There is a zero percent chance either go in the first round.
You lunatics said the same thing about Boyd and Whitehead. Neither were even in the ball park of a first round pick. Ford and the new receiver 100% will not go in the first.
Ford is making a huge impression on the coaches.
“He’s a natural playmaker,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said.
The bottom line, though, is this: Ford, 20, is still learning. The best part? He’s approaching it seriously, like a student as much as an athlete.
“Coaches’ doors are always open,” he said. “I’m in and out of meetings all the time, getting extra coaching, extra knowledge.”
Senior strong safety Dennis Briggs, a co-captain last season, often lines up with Ford and has noticed his growth.
“I can see the maturity in him,” Briggs said. “He’s asking me questions in the meeting room. He’s always got his notebook out. He genuinely wants to learn the game the right way. He wants to be on the field.
“P’s a little bit ahead of where I was my freshman year.”
Ford is sure of himself, but he expresses his self-confidence matter-of-factly — not like he has something to prove.
“I feel like I can follow the No. 1 receiver and give him problems,” he said. “Be energetic out there.”
The other aspect of Ford’s game — the part Narduzzi is reluctant to discuss freely — is his ability to contribute on offense.
“I hadn’t counted them yet,” Narduzzi said of Ford’s offensive snaps, “but he’s getting some looks.”
“Whatever the team needs, I’m going to get the job done,” said Ford, one of many players running jet sweeps in practice. “Waiting to get the ball in my hands and see what I can do.”
Watson is holding back on his enthusiasm for Ford in the dual role Whitehead played for three years.
“We dabble with Paris,” he said. “We’re trying to just teach him enough to see what he can do. We’re not going to overload him because he’s competing on defense.”
Maybe the best part for Ford this month has been the freedom given him to just play football. Last year, he missed most of training camp while dealing with academic issues and was forced to take a redshirt.
This year, it’s been just football until classes start next week.
“I feel so much more free,” he said. “I was in summer school around this time (last year). I was getting the job done.
“I feel like I’m more mature, being a better person. I feel like I’m taking a step up.”
Part of it is “being around these guys,” he said, mentioning Briggs, junior cornerback Dane Jackson and Avonte Maddox from last season. “Seeing how they carry themselves. Being around them makes you want to live up to their expectations.”
He’s with friends, players he competed with and against in high school. Six players in Pitt’s secondary graduated from WPIAL schools, adding to Ford’s comfort level.
“It’s not like a new face. It’s all familiar faces,” he said. “We all like practicing with each other.”
How all these personalities and talent levels will mesh is unclear. Seven players with starting experience return to the Pitt secondary, but Narduzzi is changing the look nonetheless.
When the NCAA granted schools permission to hire a 10th assistant and last year’s secondary coach Renaldo Hill left for the Miami Dolphins, Narduzzi hired two men for the defensive backs — Archie Collins to oversee everything and Cory Sanders for the safeties. Finishing next-to-last in the ACC in passing yards allowed (254.2 per game last season) won’t be acceptable.
If it’s a challenge Ford is willing to accept.
“Can’t wait,” he said. “Stay tuned.”
