At the age of 21 and with three seasons and 36 games of collegiate experience behind him, P.J. O’Brien has ascended to a position of leadership on the Pitt defense.
He will talk trash with the best of them, but he has grown up since arriving on campus from Pompano Beach, Fla., in 2021. When the senior safety is reminded that he is the leading returning interceptor on the team (three), he shrugs off the achievement and points to another of his goals.
“I want to make plays like Donovan McMillon in the box,” he said of the senior safety whose 105 tackles last season were the most by a Pitt defender since 2015. “I want to become a great tackler this year also. I know I can get the ball.
I know when the ball’s in the air, I’m going to go get it. I want to make those tackles out in space. I want to make those tackles for loss.
I want to makes those big hits.” There is optimism in throughout camp, but it appears to be most appropriate at safety. In this season of change, O’Brien is one of four safeties — a number presented Wednesday morning by coach Pat Narduzzi — whom coaches feel comfortable turning loose in the secondary at two safety positions and nickel cornerback.
O’Brien is joined by senior McMillon (Peters Township), junior safety Javon McIntyre and redshirt freshman safety Cruce Brookins, a Steel Valley graduate. “I’d say Brookins is No. 4.
He could be No. 3. He could be No.
2. We’ll just see how the season goes,” Narduzzi said, pointing out th.