PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt separated his team into varsity and freshman groups during the first five days in training camp to get a better look at his recruiting class.

The main reason for splitting up the practices, Wannstedt said, "is to give every member of our football team a chance to get as much work as we can possibly get each individual."

Also, Wannstedt said, it gives coaches a chance to evaluate the players and give the players a chance to prove themselves.

"It's a great opportunity for walk-ons," Wannstedt said. "At the end of the five days, we'll have a clear picture of our veteran players, our varsity players, and everybody will get a real good opportunity to show how committed they are and where they stack up from an ability standpoint."

Pitt's upperclassmen will practice from 8:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., while the newcomers will work out from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

A handful of freshman will be counted on to contribute immediately.

Wide receivers Dorin Dickerson and T.J. Porter will alternate working with the veterans in the morning. Jeff Otah, a 6-foot-6, 340-pound junior-college transfer from Valley Forge Military Academy, will attempt to win the left tackle job.

"I've been working with the first-team guys for a while now, so I was kind of used to it," Porter said. "But it was a little overwhelming, at first, since today was when it really counted. But I got the jitterbugs out and feel like I fit in a little better after a while."

Wannstedt said splitting the team is beneficial and the players will not feel as if they did not get more opportunities to prove themselves.

"It was kind of like an NFL practice with 50 guys in the morning and 50 in the afternoon," he said. "It did accomplish what we had hoped from the standpoint that every kid out here got a lot of work."