2020 Pitt Recruiting Class

[tylersmyth]

Will this be the best recruiting class of the Narduzzi era by rivals rankings?

Thus far seems like he has more high end talent interested in Pitt than any other year to this point in the recruiting cycle.

 

[TreyCampbell]

Let's hope so. The amount of quality players coming to Pittsburgh (on their own dime) has been impressive.

Narduzzi has a pretty impressive record of landing kids that make it to campus. We need an uptick in recruiting and this has the markings of being a good year for us.

LATE -

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Will this be the best recruiting class of the Narduzzi era by rivals rankings?

Thus far seems like he has more high end talent interested in Pitt than any other year to this point in the recruiting cycle.

well that '16 class was #29, not shabby. But in reality, lets hope that we can top that class because in hindsight, that class is brutal. 5 of the top 9 never played for us and 7 of the top 15..

What's crazy about that class, the bottom 3 rated recruits will be MUCH better than the top 3 rated recruits in that class. Reynolds, Jones and Weaver were all 2 stars and the three highest were Hamlin, Flowers and Pugh..

 

[sappycrease]

This will be a top 20 class, mark it down.

The Coastal championship last season put recruits on notice across the country, not just regionally.

 

[pittdan77]

Thus far seems like he has more high end talent interested in Pitt than any other year to this point in the recruiting cycle.

Define "interested".

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

This will be a top 20 class, mark it down.

The Coastal championship last season put recruits on notice across the country, not just regionally.

Winning it was certainly better than not winning it. But I don’t buy this and never have. I just don’t think winning a mediocre division will make much if any difference. And it was followed up with the thrashing by Clemson and another bowl loss to a so so team for a .500 season.

 

[Pittparade]

Winning it was certainly better than not winning it. But I don’t buy this and never have. I just don’t think winning a mediocre division will make much if any difference. And it was followed up with the thrashing by Clemson and another bowl loss to a so so team for a .500 season.

You don't have to buy it, they're not trying to recruit you.

Time will tell if the young kids they are recruiting are buying into this accomplishment.

Certainly it can't hurt for the Pitt staff to sell this accomplishment and it just might work or be the difference among some of the kids they are recruiting.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

You don't have to buy it, they're not trying to recruit you.

Time will tell if the young kids they are recruiting are buying into this accomplishment.

Certainly it can't hurt for the Pitt staff to sell this accomplishment and it just might work or be the difference among some of the kids they are recruiting.

Maybe. I hope so. And I’m well aware I don’t have to buy it for anyone to commit here. But it’s a message board full of opinions so I’ll state mine as I’d like. If I was in a position to be recruited that title wouldn’t mean much. And I just don’t see it generating much national buzz. But I hope I’m wrong.

 

[chirurgo]

Winning it was certainly better than not winning it. But I don’t buy this and never have. I just don’t think winning a mediocre division will make much if any difference. And it was followed up with the thrashing by Clemson and another bowl loss to a so so team for a .500 season.

Ditto that. Winning the division doesn’t matter, especially when it’s coupled with a mediocre record and running a high school offense the last 2 games of the season. Winning the conference does matter.

I don’t think these kids are going to buy the snake oil.

 

[McKee Place]

I don't see WPA fans being fazed by the winning of the Coastal division, to improve attendance. It's a pro sports region, and the bottom line is meaningful championships. Steeler and Penguin fans don't care if they merely win their division.

However, I do think it's a nice feather to use with recruits, especially from other areas where people aren't as jaded / spoiled by the regular accomplishments of the local pro teams.

 

[anon_vmuicqnzlyp3u]

You don't have to buy it, they're not trying to recruit you.

Time will tell if the young kids they are recruiting are buying into this accomplishment.

Certainly it can't hurt for the Pitt staff to sell this accomplishment and it just might work or be the difference among some of the kids they are recruiting.

It never ceases to amaze me how people can say 7-7 is a successful season.

 

[cashisking884]

Is limping to the finish line of the Coastal last year going to make that much of a difference on the trail? Probably not. But it's certainly better to win the division than not win the division.

 

[newcfo]

Is limping to the finish line of the Coastal last year going to make that much of a difference on the trail? Probably not. But it's certainly better to win the division than not win the division.

Respectfully, Pitt actually smashed through the “finish line” of the coastal division championship when they went on the road and destroyed a decent wake team in one of the best “high pressure” second halves Pitt has played in the last 20+ years

The team tanked immediately after this.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Me - I just hope last year's class will be his least well regarded.

