A challenge to all... regarding RB recruits

[raleighpanther]

I challenge anyone willing to take it, to participate in a simple exercise. Look at the highlights of the 3 backs that Pitt is currently recruiting (one has verballed) and tells who you'd most like to see in a Pitt uniform, ranking them #1, #2, and #3.

PLEASE, NO MENTION OF STARS, OFFERS, WHO'S HOT ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL AND WHO'S NOT, etc.
And no need to tell us that coaches can evaluate talent better than us bloggers; we know that, its a absolute given. Or why you can't fully trust highlight films, or a thousand other reasons why this isn't a scientifically valid exercise. If you don't want to play, fine, but please don't junk up this thread by repeating for the millionth time the same tired old "insights" into the recruiting process.

I don't really have a dog in this fight, I just want to see what people think from considering nothing other than their own naked eyes.

The RBs are Sibley, Davis, and Bryan.

I'll make it easy for you -- here are links to their senior highlights.

Todd Sibley [
Keyshaun Bryan [

AJ Davis [http://www.hudl.com/video/3/2894705/57dbf8b4dfe299445c2b299a]

So if you'd like to play along, I'll ask that you simply respond with YOUR opinion, based purely on the highlights, in the form of a straight ranking:
1) Best RB's name
2) 2nd best RB's name
3) 3rd best RB's name

After we get enough of these rankings, we can then discuss. Who's in?

 

[cruzer]

I challenge anyone willing to take it, to participate in a simple exercise. Look at the highlights of the 3 backs that Pitt is currently recruiting (one has verballed) and tells who you'd most like to see in a Pitt uniform, ranking them #1, #2, and #3.

PLEASE, NO MENTION OF STARS, OFFERS, WHO'S HOT ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL AND WHO'S NOT, etc.
And no need to tell us that coaches can evaluate talent better than us bloggers; we know that, its a absolute given. Or why you can't fully trust highlight films, or a thousand other reasons why this isn't a scientifically valid exercise. If you don't want to play, fine, but please don't junk up this thread by repeating for the millionth time the same tired old "insights" into the recruiting process.

I don't really have a dog in this fight, I just want to see what people think from considering nothing other than their own naked eyes.

The RBs are Sibley, Davis, and Bryan.

I'll make it easy for you -- here are links to their senior highlights.

Todd Sibley [

View embedded media

Keyshaun Bryan [

View embedded media

AJ Davis [http://www.hudl.com/video/3/2894705/57dbf8b4dfe299445c2b299a]

So if you'd like to play along, I'll ask that you simply respond with YOUR opinion, based purely on the highlights, in the form of a straight ranking:
1) Best RB's name
2) 2nd best RB's name
3) 3rd best RB's name

After we get enough of these rankings, we can then discuss. Who's in?

OK - I'll bite. My rankings:

1. Davis
2. Sibley
3. Bryan

Happy to explain why I ranked them in this order once the discussion starts.

Cruzer

 

[Gregory25]

Sibley
Bryan
Davis

 

[HOF Coach]

1. Sibley
2. Davis
3. Bryan

Shout out to all three offensive lines!

 

[Las Panteras]

Sibley

Bryant

Davis

 

[Jeffburgh]

1. Sibley
2. Davis
3. Bryan

Shout out to all three offensive lines!

This

 

[Parkview57]

1. Davis
2. Sibley
3. Bryan
But I would take any of the three!!!

 

[President Stache]

Sibley
Bryan
Davis

I agree all 3 look good, I only watch first 2 minutes of each. Sibley and Bryan look very similar, power/speed combo, no Shady like moves, but certainly like a Pitt back that will flourish in the system.

Davis looks more ready to plug and play, but maybe has less upside. But really, all three could be 1a,1b,1c... I dont see anything completely standing out that puts one clearly ahead of the other 2. All are very good.

 

[88Pitt88]

1. Sibley
2.Davis
3. Bryan

 

[pittmeister]

Excellent post!

1. Sibley
2. Davis
3. Bryan

 

[W1np1tt]

1-Davis
2-Sibley
3-Bryan

 

[Jeffburgh]

Sibley - I think he is going to be the next feature back for Pitt. He is a bit of Dion Lewis, he has that every efficient run style with some of Dion's subtle make you miss ability. He does not have as much of that as Dion has, but he is stronger and more of a bull. He has very good quickness getting into his runs, holes and through the LOS, but he does not have great long speed. You see him get run down.

Davis - Davis is a less unconventional Ray Graham, he makes people miss a lot, or he sets up openings and creases by sticking a leg. He "chops" it up while moving forward.

Bryan - is a lot lie Maurice Jones Drew. He isn't a "one cut runner" he isn't that limited. But, he really is a guy who sees his crease and hits it. He is built thick like MJD, does not screw around and just goes forward and is hard to tackle at his size/build/quickness. He can bounce a run outside.

Davis and Bryan are about the same speed wise, a bit faster than Sibley. Davis just is a more productive runner. I see runs with Bryan where he runs through the tackle on the second level but gets tripped up and stumbles to the ground where I would see Davis making a subtle move and staying on his feet and still able to keep running.

That said, Bryan would be a really nice second back with Sibley if things don't work out with Davis.

 

[EastOhioPanther]

I honestly think, any 2 of these 3 would be an extremely good thing...
All 3 faced good competition.. Sibley has very consistent stats over time....
My ranks..

