Unsurprisingly, Derrick Brown not in pads for tonight’s Fan Fest scrimmage. He’s still coming back from last year’s knee, and had a recent oblique deal so they’re easing him back in.
Looks like Renfrow and Scourton also remain out.
— Darin Gantt (@daringantt) August 2, 2025
For the first and only time this summer, the Carolina Panthers hosted their fans at training camp.
Here, with contributor Jared Feinberg on hand for the festivities, are the top takeaways and observations from this year’s Fan Fest . . .
The unknowns standout
Coming into Fan Fest, the expectation was that the team’s stars would shine in front of the crowd. But it was actually some of the lesser-known bubble players who stood out.
Rookie cornerback Corey Thornton, an undrafted free agent, was locking receivers down—including first-round pick wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Tight end James Mitchell has also made a very intriguing case as a potential fourth option on the initial 53-man roster.
Free safety rotations could signal distrust
Veteran Nick Scott was the starting free safety tonight alongside free-agent signee Tre’von Moehrig. Scott, second-year player Demani Richardson and 2025 fourth-round pick Lathan Ransom continued a rotation with the first-team defense throughout the night. Ransom’s range stood out, and he could find himself in a key role sooner rather than later.
But could that heavy rotation signal from distrust from the coaching staff? Could outside help be on the way for the secondary?
Panthers run game shines bright
Head coach Dave Canales will feature a significant dose of the run game, and Saturday night showed why.
Starter Chuba Hubbard, free-agent signee Rico Dowdle and rookie Trevor Etienne ran the ball well behind the offensive line throughout the evening. This will be the strength of the offense early on, as the passing game continues to work out the kinks.
Revamped defensive line flashes
Carolina made some big moves in the offseason to upgrade their defensive line.
While Pro Bowler Derrick Brown and A’Shawn Robinson did not participate in the team scrimmage, free-agent additions Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III stood out in their place. Wharton was getting consistent pressure on quarterback Bryce Young, forcing him out of the pocket more than a few times.
Scrimmage shows kinks in the armor ahead of first preseason matchup
There were a lot of inconsistencies across the board for the Panthers, on both sides of the ball.
Young was fine in moments, but he and the rest of the passing game looked a little rusty. McMillan flashed the physical attributes, but has room for growth with consistency before the catch.
The defense looked out of sorts at times, too—especially on play fakes.
It’s August, and there will certainly be time for improvement. But the team scrimmage showcased that Carolina is still a work in progress ahead of their first preseason matchup with the Cleveland Browns next Friday.
Top observations
Bryce to T-Mac on an out route for a first down into plus territory. Hope to be saying that a lot this year. @Panthers #KeepPounding
— Will Palaszczuk (@WilliePStyle) August 2, 2025
Bryce finds McMillan but he can’t hang on as he’s sandwiched between two defenders — including Corey Thornton
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) August 2, 2025
#Panthers players whom I don’t see in uniform:
A’Shawn Robinson (?), Hunter Renfrow (hamstring), Nic Scourton (hamstring), DJ Johnson (hip)
Derrick Brown, Jaycee Horn are in uniform but didn’t take part in the initial team drills.
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) August 2, 2025
Andy Dalton connects with David Moore on a go route. Shemar Bartholomew in coverage.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 2, 2025
Bryce Young hits Xavier Legette on in-breaking route. XL finds a seam and runs in for a 40ish-yard TD.
7-all.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 2, 2025
Ryan Fitzgerald hits a 42-yard FG. He’s also 2-2 on PATs.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 2, 2025
The kind of sentence you can only write this time of year:
On 4th down, Sam Martin throws on a fake punt, hits a wide open Lathan Ransom (safety), who cuts across the field for a huge gain, for ~60 yards.
Jimmy Horn Jr. with a touchdown saving tackle.
— Kassidy Hill (@KassidyGHill) August 2, 2025
Turk Wharton bursts through the line and runs Bryce Young out of the pocket. Incomplete. That’ll be “halftime.”
Btw, great camp for Turk. Hasn’t been discussed a ton but has performed well especially against the run.
— Alex Zietlow (@alexzietlow05) August 2, 2025
Bam Martin-Scott with a diving pick on a throw from Jack Plummer to Tyler Mabry. Good instincts to jump the route. #Panthers
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) August 3, 2025
Jimmy Horn just scored his 2nd touchdown of the night in the #Panthers team scrimmage. Another manufactured, open look.
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) August 3, 2025
Fan Fest ends on a DOINK. 48yd attempt from Ryan Fitzgerald
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) August 3, 2025
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.