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Friday Pitt Football QB Notebook: Slovis Stock Trending Up

Kedon Slovis looked like the sharper Pitt Panther quarterback on Monday morning.

PITTSBURGH -- Training camp is less than a week old. Players are still adjusting their equipment and getting used to life back in pads. Practices have been rudimentary - focused on fundamentals as the Pitt Panthers get their legs back under them after a long offseason. 

That makes evaluating the performances of those Pitt players difficult, for the most part, but watching quarterbacks, even when simply running through the route tree with their receivers against air, show off important traits like arm strength, touch and timing. 

In that sense, Kedon Slovis was the better player during the open period of practice on Monday morning. He was smoother, his balls held a tighter spiral and the timing with his new teammates was better. It was a surprise to watch his competitor, Nick Patti struggle, particularly because it seemed like his rhythm was the issue - he looked just plain out of sync. 

Patti was late hitting his receivers out of their breaks as they ran deep posts, long out patterns and slants over the middle. He ended up leaving many balls behind, forcing the Pitt pass-catchers to slow their feet and wait for a split second. 

These were not live drills and neither Slovis nor Patti faced pressure or had to make reads. It was the perfect time for Slovis, generally considered the more talented of the pair, to show off the arm that made him an appealing recruit coming out of high school and the transfer portal. Meanwhile, the things that make Patti a contender for this job - namely his feel for the offense, creativity in tight spots and running ability - remain hidden. 

The battle is still, obviously, far from over, according to head coach Pat Narduzzi. 

"Both looked solid," he said. "Each one of them has their good plays, their bad plays, like everybody. ... It’s going to be a test of time, really, to see the consistency. You need the consistency."

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