1-Sibley
2-Bryan
3-Davis...

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

1.) Sibley - because I like his smile
2.) Bryan - because we are going to get him
3.) Davis - because we are probably not going to get him

 

[Jpripper88]

1. Davis
2. Sibley
3. Bryan

 

[sherepower]

Davis
Sibley
Bryant

Davis has the best wiggle and vison from what i seen.
Sibley is a one cut type back and hits the whole with authority. Stronger than the other two.

Bryant seems to be a little of both. But not better than the other two.

Davis is the type of back that can create on his own. When there is nothing there.

Davis would be my pick. And it was easy to do so in my opinion.

 

[MajorMajors]

I like all three RBs, but I'd go with:

1. Davis
2. Bryan
3. Sibley

The difference to me is the style of running and elusiveness - though Sibley looks powerfully built like a mini Marion Motley (an old RB likely known only to the really old guys)...

Go Pitt.

 

[pittppe95]

1. Sibley
2. Davis
3. Bryan

Love Sibley's leg drive, decisive cuts, I think he's a feature back.

 

[President Stache]

Davis
Sibley
Bryant

Davis has the best wiggle and vison from what i seen.
Sibley is a one cut type back and hits the whole with authority. Stronger than the other two.

Bryant seems to be a little of both. But not better than the other two.

Davis is the type of back that can create on his own. When there is nothing there.

Davis would be my pick. And it was easy to do so in my opinion.

Just from what I saw, I thought Davis had the least wiggle, looked big and freight trainish.

They all looked good from the tape, but that is what tape is supposed to do right?

 

[sherepower]

Just from what I saw, I thought Davis had the least wiggle, looked big and freight trainish.

They all looked good from the tape, but that is what tape is supposed to do right?

I hear ya. That's why guys making a million a year sometimes miss on evaluations.

Everyone see's things differently. That's why the only way we will know who is correct. Is 2 or 3 years down the road

 

[raleighpanther]

OK, the OP here. Thanks for playing along guys. Here is where we are at this point (18 rankings):

1 - Sibley - 1.5
2 - Davis 1.9
3 - Bryan 2.6

The scores are an average, with 1st place vote =1, 2nd = 2, 3rd = 3.
Most of us agree that there isn't a lot separating these guys, yet the rankings show a pretty clear preference.
I actually revised how I thought I might rank them after reviewing them one after the other. I put Davis first, Sibley second, Bryan 3rd. I thought I was going to put Bryan higher.

Its clear what Pitt is looking for in a RB, as these three have a lot of similarities. Actually, they sort of run the way Moss runs, this staff's other recruit. Strong powerful, straight-ahead runners, who while not having the shifty hips of a Shady McCoy, cut quickly and decisively when coming out of the hole.

Sibley is the shortest of the three, and he runs really low to the ground, and its hard to get a good hit on him. Here are there measureables, by the way.
Sibley: 5'10", 211
Bryan: 5"11, 185
Davis: 6'0, 202

Again, thanks for participating. Keep the thread going with comments, or if you haven't done so yet, add in your rankings and I'll update the results.

 

[MajorMajors]

I watched 4 minutes of Sibley's video and didn't notice one "move," which isn't unusual for HS backs these days. The good ones either out run or over-power the tacklers, which they won't do so easily in college. Sibley does have good power and a nice burst to go with a lower body built to be a running back.

I liked Davis the best because he actually planted the foot and juked-out some guys. That's my preferred type of back.

Go Pitt.

 

[cruzer]

I'll chime in with more detail of what I saw:

1. These guys are all somewhat similar. They all appear to have pretty decent straight line speed. Once they break into the secondary, they're gone. This of course is expected at the high school level.

2. Frankly, none of these guys impressed me in terms of elusiveness or cutting ability. Of the bunch, Davis showed the most "wiggle" IMO, but I would not call him elusive. No one nearly in the class of Dion Lewis, Shady, or even Ray Graham for that matter.

3. When I watched the tape, I saw pretty much the same thing; giant hole opens up, RB hits the hole quickly, gets into the secondary and simply runs past everyone. Not gonna happen too much at the next level. In fairness, Sibley showed the ability to break tackles (Davis a bit too). None of these guys showed me any moves that left me at a loss for words. Candidly, I liked what I saw in Chawntez Moss' tape more then any of these guys. They all kind of remind me of Hall (who hasn't blown my doors off yet).

From what I saw, if we stick with Sibley and don't pick up either of the other two, we're fine.

Cruzer

 

[Jeffburgh]

I watched 4 minutes of Sibley's video and didn't notice one "move," which isn't unusual for HS backs these days. The good ones either out run or over-power the tacklers, which they won't do so easily in college. Sibley does have good power and a nice burst to go with a lower body built to be a running back.

I liked Davis the best because he actually planted the foot and juked-out some guys. That's my preferred type of back.

Go Pitt.

He isn't a shake and bake guy, but does make guys miss subtly.

He runs fast and strong, but is more nuanced than people might think.

 

[raleighpanther]

He isn't a shake and bake guy, but does make guys miss subtly.

He runs fast and strong, but is more nuanced than people might think.

Yes, I agree, none of them show moves that break ankles and make you say wow, but they all veer sharply and decisively when they see a hole, and have a quick burst when they do. Its not highlight reel stuff, but they are effective. Its clearly the style of back PN and staff are looking for.