How do you feel about our last 3 QB recruits (Bertke, DiNucci, MacVittie)?

[pittpitt]

Obviously we don't know the impact any of these guys will have at Pitt, which is why all I'm asking about is how fans feel about the future of our QB position since 1 of these 3 will presumably replace Voytik in a couple seasons. So 1) How good do you feel about the QB position for the post-Voytik years based on what we know and have seen online of these 3 up to this point? and 2) Do you have any feelings at this time on which of these 3 is most likely to become a multi-season starter down the road?

Adam Bertke was a 3* recruit in 2014, with his other offers coming from Illinois and some mid-majors. He has exceptional height (6-5, 210) and ran a powerhouse HS team for three years, and although not particularly athletic he still rushed for over 1,000 yards his senior season. Like most of the offensive players in general, he was unspectacular in the 2015 Blue Gold Game.

Ben DiNucci was a 2* recruit in 2015, with all of his other offers coming from small schools, including Penn of the Ivy League. He put up monster passing numbers (both yardage and completion %) in the WPIAL, so most locals view him as overlooked and underrated, but many believe he was lightly recruiting due to his unconventional throwing mechanics.

Thomas MacVittie is a 3* recruit in 2016 (only a verbal commitment at this point) who has been lightly recruited because he was a WR last year due to playing at a powerhouse school behind an established QB starter. He's a dual-threat QB with good size (6-4, 213), speed (4.51), and rushing highlights, plus his passing highlights from JV and scrimmages look solid. His recruiting is expected to heat up significantly once he finally starts at QB this fall.

 

[ratking17]

Ultimately who knows, but how exciting is it as a fan to actually have a QB battle to look at. Don't forget our Tennessee transfer (though I think he only has a year left to play???Can't recall the specifics...)

As an aside, I get the feeling we are going to see something special with Voytik this year. I really liked how he limited the mistakes the 2nd half of the season, though I hope he gets away with throwing off his back foot. He just strikes me as a kid that as he gets older, will get better. Too smart of a kid not to. The game will slow down for him and while he might be limited physically with some of the things on the field, I bet the mental aspect comes back to benefit us...(At least I hope so...)

 

[Pghfan]

still confused on why DiNucci wouldn't be offered by every mid major football program.. Are you telling me MAC schools have better recruiting options than him? Im definitely missing something with him.. He has a weird throwing motion? OK, what high school QB has perfect mechanics?? The ones that do, with his size and athleticism, you can count on one hand..

 

[Coultr77]

still confused on why DiNucci wouldn't be offered by every mid major football program.. Are you telling me MAC schools have better recruiting options than him? Im definitely missing something with him.. He has a weird throwing motion? OK, what high school QB has perfect mechanics?? The ones that do, with his size and athleticism, you can count on one hand..

MacVittie is the best option. If Nard Dog was not late to the recruiting party I do not think he even offers DiNucci. I think that offer was more for public relations than anything else.

 

[MajorMajors]

Pitt has had several big arm QBs come in and not work out. I worry about a kid like MacVittie who hasn't started in high school - that experience of taking snaps and making decisions in actual games is invaluable. Remember Kevin Smith... That said, MacVittie sure looks the part with the combination of arm, size and speed.

Something about DiNucci strikes me that he may just surprise everyone - not with his arm, but with his ability to make plays even though he doesn't have the strongest arm...

 

[Panther Parrothead]

Ultimately who knows, but how exciting is it as a fan to actually have a QB battle to look at. Don't forget our Tennessee transfer (though I think he only has a year left to play???Can't recall the specifics...)

As an aside, I get the feeling we are going to see something special with Voytik this year. I really liked how he limited the mistakes the 2nd half of the season, though I hope he gets away with throwing off his back foot. He just strikes me as a kid that as he gets older, will get better. Too smart of a kid not to. The game will slow down for him and while he might be limited physically with some of the things on the field, I bet the mental aspect comes back to benefit us...(At least I hope so...)

The transfer from Tennessee, Nathan Peterman, has two years of eligibility remaining. FWIW, Pitt's new OC was at Tennessee during Peterman's freshman year and was involved in his recruitment to the Vols.

 

[Pghfan]

Good point about the transfer. Barring something very bad happening, all 3 of these guys should not be needed til September 2017. Maybe a better discussion to have 24 months from now.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

I have no idea what to think of those guys? How could anyone possibly answer that question?