About the coastal title, this is one of those things where familiarity breeds contempt. WE are burnt out of how they flamed out the last three games. But, these kids they are recruiting, particularly from outside of the WPIAL, it absolutely is something that will be a bit of sell, because they are not paying even remotely as much attention as we do - all they hear is ACC Coastal champs, and they know Pitt got a little something something last season, and is "on the upswing."

Add in, that over the least three years, when Nards has made a move with an assistant, it has almost always returned an upgrade in recruiters - Patridge, Collins, Borbely, Sanders, and now Beatty and Whipple.

Things seem set up for a good class. But, THEY HAVE TO CLOSE.

 

[pittdan77]

It never ceases to amaze me how people can say 7-7 is a successful season.

Yeah, I think the only people who perceive last season as successful reside on this board. Everyone kind of forgets that 9 wins was very doable even with the OOC schedule.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

It never ceases to amaze me how people can say 7-7 is a successful season.

When you have average results, average players, average recruiting, average coaches, average fans, average student interest, a disinterested administration, and an AD who tries hard but has limited resources and opportunities this is where the bar ends up.

PITT football wins have flat lined.

PITT football needs to make a near term major change/committment to improve performance or this will be the bar for a long time.
We hire a good HC and fill up the coordinator positions with less than acceptable performers.

It's buying a Corvette and putting cheap tires on the car!

 

[ThePanthers]

It never ceases to amaze me how people can say 7-7 is a successful season.

When 4 of those losses came against teams the beat pretty much everyone on their schedule last year, it does make a difference. Plus we did something no pitt team has ever done in the past and won our division.

Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. We should have won the UNC and Stanford games.

But I also don't understand people who are writing off winning the division and the games that mattered to accomplish that. It goes both ways.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

It never ceases to amaze me how people can say 7-7 is a successful season.

is it not a level headed approach to look at last year and be happy about some things and upset at others? I mean, I understand the disappointment, I felt it too. but I think it's a tad unfair to discount the positives last year as well. winning the coastal, winning 6 conference games (without a qb mind you) isn't shabby..

A lot of things to be upset about but a lot of things to be happy about too, In my opinion. pitt fans saying last year was a failure are wrong just as pitt fans saying last year was a complete success. you guys need to stop looking at things only in black or white.

 

[Pittparade]

It never ceases to amaze me how people can say 7-7 is a successful season.

Just curious but where is it written or even implied in this thread that a 7-7 record (or 14 losses over the last 2 years) was a "successful" season?

It is a fact that PITT won the division last year. The PITT coaches should use that to their advantage when recruiting student athletes this year. Let the chips fall where they may.

Having said that, though, does not necessarily imply that the 2018 season was an overall success for PITT football.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Just curious but where is it written or even implied in this thread that a 7-7 record (or 14 losses over the last 2 years) was a "successful" season?

It is a fact that PITT won the division last year. The PITT coaches should use that their advantage when recruiting student athletes this year. Let the chips fall where they may.

Having said that, though, does not necessarily imply that the 2018 season was a success for PITT football.

I have yet to see this myself. I have yet to see one pitt fan post that last year was a complete success. the naysayers are creating a false narrative here to dwell in their pessimism. it's really annoying.

 

[anon_vmuicqnzlyp3u]

When 4 of those losses came against teams the beat pretty much everyone on their schedule last year, it does make a difference. Plus we did something no pitt team has ever done in the past and won our division.

Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. We should have won the UNC and Stanford games.

But I also don't understand people who are writing off winning the division and the games that mattered to accomplish that. It goes both ways.

Again, it ceases to amaze me how people are ok with losing 4 OOC. Their are people that act like its alright as long as we won the coastal. Never mind the fact that we got stomped in those losses. I guess I grew up in a different era where finishing 7-7 is ok because 4 of our losses were against tougher competition

 

[Pittparade]

Again, it ceases to amaze me how people are ok with losing 4 OOC. Their are people that act like its alright as long as we won the coastal. Never mind the fact that we got stomped in those losses. I guess I grew up in a different era where finishing 7-7 is ok because 4 of our losses were against tougher competition

My point is that the staff is using one of the positives (winning the 2018 coastal division) to help attract/recruit a higher caliber football player to the program.

Again---this does not mean that all is good in losing 14 games over the past 2 seasons. It just means that the PITT staff needs to use every edge they can to help upgrade the program.

Time will tell if the current HC and staff will make any progress towards that.

 

[PittFanDan17]

i was expecting another 5-7 season last year so i think last year's success was huge, 7-7 or not. Recruiting will definitely benefit from playing on Championship Saturday.

