fridley Field or attending DeWayne Brown’s 2tenths Speed and Agility training camp on the South Side or lifting weights with his Panthers teammates, Haselrig stayed busy.

“I did a whole lot leading up to this to make sure I felt good coming into it,” he said.

Training camp began Aug. 2 with wake-up calls at 6:15 a.m. and the final team meetings at roughly 8:25 p.m. In between, there are film studies, meetings, practices, walk-throughs, weightlifting and a couple of breaks for lunch and dinner.

“It’s a long day, for sure,” Haselrig said. “I’ve just got to adjust, but it’s been good.”

Haselrig is working on special teams units during training camp, and whether he is redshirted or dressed for game days this season, the former Talbots star is acclimating himself to Division I football.

“I am here for a reason,” he said. “Even if it’s up and down at first, I know eventually it will be more consistent.”