 

[Pghfan]

I'm not worried about dinuccis delivery. In college, you can get away with non traditional throwing motions, especially athletic qbs. NFL, it catches up but we've seen countless qbs at the college level succeed who had very unorthodox throwing motions. Plus, he has succeeded at the highest level in high school ball. Strange to me that most fans have more confidence in a qb that has yet to start a high school game over a qb that has won states at quad A. Guess the whole summer camp review of kids in shorts is a mistake made by fans as well

 

[OriginalEther]

Plus, he [DeNucci] has succeeded at the highest level in high school ball.

Wasn't the same thing about Trey Anderson, except that he did it in a better football state (Texas)?

All I can say is I don't think this season has 2005-2007 vibe, where if the starting QB goes down, I don't think the team is screwed.

 

[Coultr77]

I'm not worried about dinuccis delivery. In college, you can get away with non traditional throwing motions, especially athletic qbs. NFL, it catches up but we've seen countless qbs at the college level succeed who had very unorthodox throwing motions. Plus, he has succeeded at the highest level in high school ball. Strange to me that most fans have more confidence in a qb that has yet to start a high school game over a qb that has won states at quad A. Guess the whole summer camp review of kids in shorts is a mistake made by fans as well

Glad. Are not worried when every major college coach was

 

[Seneca_Valley]

Wasn't the same thing about Trey Anderson, except that he did it in a better football state (Texas)?

All I can say is I don't think this season has 2005-2007 vibe, where if the starting QB goes down, I don't think the team is screwed.

Perhaps. But Trey needs a step ladder to look DiNucci eye to eye for starters. No guarantees, but any questions I had about Ben were erased in the state championship game. I hope he gets a good look by the staff.

 

[Pghfan]

I find it weird that people think the best of these 3 is a kid that has yet to start a high school football game.

 

[Skip74]

For the first time in years, the season will not be in the trash can if the starter goes down!

 

[goalieman]

Obviously we don't know the impact any of these guys will have at Pitt, which is why all I'm asking about is how fans feel about the future of our QB position since 1 of these 3 will presumably replace Voytik in a couple seasons. So 1) How good do you feel about the QB position for the post-Voytik years based on what we know and have seen online of these 3 up to this point? and 2) Do you have any feelings at this time on which of these 3 is most likely to become a multi-season starter down the road?

Adam Bertke was a 3* recruit in 2014, with his other offers coming from Illinois and some mid-majors. He has exceptional height (6-5, 210) and ran a powerhouse HS team for three years, and although not particularly athletic he still rushed for over 1,000 yards his senior season. Like most of the offensive players in general, he was unspectacular in the 2015 Blue Gold Game.

Ben DiNucci was a 2* recruit in 2015, with all of his other offers coming from small schools, including Penn of the Ivy League. He put up monster passing numbers (both yardage and completion %) in the WPIAL, so most locals view him as overlooked and underrated, but many believe he was lightly recruiting due to his unconventional throwing mechanics.

Thomas MacVittie is a 3* recruit in 2016 (only a verbal commitment at this point) who has been lightly recruited because he was a WR last year due to playing at a powerhouse school behind an established QB starter. He's a dual-threat QB with good size (6-4, 213), speed (4.51), and rushing highlights, plus his passing highlights from JV and scrimmages look solid. His recruiting is expected to heat up significantly once he finally starts at QB this fall.

There is potential, we'll have to see if it blossom's.

 

[Farnox]

QB Depth is a luxury we have not had for quite some time. I have no problems with the kids we have coming in.

 

[oldpantherfan]

BAD. Forget depth. the only reason anybody is high on dinucci is because he is a local kid.
And personally i think the early recruiting of MacVittie is a joke. Because he plays at cincinnati moeller he is a good qb ? You can't convince me that we couldn't find a better kid, one who has at least played the position but not yet committed to another school to recruit. We have one on the roster (davidson) and two imcoming recruits that PLAYED QB !!! And we think he is better than them ? Why ? C'mon man. really ? There are 8 kids in the espn top 30 pocket passing qb's unsigned none, less than a thre star, half in ACC country and 13 listed in QB/DT. These are guys who have and are playing the position we can't we get one of them instead of a JV player. Since when does potential count more than experince ?
Bertke has at least been here a year. And thats about all you can give him.
We need to recruit a real qB.