 

[ThePanthers]

Again, it ceases to amaze me how people are ok with losing 4 OOC. Their are people that act like its alright as long as we won the coastal. Never mind the fact that we got stomped in those losses. I guess I grew up in a different era where finishing 7-7 is ok because 4 of our losses were against tougher competition

I guess I'm realistic in understanding that we are not at the level of the 2018 version of Clemson, ND, PSU and UCF, and that not many teams were this year. Only a small handful. It's not all black and white.

I do think we should have beat UNC and Stanford and that is a disappointment.

We went through a stretch of tossup games with Syracuse, UVA, GT, and VT this year and won them all. Probably could have lost to some of those.

Miami was the only toss up we lot IMO.

 

[cashisking884]

I think last year just felt like we left wins on the field and still didn’t execute well.

Last year was year 4. Ideally you want to see a “good” team. We weren’t good. There is nobody, from S&P+ to FEI, that says we were good but just played a tough schedule. And I don’t think fans watching actually think we were some really good team that was outmatched by great teams.

But even with that said, there were more wins to be had. And we left them on the field. This is what happened in 2016 as well, when we had a Top 5 offense, the metrics had us as objectively a Top 25 team, and yet, we went 8-5.

In seasons when momentum is there to be had, the staff is leaving too much of it on the field.

At some point they need to build a consistently “good” team, schedule be damned. And they need to actually help themselves by winning the games that can be won to carry momentum forward to build on.

I mean, UVA just got a commit from a 4* OT yesterday. Miami stole Alabama’s OC from them. Rivals is writing articles about how GT has a lot of GA recruits talking. Mack might be pulling a Top 15 class with his first at UNC. The Coastal isn’t going to suck like last year forever. It just feels like we’re kinda missing the window to elevate the program that Cutcliffe took advantage of a few years ago to elevate Duke.

 

[ThePanthers]

For each of these wins we are "leaving" on the field, there are some we won that we probably shouldn't have. Syracuse is one from last year. Clemson and PSU from 2016. Miami in 2017.

I think we are a good team. We took advantage of last year. Many years we probably wouldn't have.

But we definitely still have some work to do to become a better team.

 

[pittdan77]

For each of these wins we are "leaving" on the field, there are some we won that we probably shouldn't have. Syracuse is one from last year. Clemson and PSU from 2016. Miami in 2017.

I think we are a good team. We took advantage of last year. Many years we probably wouldn't have.

But we definitely still have some work to do to become a better team.

The upsets are cool but they are absolutely meaningless if you're averaging seven or less wins a season.

 

[cashisking884]

For each of these wins we are "leaving" on the field, there are some we won that we probably shouldn't have. Syracuse is one from last year. Clemson and PSU from 2016. Miami in 2017.

I think we are a good team. We took advantage of last year. Many years we probably wouldn't have.

But we definitely still have some work to do to become a better team.

Syracuse sucked last year. The fact that we shouldn’t have beat a team that sucks, is irrelevant to the point I was making.

I disagree with the idea that, “first you win, then the recruits come.” I think for the most part it works the other way.
But to the extent it can work, you have to win when the wins are there. You can’t have a bunch of “win some, lose some” seasons under that idea.

That’s why I brought up the Duke example. Cut saw a bunch of seasons of a horrible Coastal, and basically won every game he could. Thereby creating an elevated new normal at Duke.

That chance has been there for Narduzzi, and he hasn’t struck.

People saying, “hey, putting out the 61st best team in the country and leaving wins on the field in year 4 is a moderately successful season” are wrong because the window to elevate the program while fielding the 61st best team is closing.

 

[ThePanthers]

The upsets are cool but they are absolutely meaningless if you're averaging seven or less wins a season.

To each their own. I guess I'm a glass half full guy. It got us on highlights, etc for even a brief amount of time and are still talked about. Those are things that wouldn't happen. And beating Syracuse this year helped us win the division. I wouldn't call that meaningless.

And again, I'm not saying we are perfect. Pitt has a lot to get better at. But I'm also not going to sweep away any positives we have accomplished either.

Pitt's not in as dire as a situation as some want to make it. It just feels that way because they harp on all the negatives and sweep away any positive as meaningless. And the same can be said for the opposite reaction.

 

[ThePanthers]

Syracuse sucked last year. The fact that we shouldn’t have beat a team that sucks, is irrelevant to the point I was making.

I disagree with the idea that, “first you win, then the recruits come.” I think for the most part it works the other way.
But to the extent it can work, you have to win when the wins are there. You can’t have a bunch of “win some, lose some” seasons under that idea.

