Pitt Faces Scouting Mystery in Miami of Ohio QB David McComb
Pitt prepares for a season opener against Miami (Ohio) quarterback David McComb, a redshirt freshman with zero college game tape.
PITTSBURGH — Pat Narduzzi has seen almost everything in his 12 seasons leading the Pittsburgh Panthers. He has prepared for future NFL draft picks, navigated triple-option offenses, and drawn up schemes to stop some of the country’s most explosive playmakers. But this week, the Pitt head coach is staring at a blank screen.
When Pitt opens its season Saturday at Acrisure Stadium against Miami (Ohio), they will face a starting quarterback who has never thrown a pass in a college football game. His name is David McComb. The redshirt freshman is a complete mystery on tape.
The lack of footage has turned the Pitt coaching offices into a makeshift detective agency. Narduzzi and his staff have spent the weeks leading up to kickoff hunting down any scrap of film they can find.
The Scouting Hunt
How do you prepare for a starting quarterback with no collegiate track record? You start digging. McComb spent last season at Kansas before entering the transfer portal, leaving behind zero regular-season game tape.
Narduzzi and his staff had to get creative. They worked their industry connections to find whatever they could from McComb’s time in Lawrence.
“You dig and you dig and you know people, get tape of scrimmages at Kansas, which is hard to dig up,” Narduzzi said. “We’re fortunate enough to find tape of him and what he does well.”
The search yielded enough to impress the veteran Pitt coach. What they saw was a quarterback with real tools.
“He’s a good player,” Narduzzi said. “He makes all the throws. He can run, can make all the throws on the field, and he’s a cerebral kid from what we can gather. I know this: Kansas didn’t want to lose him. They were upset when he left.”
From Edmond to Oxford
McComb arrived in college with plenty of pedigree. At Edmond Memorial High School in Oklahoma, he put up massive numbers, throwing for 7,034 yards and 60 touchdowns during his prep career.
After his brief stint at Kansas, he transferred to Miami (Ohio) expecting to compete for a backup role. The RedHawks already had Thomas Gotkowski, the incumbent starter who led the program to a Mid-American Conference championship and an appearance in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl last year.
Then, summer workouts changed everything. Gotkowski suffered a non-contact, season-ending injury during offseason drills.
Just like that, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound McComb was elevated to the starting role. It was a sudden shift that caught everyone by surprise, including Miami head coach Chuck Martin.
The Coach’s Dilemma
The lack of tape does not mean Miami has a tactical advantage. Martin is just as anxious about how his young quarterback will handle the pressure of an ACC defense on the road.
“I keep reminding myself that it’s his first college game,” Martin told reporters. “Mentally, he understands all of it. He’s smart, and I know he understands it, then I have to factor it’s his first college game, and it’s Pitt.”
Martin wants to protect his young signal-caller. Expect a balanced, low-risk game plan from the RedHawks early on.
“I’m trying not to put too much on his plate for the first game,” Martin added.
Pitt defensive coordinator Cory Sanders is preparing for a quarterback who can hurt them with his legs. Martin has historically utilized dual-threat quarterbacks, and McComb fits that mold perfectly.
“He has good speed about him,” Sanders said. “He’s very fast from A to B. He also shows some really good arm talent throwing the ball down the field. We’re looking at whatever is available. If you didn’t play, then we’re going back and watching some high school stuff and gathering things there.”
Preparing for the Unknown
The RedHawks also have depth at the position that keeps the Panthers on guard. Backup quarterback Caleb Heavner rushed for 1,094 yards and 11 touchdowns during his time at Fort Hays State before transferring to Miami.
Sanders pointed out that the entire Miami quarterback room is built around athletic playmakers. The defensive game plan must account for quarterback run designs regardless of who is under center.
“Their third guy, as well, had a very successful career running the ball,” Sanders said. “They had success with those guys being mobile and agile last year. You’re prepared for things you’ve seen.”
An Insider’s View
Pitt does have one secret weapon in its scouting department. Cornerback Raion Strader spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Miami before transferring to Pittsburgh.
While Strader did not match up directly against McComb in practice, he knows the offensive system inside and out. He understands the formations, the passing concepts, and what the coaching staff wants to achieve.
“You look for formations, the system and scheme,” Strader said. “He’s going to fit right into it. We’re going to plan for that.”
That familiarity gives Pitt a baseline. They might not know the quarterback’s personal tendencies, but they know the offensive architecture.
Translating Practice to Game Day
Preparing for a mobile quarterback is one thing. Bringing him down in a live game is another.
During spring and summer camps, defensive players are kept away from the quarterback. The red no-contact jerseys protect the passers but can sometimes build bad habits for defenders who are used to letting up before impact.
Sanders has spent the week focusing on tackling fundamentals. The angles must be precise against an athletic target like McComb.
“I know we haven’t been able to touch the quarterback, but the angles and leverage and pad levels, those are the things you’re discussing and harping on every single day,” Sanders said. “Those are things we have to make sure we don’t lose sight of.”
Saturday’s matchup will be a classic test of preparation versus adaptability. For Pitt, the goal is simple: force the young quarterback into mistakes before he can settle into a rhythm.