 

[Pghfan]

We need one of these 3 to pan out and we have 27 months to develop that one. Not an impossible task.

 

[raleighpanther]

BAD. Forget depth. the only reason anybody is high on dinucci is because he is a local kid.
And personally i think the early recruiting of MacVittie is a joke. Because he plays at cincinnati moeller he is a good qb ? You can't convince me that we couldn't find a better kid, one who has at least played the position but not yet committed to another school to recruit. We have one on the roster (davidson) and two imcoming recruits that PLAYED QB !!! And we think he is better than them ? Why ? C'mon man. really ? There are 8 kids in the espn top 30 pocket passing qb's unsigned none, less than a thre star, half in ACC country and 13 listed in QB/DT. These are guys who have and are playing the position we can't we get one of them instead of a JV player. Since when does potential count more than experince ?
Bertke has at least been here a year. And thats about all you can give him.
We need to recruit a real qB.

OldPanther, you don't know what you are talking about when it comes to evaluating HS QB recruits. Don't take that comment personally, because neither do I, nor anyone else on this board. But do you know who does? Our OC, Chaney, the guy that recruited McVittie. He didn't take him because he struck out with other "experienced" HS QBs, he took him because he's instructed the kid in the past, knows him and his coach, and HE thinks he can be a really good college QB.

It always amazes me that guys who have none of the information at all that recruiters have about a player's physical abilities, mental makeup, attitude, potential, etc., will dismiss someone as a joke of a recruit because of a few superficial measures (like number of games played as a junior), ignoring the insights and decisions of professional coaches like Chaney.

Does coming from Moeller HS make McVittee a great QB? No, of course not. But being a guy who hasn't played much until now also doesn't mean that he won't develop into a very good college QB either. Go watch the kid's film. Its impressive. Big, strong, fast, accurate, good runner, strong arm. Won the strong arm award at the Elite QB camp this spring. I can see why Chaney got out in front of everyone else, and got this kid to commit early. Good chance that by mid-season this fall, Ohio State and others will be all over this kid.

 

[The Loaded Italian]

Obviously we don't know the impact any of these guys will have at Pitt, which is why all I'm asking about is how fans feel about the future of our QB position since 1 of these 3 will presumably replace Voytik in a couple seasons. So 1) How good do you feel about the QB position for the post-Voytik years based on what we know and have seen online of these 3 up to this point? and 2) Do you have any feelings at this time on which of these 3 is most likely to become a multi-season starter down the road?

Adam Bertke was a 3* recruit in 2014, with his other offers coming from Illinois and some mid-majors. He has exceptional height (6-5, 210) and ran a powerhouse HS team for three years, and although not particularly athletic he still rushed for over 1,000 yards his senior season. Like most of the offensive players in general, he was unspectacular in the 2015 Blue Gold Game.

Ben DiNucci was a 2* recruit in 2015, with all of his other offers coming from small schools, including Penn of the Ivy League. He put up monster passing numbers (both yardage and completion %) in the WPIAL, so most locals view him as overlooked and underrated, but many believe he was lightly recruiting due to his unconventional throwing mechanics

Thomas MacVittie is a 3* recruit in 2016 (only a verbal commitment at this point) who has been lightly recruited because he was a WR last year due to playing at a powerhouse school behind an established QB starter. He's a dual-threat QB with good size (6-4, 213), speed (4.51), and rushing highlights, plus his passing highlights from JV and scrimmages look solid. His recruiting is expected to heat up significantly once he finally starts at QB this fall.

Well, the only kid I have seen throw is MacVittie, and I was impressed even before Pitt offered.. and just thrilled he chose Pitt. That being said, I think you guys like DiNucci because he is a local guy you seen play and play well... he may be great, but there is obviously things missing in his game... is it arm strength?? I dont know. Bertke I liked as well, like the size, and think he could be a good QB. Obviously, you would love to see a 5* and 4* guy battling it out and having seen someone play this year and get in there . I like Voytik now, and we have options in the future. Speaking of options, I would love to see a guy that can run the option (Voytik can effectively, and I love that aspect of his game), we need our next recruit to be that dual threat kinda guy.

Overall, good options there, VASTLY better than the last few years.

 

[drunkinoakland]

I have no idea what to think of those guys? How could anyone possibly answer that question?

Can you make a list of things we ARE allowed to discuss?

