One of the more underrated components of Pat Narduzzi's tenure as Pitt's football coach has been his scouting and development of defensive backs as relatively under-the-radar prospects and transforming them into NFL-ready talents.
Could Javon McIntyre be the next in a line?
Avonte Maddox. Jordan Whitehead. Dane Jackson. Damar Hamlin. Jason Pinnock. Damarri Mathis.
Count it. Six Pitt defensive backs drafted since 2018, with Brandon Hill and Erick Hallett II drawing potential in the upcoming draft and with Marquis Williams and M.J. Devonshire boasting potential over the next couple of years.
The safety McIntyre could be the one to follow in that lineage, based on his strong end to the 2022 season and with his potential already showing in Pitt spring camp. The offseason was more about polishing up the tape study and diving more into Randy Bates' coverage schemes, which Narduzzi stressed as a major improvement from the latter stages of last season.
"He's working at the mental part right now more than anything," Narduzzi said Friday. "I think he's a talented kid that's got the ability to be a really good player, but just needs more confidence, I think, know what you're doing. He had two major plays in the bowl game. I mean, big time. Erick Hallett gets beat on a post and it's man free, and we've got a guy in the middle of the field which is usually not the case, and we surprise them and they throw a post, and Erick's sitting on the ground like, 'where's my help at?' and he jumped outside leverage.
"The mental part as opposed to the physical part. That what he's gotten better at, I think, in the offseason with a bunch of meetings."
McIntyre played in all 13 of Pitt's games in his redshirt freshman season, and earned the start in the Sun Bowl as Hill opted out. He finished with just 18 total tackles, two for loss, and two pass breakups throughout the season, but he displayed his playmaking ability in significant ways in the final two games and showed a glimpse of what might be expected as he roams the boundaries in 2023.
He was named the ACC Rookie of the Week in Pitt's final regular-season game at Miami, in which he earned his first career interception, recorded both of his pass breakups, and had one of his TFLs.
McIntyre said after that game that he was "just a young guy trying to learn."
He learned on the fly.
McIntyre's rapid maturation process came through in Pitt's Sun Bowl win over UCLA, in which he racked up a career-best eight total tackles and caught an interception on the Pitt 12-yard-line to halt UCLA's opening drive of the second half to hold the Panthers' deficit at 21-14.
Now, it's about coupling that already present playmaking ability with another offseason of growth.
"Mostly mentally," McIntyre said. "Just knowing how teams attack our defense, what they do, and how certain ways to create one-on-one matchups versus the boundary safety or any safety, period. Just knowing how to attack us, and knowing that on my side mentally."
He had a fine pair of mentors to pick the game up from, as Hallett and Hill each manned the safety position for an extended period of time in their respective careers and played well while doing so.
Hallett, the 2021 ACC Championship Game MVP, started in 31 consecutive games to close his college career, and was a second-team All-ACC choice and a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award at the end of last season. He was responsible for six turnovers -- three interceptions and three fumble recoveries -- to lead the team, and intercepted two passes against Western Michigan.
Hill was an honorable-mention All-ACC safety as he finished second on the team with 67 total tackles. He played in 26 of Pitt's 27 games while starting 25 in his final two seasons.
Hallett and Hill were durable and consistent forces for the Panthers' secondary, all while serving as mentors for the younger crop of defensive backs including McIntyre over the last two seasons.
The biggest lesson McIntyre picked up from Hallett and Hill?
"Hard work," McIntyre said. "More about just 100 percent effort all the time on the field, and that was my biggest goal of spring ball so far. Just 100 percent effort, no matter if it's a good play, a bad play. Just go all-out every play."
Williams, Devonshire, and A.J. Woods will be back to man the Panthers' primary cornerback slots, and while Hallett and Hill are gone, the top of the secondary just might remain on- or near-par in performance. McIntyre will be flanked by Florida transfer and Peters Township product Donovan McMillon and speedster P.J. O'Brien up top.
"They're stepping up. We need them to," Woods said of his safeties. "Obviously it hurts losing B-Hill and Erick to the league, but we've got good guys that they taught behind them, so we're good. ... I feel like (McIntyre is) stepping up and becoming more of a leader in that back end. A lot of guys look to him. When you look at that boundary safety position -- and even the free safety -- he's very versatile, he can play both positions. He teaches a lot of guys behind him like Donovan, he's been helping him out, too, learning the ropes of our defense."