That’s why I brought up the Duke example. Cut saw a bunch of seasons of a horrible Coastal, and basically won every game he could. Thereby creating an elevated new normal at Duke.

That chance has been there for Narduzzi, and he hasn’t struck.

People saying, “hey, putting out the 61st best team in the country and leaving wins on the field in year 4 is a moderately successful season” are wrong because the window to elevate the program while fielding the 61st best team is closing.

Your first line pretty much sums up my above post. Just sweep any positive away. Syracuse didn't "suck". They were 10-3 and were the closest team all year to beat Clemson. Their only losses were to Clemson, ND and Pitt.

As for Duke, they won the Coastal once at 6-2 (gasp! same as Pitt). The proceeded to get shit stomped by eventual NC FSU in the ACC Championship game. Their OOC that year was NC Central, Memphis, Troy and Navy. Certainly not ND, PSU, and UCF. Congrats, they won 8 games this year, but went 3-5 in conference.

 

[ThePanthers]

Wins in weakened Coastal under Cutliffe:

1, 3, 1, 1, 3, 6, 5, 4, 1, 3, 3 = 2.8 wins per season

1 Coastal Championship

Wins in weakened Coastal under Narduzzi:

6, 5, 3, 6 = 5 wins per season

1 Coastal Championship

 

[pittdan77]

Pitt's not in as dire as a situation as some want to make it. It just feels that way because they harp on all the negatives and sweep away any positive as meaningless. And the same can be said for the opposite reaction.

List the positives. It's not enough to say "Pitt beat a great Syracuse team" because they've only beaten Pitt five times this century (and there really isn't a good excuse for why Pitt didn't win three of those, actually).

 

[cashisking884]

Your first line pretty much sums up my above post. Just sweep any positive away. Syracuse didn't "suck". They were 10-3 and were the closest team all year to beat Clemson. Their only losses were to Clemson, ND and Pitt.

As for Duke, they won the Coastal once at 6-2 (gasp! same as Pitt). The proceeded to get shit stomped by eventual NC FSU in the ACC Championship game. Their OOC that year was NC Central, Memphis, Troy and Navy. Certainly not ND, PSU, and UCF. Congrats, they won 8 games this year, but went 3-5 in conference.

I read your Syracuse post wrong. Cuse was good last year. I meant 2017 was a win we left on the field.

You're misunderstanding my Duke point. I don't think Cut turned Duke into a powerhouse, nor did I ever claim that. Duke lost plenty during the time period, as they should have. They were an absolute sh*t program.

The point I'm making is that Cut won damn near every game he COULD have won during that time period. If a win was there to be had, he didn't leave it on the field. This allowed him to elevate the Duke program.

Narduzzi hasn't done that. Won some, lost some. Producing what amounts to the same ol' Pitt program.

 

[McKee Place]

Pitt is mediocre, but so are many, many P5, so that in itself is no terrible thing.

Our problem is that it is not sustainable in Pittsburgh to merely remain mediocre. Especially that PSU is off the schedule for good and ND at home will be fewer and further between.

Interest and crowds are eroding. Not 50 or even 25 percent clumps that are highly visible, but a few hundred less here a game, a few hundred less than that the next.

Rows that used to be 80% filled, only 60% the last couple, maybe only 40% this year.

It adds up.

And fewer of those stay much beyond the half, I've noticed. Even if we're winning. Not just the students either.

Even those who do show, just kinda sit there.

Some of that is not even just W or L or the fact we're absolutely eliminated from a NC by Sept 15 most years (like it or not, that matters in a Pro town) ...

...but also the dull style of offense of the past 2 seasons (especially coming off the thrills of 2016) and a defense with few splash players (big hitters / turnover machines).

A couple games (games we WON!), the most exciting play we had was a 55+ yard FIELD GOAL.

We don't even get that one or two star player we used to, a Donald, or Boyd, or even Whitehead, that grabs interest.

We're boring.

The stadium is deader and deader, a little, each game.

I go back 35ish years as a fan and every year at Heinz, and have not seen it as moribund as it has been the last two years.

Yeah the conference money still comes in, just for having a football team no matter how lame ... plays the freight for the other sports.

But other than that, what the hell is the point?

 

[cashisking884]

If people want to pretend, "First you win, and then they come," then you got to start winning at a level above what you're historically use to. That's *literally* the logic that people use when they make the win first argument.

"First you have to prove to recruits you aren't the same program you always have been, and then the recruits get on board."