The question asked what each poster thought of them (opinions), given the limited info we have on them. He qualified the question by stating that we don't know much other than their sizes, offers out of high school, and any games/film we have seen of them.

Obviously, it isn't the most informed discussion. But nobody is putting a gun to your head and asking you to predict the future here. It is harmless discussion on a message board.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

Brother, you are free to discuss whatever you choose to discuss. I am just saying that for me, talking about two guys who have not yet played a down of college football and another guy who has yet to start even a single high school football game is a bit too prophesical for me.

To me, it's like saying, how does everyone feel about Pitt's two-deep in 2021? Also, how do you think Hilary will do in her second term as president?

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

You know what, I've had time to reflect and you are absolutely right so I'll give it a shot.

I love our QB situation. Bertke has a cannon, DiNucci is an awesome athlete, and McVittie is the second coming of Dan Marino.

I do worry about whoever wins that job's chemistry with one of the receivers who will verbal to us later this summer or next year but other than that, he (whomever he may be) looks awesome.

 

[drunkinoakland]

Brother, you are free to discuss whatever you choose to discuss. I am just saying that for me, talking about two guys who have not yet played a down of college football and another guy who has yet to start even a single high school football game is a bit too prophesical for me.

To me, it's like saying, how does everyone feel about Pitt's two-deep in 2021? Also, how do you think Hilary will do in her second term as president?

How do you think Chad will do this year? Or is that too far in the future for you to fashion a guess?

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

He'll do great.

 

[drunkinoakland]

He'll do great.

What will you have for lunch tomorrow? I don't want to force you to answer without all of the possible information being available.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

Good one. You got me, you rapscallion.

 

[CaptainSidneyReilly]

I really like DiNucci but to be fair he will be either another Sunseri or Flacco. I have a hunch he could another Flacco but stays at Pitt instead of transferring.

But I admit, I have no clue too!

Just a hunch!

 

[oldpantherfan]

OldPanther, you don't know what you are talking about when it comes to evaluating HS QB recruits. Don't take that comment personally, because neither do I, nor anyone else on this board. But do you know who does? Our OC, Chaney, the guy that recruited McVittie. He didn't take him because he struck out with other "experienced" HS QBs, he took him because he's instructed the kid in the past, knows him and his coach, and HE thinks he can be a really good college QB.

It always amazes me that guys who have none of the information at all that recruiters have about a player's physical abilities, mental makeup, attitude, potential, etc., will dismiss someone as a joke of a recruit because of a few superficial measures (like number of games played as a junior), ignoring the insights and decisions of professional coaches like Chaney.

Does coming from Moeller HS make McVittee a great QB? No, of course not. But being a guy who hasn't played much until now also doesn't mean that he won't develop into a very good college QB either. Go watch the kid's film. Its impressive. Big, strong, fast, accurate, good runner, strong arm. Won the strong arm award at the Elite QB camp this spring. I can see why Chaney got out in front of everyone else, and got this kid to commit early. Good chance that by mid-season this fall, Ohio State and others will be all over this kid.

Raleigh your right i don't know anywhere as much as chaney and neither do you. And if i'm wrong your just as wrong. All those things you say about mcvittie may be true but i just informed you that TWENTY (20) three star and above qbs are still out there and why can't we recruit them ? Maybe you should check their film against his. And how muh of his film is game film ? I may not know as much as chaney but you don't know as much as the analyst for ESPN who have these 30 qbs ranked higher than mcvitte. Because you know a kid is a reason to recruit him ? WOW. man is that just plan dumb. Imagine if you only recruited kids you know. So you should be amazed at yourself as well unless you have ALL the information recruiters and analyst have. And by the way professionals are humans too and they make mistakes, that s why sunseri was here starting and flacco left and is now a NFL star.in the future i don't expect to hear anything negative ever from you on any basketball or football recruit.

