I don't want to be that guy (freaking out in August) but is anyone getting nervous about recruiting? We're currently rated the 61st class (rivals) and are behind 10 ACC teams.
I understand that Narduzzi has traditionally closed hard since arriving here but his past 2 seasons he could hang his hat on two 8-win seasons. With the injuries/suspensions we're seeing pile up before the season has even started, what if he takes a step back and we only see 5-6-7 wins? Are we going to be in danger of taking a step back as a program?
Maybe I'm looking too hard at the stars but am I wrong to think we're not matching the recruiting prowess of other schools in our region? PSU, Tech, WVU, UMD.
It all boils down to Pitt hiring the best recruiters they can buy. Who can also coach!
Hire young hungry guys like Hafley who has tremendous ties to fertile areas that produce a ton of talent. Exactly how we got many Jersey kids with offers from everywhere. Exactly how Kentucky keeps out recruiting us. They have a couple dynamic recruiters on staff. Thus, being able to recruit at a level they shouldn't be.
The most important reason these kids pick a school is strictly because of the coaching staff and the coaches recruiting them. If the coaches can make a player very comfortable around them. 1a
Plus, show a recruit evidence they have the ability to get them to the next level is 1b.
Then sell them on how well they fit into the scheme they are running. And show them exactly how he is extremely important for their system to work.1c
All the rest is a distant 2nd in most of their eyes.
Boils down to who has the best salesman selling themselves and the program. Sadly, guys with this type of salesmanship costs money
He's not kicking our arse. It's just reality regardless of who is coaching at each school. We arent going to out recruit PSU until we become a perennial Top 10-15 program which wont happen until we get better recruits which wont happen until we win 10-11 games a year which wont happen until we get better recruits..... see the cycle here?
I think Partridge is a great hire. But you are right. I forget the name of the guy at Kentucky (Darrow?) who is killing it in Ohio, if I am Pitt I am all over him giving him a big offer. Same a guy like Tony Gibson. I don't care if he is an ass, he can recruit and sell the program. Of course as we have seen with Matt Canada, and PSU has seen with Joe Moorhead, Off Coordinator is one spot where you want the best X and O's guy possible, because that also recruits itself.
No, I don't. Classes - ours, your school PSU's - none of them are done. Ours may get better and PSU's may get worse. The opposite can also happen. The point is, where things stand today is not where they'll finish.
I think Partridge is a great hire. But you are right. I forget the name of the guy at Kentucky (Darrow?) who is killing it in Ohio, if I am Pitt I am all over him giving him a big offer. Same a guy like Tony Gibson. I don't care if he is an ass, he can recruit and sell the program. Of course as we have seen with Matt Canada, and PSU has seen with Joe Moorhead, Off Coordinator is one spot where you want the best X and O's guy possible, because that also recruits itself.
I'll tell you in 3 years
Seeing PSU add 4 star after 4 is tough.
minor point, but to win the National Championship, we'd have to be 15-014-0 National Champs
![]()
I don't see anything that Ped State is doing as anything to be impressed about. They have certainly some 4* players ranked by recruiting servcjes but I would rather have players that are ranked and offered by Narduzzi than just throw out offers at everyone like PSU does. We got the top player in the state last season and have beat them out for a few kids already. Narduzzi can outrecruit, outbuild, and most importantly outocoach Franklin. He beat his ass last year and will do so again this year. Recruits will take notice. Narduzzi > Franklin in every respect and most media and experts would agree.
Normally, but by the time we'd get to the 14-0 point ... let's face it, even before that ... the rest of the known world would have collapsed and died of shock, so there would really be no point in the final game.minor point, but to win the National Championship, we'd have to be 15-0
win all 12 regular season games
win ACC championship game
win 1st round playoff game
win national championship game
This year we are 7-8 win team. The following year is when PN will have all of his own Upperclassmen in place. I think we will be 9-4 on average once PN has all of his own Upperclassmen in place. That is the best Pitt fans could hope for in reality.The pessimist in me says that yes recruiting is a concern. I get that Wade is 5'9 or whatever, but he was a blue chip recruit from a Pitt pipeline highschool and plays a position of desperate need, and we didn't land him. Those type of things are a concern for sure. If Raines doesn't commit (another pipeline HS and a position of need) that'd be a blow too. The optimist in me is pleased that Duzz is recruiting some guys from Florida and we have to remember that Connor and Henderson were 2 star recruits (I believe). Maybe he's just finding guys the guys are the right fit. The realist in me says we are a 7-8 win team for the next few years.
I would hope the Pitt administration and its staff to expect better than 9 win seasons every 3 or 4 years.This year we are 7-8 win team. The following year is when PN will have all of his own Upperclassmen in place. I think we will be 9-4 on average once PN has all of his own Upperclassmen in place. That is the best Pitt fans could hope for in reality.
I don't want to be that guy (freaking out in August) but is anyone getting nervous about recruiting? We're currently rated the 61st class (rivals) and are behind 10 ACC teams.
