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 that Brookins already has nailed down the starting nickel position. The presence of those four athletes has created competition on the field and in their meeting room.
Coaches award helmet stickers to players who create turnovers and make big plays at practice. O’Brien is one of the leaders in that department with at least five, but he’s getting frustrated by Brookins, who matches him sticker for sticker and then some. “I can’t beat him (Brookins).
Every time I get one, he goes up one on me,” he said. Nonetheless, Narduzzi is pleased with what he has seen from O’Brien. “He’s got the best ball skills back there (at safety),” the coach said.
“He’s got a nose for the football. He finds a way to catch it all the time. He made another beautiful one (Tuesday).
” After the defense shouldered its share of blame for the 3-9 record a year ago, Narduzzi and his coaching staff made getting more turnovers a priority. After recording only 16 last season — down from 22 in 2022 and 23 in 2021 — Narduzzi hopes to improve Pitt’s points-allowed average from 27.3 per game (highest in five seasons).
O’Brien said the defense has adopted a more aggressive mindset, manifested by the linebackers calling themselves sharks and promising to “eat face.” “I feel like last year, we didn’t compete against the other team’s defense. We didn’t play better than the other team’s defense,” he said.
“You have to more takeaways than the other team. We have to have more TFLs. “Last year wasn’t our identity.
This year, we have a lot to prove.” O’Brien said he challenges himself in practice “to go through the receiver for an interception.” By game time, he said, “it will be a natural instinct.
” “The game revolves around the ball. Get the ball. The defense needs to get the ball.
” O’Brien speaks two or three times a week with his cousin, former Pitt cornerback Marquis Williams, who was with the Steelers this spring. He also stays in touch with former Pitt and current NFL defensive backs Damar Hamlin, Damarri Mathis and Jordan Whitehead. “I love those guys.
Those guys text me, and I just take in everything they give me. When my time comes, I want to be the best athlete possible. “Marquis just texted me,” he said.
His advice: “Stay hungry. Never get complacent.” To that end, coaches point out “loafers” in practice and make everyone — not just the guilty player — do up-downs as punishment.
“If you’re loafing on the field,” O’Brien said. “Why are you out there?”.
