An identity is being forged within the 2024 Pitt offense, even with 206 days remaining until the season kicks off August 31.
Nearly all reviews from Kade Bell's offense have come back to one general concept: Play fast, score fast. This mantra led to one of the best offenses in Football Championship Subdivision, but it will now have to apply to the Power Five level.
Bell's system was revolutionary to an extent during his three seasons at Western Carolina, and it fostered during his time at Division II programs Valdosta State and Tusculum in years prior. The system produced 500 or more yards in 31 of his 52 career games as an offensive coordinator through the two levels, so there is a history of translatability between varying degrees of football.
Pat Narduzzi and Bell have a meshing belief that it can work for Pitt, too.
"I think the biggest thing is it starts up front," Bell said in his first press conference as Pitt's offensive coordinator Wednesday on the South Side. "I think, obviously, the line of scrimmage -- skill players, to me, are skill players. Guys that can run, catch, create big plays. I think that's the difference between the smaller levels to the bigger levels is you have to build to win the line of scrimmage.
"Two ways to do that, in my opinion. First way is to play really fast. Get guys that are really good up front so you can create tempo and get guys tired and get guys to think a little bit where they can't play as fast. Or, you've got to recruit really good players up front to where you can dominate the line of scrimmage. If you've got skill players and you've got a quarterback, you can go have a lot of success.
But everything we do, you know -- the best offenses in Power Five, I believe, we do a lot of the same, similar stuff that they do and I think systematically what we do will translate to any level. It's all about knowing who your players are, putting them into a great position to be successful, and understand their strengths and weaknesses."
A confident, beaming, 30-year-old coordinator brings a new vision to what Narduzzi has typically offered from his style of coordinator. The Bell offense from his Western Carolina days led all of Football Championship Subdivision with 504.1 yards per game, it was third in passing offense (321.1 yards per game), and it was fourth in scoring (37.5 points per game).
This offense was described by Narduzzi upon Bell's hiring as "relentlessly fast and aggressive" and that would make for problems for opposing defenses.
On Wednesday, Narduzzi praised it with another descriptor.
"Coach Bell would say it's an NFL style, but he's just put his twist to it," Narduzzi said Wednesday. "The NFL doesn't go that fast so it's not going to be like these things you've never saw before. Football's football. You're going to see us do concepts that high schools do. You're going to see us do concepts that colleges across the country do. We're going to try to do it better and do it with a little bit more tempo at times, but try to get in more plays than the defense has. I would say it's an NFL tempo offense."
Bell confirmed Nate Yarnell would be the Panthers' starting quarterback heading into spring camp, with Christian Veilleux, Ty Dieffenbach, Julian Dugger, and Alabama transfer Eli Holstein competing behind him. Yarnell has completed 45 of 66 passes (68.2%) for 651 yards (217.0 per game), four touchdowns, and one interception for a 168.0 rating in three starts as quarterback at Pitt, including two to close the Panthers' forgettable 2023 season.
"Nate's the guy right now going into spring," Bell said. "I thought he played really well, watching the film of the last two games of the season. He's going to have the opportunity to go out there with the ones and it's his job to lose. He's been awesome since I've got here. He's very cerebral. He's been a great leader. He's become more vocal than he has, I've heard, in the past. He's really taking control. We're going to have competition behind him. When it comes down to it I'm real big on getting everybody reps. I think that matters.
"Obviously, you’ve got to get him a bunch reps. We’ve got to build the system around him and what he does well and then when other guys are in there, I’ve got to find out what they do well too. Because Nate's really the only one besides Christian that has some game film. So the other young guys that are here, we’ve got to find out what they do well and try to put them in position in practice and see what they can do to grow and develop.”
The quarterback position appears to be remaining a constant from last season, barring any unforeseen circumstances. There are many constants that have been with Narduzzi through his tenure that are no longer, however.
Just on the offense's side, Narduzzi let go of Tim Salem, Andre Powell, and Dave Borbely but retained Tiquan Underwood as pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach. Bell brought an old friend along with him in offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau, validating Bell's claim that building a successful offense at this level will start within the trenches. Also joining Bell's staff are tight ends coach Jacob Bronowski (from Miami of Ohio) and running backs coach Lindsey Lamar (Howard University).
Bell is also bringing familiar faces with him to help run his offense on the field. Running back Desmond Reid rushed for 897 yards, 112.1 per game, and 13 touchdowns while wide receiver Censure "CJ" Lee caught 46 passes for 792 yards and eight touchdowns for Western Carolina last season. Both have transferred to Pitt, among others.
"It really means being explosive," Lee said of Bell's offense. "He wants to line up fast, run the play fast, catch the defense off. Might get a free play here and then. ... We really aim (to snap the ball) -- it's outrageous -- in seven to 10 seconds. It's the expectation, so he wants us in shape, running, he likes to rotate. Guys are going to play."
Bell emphasized a balance brought from the running game, he's still "really big" on running the football, and that success in running the football makes throwing it easy.
"Kade's a pass guy. He likes to pass the ball, but a lot of teams we played liked to drop eight (defenders)," Reid said. "He likes to get his play makers the ball and he does anything to do that. Having a good run game really helps the pass because we really like to get one-on-one situations."
But, for Bell, it's about finding a happy medium in an effort to accomplish what Narduzzi hired him to do.
"To me, man, when it comes down to it, whatever we've got to do to score points," Bell said. "We might run for -- hopefully -- over 200 yards one game and the next game we might throw it for 300, 400. What ever we've got to do to win and score points, and I think I want to have a great, balanced offense that can do both."