I understand that Narduzzi has traditionally closed hard since arriving here but his past 2 seasons he could hang his hat on two 8-win seasons. With the injuries/suspensions we're seeing pile up before the season has even started, what if he takes a step back and we only see 5-6-7 wins? Are we going to be in danger of taking a step back as a program?
Maybe I'm looking too hard at the stars but am I wrong to think we're not matching the recruiting prowess of other schools in our region? PSU, Tech, WVU, UMD.
Spot on.We are recruiting well enough to have 6-8 wins per year.
We are not recruiting well enough to have 9-12 wins per year. Anyone who thinks otherwise is foolish.
If they earnestly won't compete for actual championships, honestly and truly, then they should drop them. Not because "winning sports are dishonorable" or "losing lets me pretend Pitt is an Ivy school". Because having perpetually losing sports is money-hemorrhaging idiocy. It's a bad BUSINESS decision.I would hope the Pitt administration and its staff to expect better than 9 win seasons every 3 or 4 years.
If Pitt's best season is to win 9 games. That means Pitt is never in contention to win the ACC. Which would be very disappointing. I would hope Pitt has a least a chance to win the ACC once every 3 or 4 years.
If 9 wins is the best we can hope for........ that sure won't get the casual fans to come to the games
We go through this every f'ing year. It's August. We can critique in February. My god. Last year we out recruited WVU and were right in the ball park with Tech.
WVU right now has 3 more recruits and we are still in the ballpark. Look at the points.
PSU is just killing it now. They are a factory. We won't match them.
Can we do better. Sure. But are we going to be in the top 20 every year, no. We will be lucky to hit that occasionally.
A Penn St acquaintance of mine said (more like rubbed it in) Kwantel Raines is down to them and WVU. Supposedly Raines favors them, but will go WVU because with only 3 slots left he's not a take for them...unless 1 of their committed DBs de-commits. Dammit!! We need him with Ford's situation. Could the recent spate of disciplinary problems have turned him off? We need to maintain that Quips pipeline!
Raines will be a Panther!
You realize Narduzzi is throwing out offers to all the guys Franklin is offering and losing 90% of those battles, right. We beat his ass last year but if we beat his ass this year consider me shocked. We will have a difficult time keeping it close. That's reality
With the way things are going, would you want to bet big money on it? I wouldn't.
How is this reality? What has truly changed from last year's team to this year's team which makes this game impossible for PITT to win? I agree that Franklin and staff are doing a great job recruiting though.
A Penn St acquaintance of mine said (more like rubbed it in) Kwantel Raines is down to them and WVU. Supposedly Raines favors them, but will go WVU because with only 3 slots left he's not a take for them...unless 1 of their committed DBs de-commits. Dammit!! We need him with Ford's situation. Could the recent spate of disciplinary problems have turned him off? We need to maintain that Quips pipeline!
You realize Narduzzi is throwing out offers to all the guys Franklin is offering and losing 90% of those battles, right. We beat his ass last year but if we beat his ass this year consider me shocked. We will have a difficult time keeping it close. That's reality
The way things are going it might be a challenge to beat Penn right now.How is this reality? What has truly changed from last year's team to this year's team which makes this game impossible for PITT to win? I agree that Franklin and staff are doing a great job recruiting though.
The players, our offensive coordinator, and the location of the game.
The way things are going it might be a challenge to beat Penn right now.
Shoot the messengers if it makes ya feel better. Sometimes it does!
But as usual, camp month has been a like a pail of sewer water in the face rather than a cause of optimism and excitement.
James Conner admitted he played the game at around 60% capacity coming off of chemo treatments and injury. Price wreaked some havoc on the outside, but the defense as a whole did very little to stop the passing game. Peterman also had a very pedestrian game, with less than 100 yards passing on the day; hell, Weah didn't even have a catch in this game. Although Whitehead will not be available for this game, the insertion of Hamlin, Ford (hopefully we find out he is elegible today), Zeise, etc. will allow the secondary and LBs to make some stops unlike last year.
Most people were calling for Narduzzi's head for bringing in an OC who couldn't even make it at NC State; what makes you think Watson will be a drop-off as the new offensive coordinator?
This team was undaunted by the prime-time lights of Death Valley where Clemson rarely ever loses; not sure an erector set in the middle of a cow pasture is going to phase them.
Understatement of the week. And not an opinion either.Camp really hasn't gone according to plan.
How is this reality? What has truly changed from last year's team to this year's team which makes this game impossible for PITT to win? I agree that Franklin and staff are doing a great job recruiting though.
Last year.
1. We were the experienced team
2. We were at home
3. We were the favorite
4. Last year we had the experienced QB, they had a first year starter
This year.
1. They are the more experienced team
2. They are at home
3. They are a heavy favorite
4. We have a new starter at QB, RB, TE, 2 new OL
5. Suspensions/kids getting kicked off the team are not a positive. It's not as simple as "next man up". It will impact us in the w/l column
6. I look for our D to give up a lot of points early in the season....maybe a lot of the season
Nothing is impossible but our odds were better last year compared to this year.