WPIAL WALL - (2015 - 2018)

[PhPanther1]

Before anybody starts with the you can't win with just WPIAL players debate, I think everybody understands that...however the WPIAL needs to be our base. We then need to expand into Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Florida to build the entire team. For shits and giggles, I went to the 2015 through 2018 classes...pretty much a 4 year cycle and built a WPIAL only squad. It actually looks pretty good and has some serious upside if guys would live up to their hype. Thoughts? Am I missing anybody? I think this could be an 9-10 win potential lineup.

QB Phil Jurkovec, Ben DiNucci

RB Miles Sanders, Tank Smith
FB Jo-El Shaw

TE TJ Banks, Nick Bowers

OT Sterling Jenkins, Gabe Houy
OT Josh Lugg, Tony Pilato
C Alex Paulina
LG CJ Thorpe, Brandon Ford
RG Robert Hainsey, Tony Pilato

WR Marcus Hooker, Kenny Robinson
WR Paris Ford, Aaron Matthews

DE Kevin Givens, David Green
DE Donovan Jeter, Grant Carrigan
DT Rashad Wheeler, Curtis Harper
DT Kurt Hinish, Antoine Cook

LB Kaezon Pugh, Tim Terry
LB David Adams, Ron George
LB Khaleke Hudson, Logan Thimmons

SS Jordan Whitehead, Bricen Garner
FS Kwantel Raines, John Petrishen

CB Lamont Wade, Therran Coleman
CB Damar Hamlin, Dane Jackson

 

[CentPaPittFan]

Believe me I think you make a very good point.... the WPIAL is still a very good base....Western Pa is no longer like it was in 60s or 70s, but it is still a great starting point. PA as a whole is not what is was then either, as CA, TX, FL are clearly ahead, but it is still in the major discussion as one of the best spots in the country after those states.....

From someone who has watched high school football since the early 60's..(from what I have been told, I saw Mercury Morris play in high school at Avonworth as a 3 or 4 year old...LOL) .but I do remember many more, there has never been a "wall" around the WPIAL for Pitt and never will be. All this wailing about some kids going to Notre Dame, well there have been some of them going there for decades. There will always ones who get away, wrong fit, want to get away from home, etc.

Kids have left the WPIAL (and PA) for years for new surroundings, a different environment, for whatever reason.....

Tom Clements, Joe Namath, Joe Montana (saw him throw 4 or 6 picks vs Lebo in 73), John Frank, Jim Kelly, I could go on and on and list probably 50 more off the top of my head, guys who went to Arizona St, Michigan, Va. Tech before they were good, guys from Harrisburg that went to So. California or Michigan...... it will always happen.

Pick your targets that fit your system, and go after them. Pitt will still get their share.

 

[steel_curtain]

Before anybody starts with the you can't win with just WPIAL players debate, I think everybody understands that...however the WPIAL needs to be our base. We then need to expand into Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Florida to build the entire team. For shits and giggles, I went to the 2015 through 2018 classes...pretty much a 4 year cycle and built a WPIAL only squad. It actually looks pretty good and has some serious upside if guys would live up to their hype. Thoughts? Am I missing anybody? I think this could be an 9-10 win potential lineup.

QB Phil Jurkovec, Ben DiNucci

RB Miles Sanders, Tank Smith
FB Jo-El Shaw

TE TJ Banks, Nick Bowers

OT Sterling Jenkins, Gabe Houy
OT Josh Lugg, Tony Pilato
C Alex Paulina
LG CJ Thorpe, Brandon Ford
RG Robert Hainsey, Tony Pilato

WR Marcus Hooker, Kenny Robinson
WR Paris Ford, Aaron Matthews

DE Kevin Givens, David Green
DE Donovan Jeter, Curtis Harper
DT Rashad Wheeler,
DT Kurt Hinish,

LB Kaezon Pugh, Tim Terry
LB David Adams, Ron George
LB Khaleke Hudson, Logan Thimmons

SS Jordan Whitehead, Bricen Garner
FS Kwantel Raines, John Petrishen

CB Lamont Wade, Therran Coleman
CB Damar Hamlin, Dane Jackson

-Your lineup has talent, but no depth. And without any depth you are not going to win 10 games. As you saw this year, our defense was partially crippled with the player losses of Hendrix, Hamlin, Zeise, etc.., we do not have good enough depth but we have good skill players which is why we sit at 5-2, although with a few more good players we are 7-0. We are not far away.

-The two 2018 must get recruits imo our Kwantel Raines and Marcus Hooker. We also could use Wade, as our secondary isnt very good. Continuing to get the high end talent is whats most important. Ford, Whitehead, Johnson, Boyd etc. Recruit athletes with speed and talent. PA, Ohio, Florida, go after the gamebreakers, doesnt matter where they are from. Its possible an argument can be made that we are pulling more talent out of Ohio right now over Pennsylvania under Narduzzi.

-I think this class for 2017 closes strong, with or without any more PA players. If Wade's number 1 criteria is playing time and starting as a freshmen, he gets his best chance right here at home at Pitt. He'll have a better opportunity to start here than any of the other schools, simply because our secondary is so much further behind the other positions on the field and teams that are recruiting him.

 

[Chescat]

In reality we're never gonna get em all from WPIAL or for that matter Western PA. IMO
it's important to at least get a few of the elite ones, maybe not all but SOME. That is
important for not only talent, but also for the sake of perception...and IMO perception IS important. Getting Boyd,Whitehead, and Hamlin were very important because of their talent and the perception that Pitt was relevant in the area. Ford is a great start for this year.
Getting Wade, and Jeter would send that message even further.

Living in eastern PA, I wish we'd do better here. Right now Henderson and O'Neil
(Wilmington DE, might as well be eastern PA...it's right on the PA line) are two
great recruits from this area. All of the D1 players here do not go to PSU, many
go to the UVA's, NC, Va Tech, Cuse , programs. Those programs are not only out of state
but in most cases as far or further away than is Pitt. I will admit though that Narduzzi is
at least getting Pitt mentioned and looked at. Keep winning and I see it improving.

 

[PhPanther1]

I would take that starting 22 up against any football region's 22....NOT entire state.

 

[vegasgreed]

Successfully recruiting our back yard is imperative.

 

[ameoba defense]

I would take that starting 22 up against any football region's 22....NOT entire state.

Miami's? LA's?

 

[BFo8]

The only problem with that is many of the players you name have yet to take a college snap, no one has any idea whether their skills will translate to that level or not.

And as good as the current crop of WPIAL players are, they are nowhere close to the the talent in the LA area. Not sure about other places, but that area I have some knowledge of and its not even close.