But you actually have to do the former for the latter to happen. Narduzzi hasn't done that. That's why 2016 and 2018 feel like glass-half empty seasons. Because more was there to be had, but wasn't.

 

[cashisking884]

Pitt is mediocre, but so are many, many P5, so that in itself is no terrible thing.

Our problem is that it is not sustainable in Pittsburgh to merely remain mediocre. Especially that PSU is off the schedule for good and ND at home will be fewer and further between.

This is where I'm at as well.
We're in a natural disadvantage in the ACC due to us being so far removed from the south, having to play southern programs. To some extent, we are kinda dependent upon these southern schools not getting their sh*t together.

The best way to mitigate that is for us to get our sh*t together while they are down. While it takes them so long to break out of the bad cultural habits that have anchored down their programs.
We have failed to do that. Meanwhile, if you're paying attention, you are seeing an active push by these programs to get good. Really for the first time in a long time.
We just had two Coastal programs steal OCs from SEC West programs this off-season, one of which is the best program in college football. There's a change happening with these southern schools.
Maybe it doesn't work out for them with these hires. But the point is they are legit making a run at it. Eventually they are going to get it right because they are trying to get it right.
We need to be doing everything we can to cement our position in the meantime, and we haven't.

 

[ThePanthers]

I read your Syracuse post wrong. Cuse was good last year. I meant 2017 was a win we left on the field.

You're misunderstanding my Duke point. I don't think Cut turned Duke into a powerhouse, nor did I ever claim that. Duke lost plenty during the time period, as they should have. They were an absolute sh*t program.

The point I'm making is that Cut won damn near every game he COULD have won during that time period. If a win was there to be had, he didn't leave it on the field. This allowed him to elevate the Duke program.

Narduzzi hasn't done that. Won some, lost some. Producing what amounts to the same ol' Pitt program.

This is where you are sweeping away all negatives for Duke and amplifying the negatives for Pitt.

Duke lost to UVA in 15, 16, and 17 when UVA was garbage. Duke lost to WF in 16 and 18. Lost to a bad VT team this year. Hell, lost to Pitt this year, the same Pitt we are saying sucks.

 

[ThePanthers]

List the positives. It's not enough to say "Pitt beat a great Syracuse team" because they've only beaten Pitt five times this century (and there really isn't a good excuse for why Pitt didn't win three of those, actually).

I have through the thread. It's simply swept away though and "doesn't count" or is "meaningless".

 

[ThePanthers]

If people want to pretend, "First you win, and then they come," then you got to start winning at a level above what you're historically use to. That's *literally* the logic that people use when they make the win first argument.

"First you have to prove to recruits you aren't the same program you always have been, and then the recruits get on board."

But you actually have to do the former for the latter to happen. Narduzzi hasn't done that. That's why 2016 and 2018 feel like glass-half empty seasons. Because more was there to be had, but wasn't.

That's why I think we need to soften our OOC schedule big time. It will generate more wins and shed a different light perception wise. In conference we are doing fine. Just need to fix our UNC problem.

 

[McKee Place]

This is where I'm at as well.
We're in a natural disadvantage in the ACC due to us being so far removed from the south, having to play southern programs. To some extent, we are kinda dependent upon these southern schools not getting their sh*t together.

The best way to mitigate that is for us to get our sh*t together while they are down. While it takes them so long to break out of the bad cultural habits that have anchored down their programs.
We have failed to do that. Meanwhile, if you're paying attention, you are seeing an active push by these programs to get good. Really for the first time in a long time.
We just had two Coastal programs steal OCs from SEC West programs this off-season, one of which is the best program in college football. There's a change happening with these southern schools.
Maybe it doesn't work out for them with these hires. But the point is they are legit making a run at it. Eventually they are going to get it right because they are trying to get it right.
We need to be doing everything we can to cement our position in the meantime, and we haven't.

I don't ENJOY pointing these things out. It is sad to. I don't even know anymore that anything can be done to fix it, realistically, any more. It's never been more apparent or blatant in football and basketball that cash is changing hands for top players. And never more obvious that the NCAA and member teams, and networks and sponsors, absolutely don't care to stop it. So never more obvious it will continue if not get worse. And obvious that Pitt is having none of it. Hell the media in this town would sniff it out and attack us even if we did.

So Pitt is never gonna be good enough. Period.

Narduzzi is a heckuva football coach. Can we quibble here or there on some X and O stuff? Sure. But overall, he's very solid. Players, once they show up, seem to love playing for him. We're lucky to have him really. Capel too. They should both be recruiting great. But both are struggling. And it's obvious why.