 

[raleighpanther]

OMG, OldPanther, when I said that Chaney KNEW McVittie I wasn't implying that he doesn't get around much and went after him because he was one of the few QBs he knew anything about. I was saying that he'd worked with the kid, something few if any other coaches had done, and because of having worked with him, he knew him WELL, saw his capabilities in person, saw the potential, etc., and got out in front with the kid.
The fact that ESPN analysts rank a lot of other QBs ahead of him is to be expected. To them, McVittee is largely an unknown. They don't have a lot of info on which to judge him against other QBs, so naturally, they give him a modest rating. In fact, they know so little about him that perhaps he doesn't even deserve the 3 stars they are giving him at this point.
So there is Chaney, an experienced, professional OC, who essentially has inside info that other coaches (and those ESPN analysts) don't have on McVittee, and he loves the kid. Why would you want a coach to overlook his own professional opinion, based on first hand experience, to go after one of the QBs that a bunch of analysts rate higher on far less info?
Fact is, we haven't had great a OC or DC for awhile that anyone of us has felt strongly about, but I think we have a really good one OC now, and I'm willing to go with his judgment over everyone else's until proven otherwise.
I threw in the comment about seeing his film, and being impressed myself, but it was just an impression, not a professional diagnosis. You might want to take a look at his film, limited as it is, for yourself and you might be impressed too.

 

[oldpantherfan]

raleigh i looked and not impressed. And i know what you meant when you said knew him and i still don't thinl thats a reason to take some one who is higher ranked. When we don't get a high ranked kid people cry our coache s can't recruit , but now you try to justify taking a lower rated kid because the coach knows him. And yes chaney is a professional but don't you think the other programs that recruit these kids and win more than 6 or 7 games a year are professionals as well. Mu question to you is do you think we can do better ? Weather chaney knows him, worrks with etc he is a JV QB , don't you think we shouldn't go after more experienced higher rank qb's ? And now your justifying by talking about the coordinators. Cmon man really. who says chaney will be agreat coordinator here ? As yuo stated you feel we have agood OC and trust him to where we are recruiting JV qb's now ? Did you notice Ohio State, Alabama, FSU, USC or any of the big guns went after this hidden jewel. Heck PSU didn'r even offer. This isn't about the qb it's about your blind faith in chaney. And my answer to the original question on the post is the QB situation is not good outside of voytik.

 

[oldpantherfan]

raleigh i looked and not impressed. And i know what you meant when you said knew him and i still don't thinl thats a reason to take some one who is higher ranked. When we don't get a high ranked kid people cry our coache s can't recruit , but now you try to justify taking a lower rated kid because the coach knows him. And yes chaney is a professional but don't you think the other programs that recruit these kids and win more than 6 or 7 games a year are professionals as well. Mu question to you is do you think we can do better ? Weather chaney knows him, worrks with etc he is a JV QB , don't you think we shouldn't go after more experienced higher rank qb's ? And now your justifying by talking about the coordinators. Cmon man really. who says chaney will be agreat coordinator here ? As yuo stated you feel we have agood OC and trust him to where we are recruiting JV qb's now ? Did you notice Ohio State, Alabama, FSU, USC or any of the big guns went after this hidden jewel. Heck PSU didn'r even offer. This isn't about the qb it's about your blind faith in chaney. And my answer to the original question on the post is the QB situation is not good outside of voytik.

 

[ameoba defense]

Did you notice Ohio State, Alabama, FSU, USC or any of the big guns went after this hidden jewel. Heck PSU didn'r even offer. This isn't about the qb it's about your blind faith in chaney. And my answer to the original question on the post is the QB situation is not good outside of voytik.

If Ohio State, Alabama, FSU, USC etc. were after this kid, he wouldn't be coming to Pitt. Sometimes a talented player gets stuck behind another talented player. Cardale Jones was third string at OSU last year. Did he look like a scrub when he finally got his shot? Marcus Allen was a blocking back for Charles White at USC. What if Allen had been a senior that season, and a coach told one of his NFL buddies that Allen was actually a great back, and to grab him if you can? You'd have sneered at that. Pitt has to use any edge it can get to land players. If the Panther's coaches have a trustworthy connection at Moeller that is telling them that this kid is potentially an elite player, Pitt has to make a leap of faith and take him, as Pitt is currently not in a position where they are going to be able to land elite players from outside of the region, especially quarterbacks.

 

[MajorMajors]

Oldpantherfan -- I have two words for you on QB recruiting and QB star-ratings...Pat Bostick. Someone assigned him 4 or 5 stars, but he did not have the skills a top college QB needs.

I think you are giving too much credit to the star-givers and not enough to Coach Chaney. Time will tell.

Go Pitt.

 

[billyberoux]

Actor | Producer | Writer

 

[billyberoux]

OldPanther, I guess Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Derek Carr wouldn't be good recruits either in your book?