It's not every day that a player can make the transition from the Football Championship Subdivision level into Power Five football.
Tylar Wiltz is down for the challenge.
The redshirt senior is working towards a shot at a starting linebacker role, after a successful run at FCS program Missouri State and the hyper-intense Missouri Valley Football Conference.
"The Valley is one of the best conferences -- I'll say the best," Wiltz said. "That's just me. I played in it for three years, and I've been blessed to have excelled at that level. Working my butt off just as I'm doing here, and just having that confidence saying that I can do it.
"Just knowing that there was more out there and that I could do it. Coach (Pat) Narduzzi and the whole coaching staff and the team welcomed be with open arms on my visit, and that just reassured me that (I) can."
He is making the transition from what is widely considered the cream of the crop of conferences in the FCS. Within the MVFC is perennial powerhouse North Dakota State, which has won nine of the last 11 FCS National Championships and has produced NFL talent, notably quarterback Carson Wentz. NDSU was ranked No. 1, and fellow Valley team South Dakota State No. 2 in the preseason STATS FCS Top 25 Poll released on Monday.
Wiltz's former team was ranked No. 5 in the poll. Southern Illinois was ranked ninth to give the MVFC four teams in the top 10. Northern Illinois ranked 21st, and South Dakota fell just short of a ranking at 26th.
"It's honestly not that big of a difference," Wiltz said of going from Missouri State to Pitt. "No one plays college football to just (be on the team). Everyone wants to be successful. One thing I will say (that's different) is the resources that we did have ... I'm seeing the same thing that I saw. Success."
Wiltz was tabbed as a a third-team FCS All-American by Phil Steele and was a second-team All-MVFC selection following last season. He led the team in tackles for the second consecutive year with 106, and he posted 14.5 tackles for loss.
He tallied 10 or more tackles in five games as Missouri State finished 8-4 overall but earned victories against No. 7 Southern Illinois and No. 20 Northern Iowa. Missouri State lost in the first round of the FCS playoffs to No. 13 UT Martin.
"He looked smart on videotape," Narduzzi said. "You never know, but then he was smart when he came on his visit. He's athletic. He's a playmaker, and he kind of fits in just like (Notre Dame transfer) Shayne Simon did. When you watch him on tape, you're like, ‘Man.’
"We get him. He fits into our scheme. I just like the way -- he has great instincts, and his ability to get to the ball, and he has athletic ability."
CAMP NOTES
• Kedon Slovis returned to practice in full on Wednesday, as expected, after sustaining a rumored injury on Saturday and being limited in Monday's practice. During the allotted media viewing window, he threw in drills alongside Nick Patti, with whom he is battling to become the Panthers' starting quarterback.
• On Tuesday, numerous Pitt players announced the start of the Steel City NIL Club, a name, image, and likeness collective designed to directly benefit the players from a subscription-based service offered to fans. Narduzzi isn't involved directly with it, but he did mention before Wednesday morning's practice that as long as his players are satisfied with it, then so is he.
"I don't get involved in it," Narduzzi said. "I'm not supposed to be involved in it. If our guys are smiling, then I'm happy. I want our guys to be happy. Our big collective is Alliance 412. I pay a little bit more attention to (that). Some of these little initiatives, it's great to line our kids' pockets in some of those different ways."
As of 1 p.m. on Wednesday, fewer than 24 hours after launch, Steel City NIL had raised $7,359.22 from 309 subscribers. It is run in partnership with the platform YOKE.
"One of the YOKE people from their business came and talked to the whole team," defensive lineman Dayon Hayes said. "We just basically got up on that. It's something so the whole team can get NIL (money)."
YOKE also works on similar player-driven collectives with Auburn, Kansas State, Michigan State, and UT-San Antonio. Most NIL services of this nature across the NCAA are funded by university or program boosters.
Hayes mentioned all players get an equal cut of the profits from the Steel City NIL Club service. Early plans include exclusive content that offers fans personalized interactions with the players.
• Narduzzi offered praises for the Panthers' training staff in getting players in and through the recovery process on Tuesday's "well needed" day off. No major injuries have been spoken about from the opening week and a half of Panthers camp.
"The great thing about our football team, Chris Hanks, our trainer, said it was the most guys in recovery that he's ever seen since he's been here," Narduzzi said. "That's a great thing. We keep emphasizing, and you teach, and you teach, and you teach our guys how to take care of your body. They're really trying to do that, and we hope that keeps up."
• On Monday, the song "When I See U" by Fantasia took the team's morning warmup session by storm, as players were heard singing and seen dancing to the 2006 pop song during on-field stretches.
Included in this was defensive end John Morgan III, who revealed on Wednesday that the song has caught fire within the locker room.
"That's a team call," Morgan said. "I guess that's the team song right now. That's the song that gets everybody juiced up. A little soul in hearts. When you hear that song on Saturdays, just know everybody's going to be singing on the sidelines. I think we can get the whole stadium singing that one."
