A big Positive about this class this year

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

It is a small class. If you are going to have a coaching change, it is best to have it happen in a year that you have a small class. Sure, on paper you are going to have a lousy class, not just because the new staff not having the time to recuit, the likelihood of "flips" increases, you likely will not have a good class.

On the flip side (no pun intended) you can go out like Todd Graham did who, he was also behind the 8 ball and had a bigger class and took a lot of marginal prospects. So because he had more commits, his class may have been ranked higher, but really lacked talent to play at this level.

So..........time now to look forward.

 

[pittzap]

I"m glad Narduzzi didn't take as many kids as he could just to take them. This class was going to be small anyway, but don't give out offers just to give them out. The team is young and will have a small class this year and even next year will be smallish.

 

[Dan from Howell]

Narduzzi won't take guys just to take them. The good part is that there won't be as many marginal prospects. The bad part is that it hurts depth short term and senior leadership long term. What he'll need to do is go out and get a strong 2nd class of 25 players.

He kept Whitehead, who is as good as anybody MSU signed this year. Darrin Hall is one of the best backs in Ohio. MSU looked at him heavily until LJ Scott signed. I think McKee will be a good player. Pitt beat MSU for Tipton at WR. Some of those were originally Chryst folks, but Narduzzi had to keep them.

It's a long term process, but there's some talent to work with. Narduzzi wasn't given a 4-8 team this time, like the John L Smith Spartans.

 

[Pitt-Chains]

The players/students coming in will get a great education and get to play a game they love !


I cannot wait to see them represent our University of PITTsburgh !!

PITT IS IT !!

 

[PITTLAW]

Reply

Funny thing is, I remember quite a few guys on here gushing and slobbering over that Graham class. Those of us that questioned the quality of the class were shouted down and called names. Barely a player in the whole bunch as it turns out! This class seems better to me...but do not misstake it for some outstanding group. Narduzzi and his staff will rise or fall on the 2016-18 classes, not this one. Hail to Pitt!

 

[cruzer]

There are certainly positives in this class. I love the fact we kept Whitehead and added quality guys to the defensive backfield. I also really like the LB's we added. Guys who can run. Recruiting a freshman QB and adding a transfer was smart since we needed an insurance policy in the event that Voytik goes down. Also added a few more building blocks on the Oline.

On the list of concerns, we only added one DE to a position that is really, really weak to begin with. We also whiffed on DT's which is a big concern. At WR, I'm hoping that Tipton turns out to be a real player. Don't know what to think about Gentry. Of course, we didn't add any TE's, but that's not a particular area of need this year.

Next year, we really need to focus on DT, DE, WR, and another high quality QB.

Cruzer

 

[wbrpanther]

Re: Reply

Very true. No question. What I think this class does is address some immediate needs like QB depth. LBs and a JUCO DE that hopefully can play right away. Bringing in a Whitehead would make any class look good but I like some of the other skill kids like the Henderson kid from Delaware and Hall from Youngstown.

This class is small because there really wasn't much room for more kids without some more attrition. I don't think next years class will be very big either so Duzzi will have to be selective. I don't look for very many 2 star early commits this year.

 

[raleighpanther]

A big positive about this class is the SPEED. Many of these recruits are faster than the guys we currently have on the roster at those same positions. I'm thinking of the LBers (Brightwell and McKee) and the secondary (Whitehead, Henderson, Stocker, Jackson) and WR (Ivery, Henderson, Tipton).

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

I agree with this and have made the same point to my friends. We did pretty poorly on paper but it was such a small group that it shouldn't hurt us too badly going forward. The problem is we have had so much turnover in recent years that this is not remotely an isolated incident.

 

[Pitt-Chains]

To your comment on turnover.....The name of the game is stability..... And of course Charlie Sheen.....

I do feel stability is here !

 

[PITTLAW]

Reply

Speed is great...but it has to translate into good play. A favorite on this board over his Pitt career that has done very little [in my estimation], other than lose the bowl game is the speedy Grigsby--Todd Graham recruit. You need more than just speed to be any good on defense. Shame the kid did not have any hands either Hail to Pitt!

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Re: Reply

nm
This post was edited on 2/5 6:59 PM by King Of All Message Boards

 

[Perrypanther]

Re: Reply


There is no comparison with Frauds 1st class. There are some stars in this class, very good players that could be major contributors.

 

[MajorMajors]

Re: Reply

Something both Graham's and Coach Narduzzi's classes have in common - few players over 200 pounds...

Only members of Todd's class who turned out to be players were Isaac Bennett, Nicholas Grigsby, Lafayette Pitts, and Artie Rowell...

Go Pitt.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

Correct, as evidenced by Wanny & Campbell

Your man the Wann loved speed and was enticed by the promise of a speedy Tommy Campbell at linebacker. Totally misjudged/mishandled that as Campbell was a fish out of water at linebacker. Fortunately for him he was able to reinvent his career at DB at IUP I believe (or cal u) and played a while in the league. Too bad Wann wasn't able to realize that.

 

[PITTLAW]

Reply

LOL....I suppose also responsible for global warming in your book. Such a one trick pony. Hail to Pitt!