CB, Pinnock and Johnson

[raleighpanther]

So, Pitt is getting two CB visitors soon. One is Jason Pinnock, who just decommitted from BC, the other is Anthony Johnson, a current Louisville recruit.

It looks like there is a very good chance that Pinnock will commit to Pitt shortly after his visit. Look at the PSN article. I really hope so.

Go watch film of Pinnock and Johnson. There is no comparison. Bizarrely, Pinnock is listed as a 2-star guy, and Johnson as a 3. But watch their film, and its will be hard not to agree with me that Pinnock looks like a 4-star guy, and Johnson a 2.

Pinnock is 6'2", 196, and looks physically mature. Runs a 4.46 40, and has a vertical jump of nearly 40 inches. Hits hard and looks like a proto-typical Narduzzi corner. Oh, and he actually locates the ball in pass defense.

Go watch and see if you agree.

 

[vegasgreed]

The coaches usually know more than non coaches. With that said, I have no idea what johnson's offer sheet looks like

 

[freddietee511]

So, Pitt is getting two CB visitors soon. One is Jason Pinnock, who just decommitted from BC, the other is Anthony Johnson, a current Louisville recruit.

It looks like there is a very good chance that Pinnock will commit to Pitt shortly after his visit. Look at the PSN article. I really hope so.

Go watch film of Pinnock and Johnson. There is no comparison. Bizarrely, Pinnock is listed as a 2-star guy, and Johnson as a 3. But watch their film, and its will be hard not to agree with me that Pinnock looks like a 4-star guy, and Johnson a 2.

Pinnock is 6'2", 196, and looks physically mature. Runs a 4.46 40, and has a vertical jump of nearly 40 inches. Hits hard and looks like a proto-typical Narduzzi corner. Oh, and he actually locates the ball in pass defense.

Go watch and see if you agree.

That's overall elite athleticism . Like for real. I don't usually get excited about 2 stars but sometimes you do find a diamond. Physical talent is there

 

[thebadby2]

So, Pitt is getting two CB visitors soon. One is Jason Pinnock, who just decommitted from BC, the other is Anthony Johnson, a current Louisville recruit.

It looks like there is a very good chance that Pinnock will commit to Pitt shortly after his visit. Look at the PSN article. I really hope so.

Go watch film of Pinnock and Johnson. There is no comparison. Bizarrely, Pinnock is listed as a 2-star guy, and Johnson as a 3. But watch their film, and its will be hard not to agree with me that Pinnock looks like a 4-star guy, and Johnson a 2.

Pinnock is 6'2", 196, and looks physically mature. Runs a 4.46 40, and has a vertical jump of nearly 40 inches. Hits hard and looks like a proto-typical Narduzzi corner. Oh, and he actually locates the ball in pass defense.

Go watch and see if you agree.

"Locating the ball" is a little different against high school players than college players.

 

[Pitt1992]

Yeah but our corners have been worse than some HS corners

 

[raleighpanther]

"Locating the ball" is a little different against high school players than college players.

Yes, I completely agree, but the first step in "locating the ball" is turning your head around. I don't care if you are playing in HS, college, or pros, you won't succeed if you don't turn your head. I can't for the life of me understand why our CBs didn't turn their head all season, especially as they got beat more and more. Seeing a kid in HS who instinctively turns his head is a good sign.

 

[daminals76]

Yes, I completely agree, but the first step in "locating the ball" is turning your head around. I don't care if you are playing in HS, college, or pros, you won't succeed if you don't turn your head. I can't for the life of me understand why our CBs didn't turn their head all season, especially as they got beat more and more. Seeing a kid in HS who instinctively turns his head is a good sign.

They don't turn their head most of the time because they have been beaten, and they are just working to catch up to the reciever... cant play the ball if you are 2 steps behind the receiver.

 

[raleighpanther]

Sometimes, but their coverage skills aren't all that bad. Time and again, they are right with the receiver, and they get beat because the receiver has located the ball and has adjusted to it, and the CB has is back to the ball, and is essentially playing blind.

 

[#99HUGHgreen]

Sometimes, but their coverage skills aren't all that bad. Time and again, they are right with the receiver, and they get beat because the receiver has located the ball and has adjusted to it, and the CB has is back to the ball, and is essentially playing blind.

This is pretty much right on the money.

Whille there certainly were times this season when the DBs were simply toasted (with no chance of making a play), quite often Pitt DBs were in good position to make a play but just waited (with their back to the ball) until the ball was in the hands of the WR, before trying to make a play. It's especially difficult making a play that way when covering a much taller WR with long arms.

I'm all for corners who instinctively turn their heads
to make a play.

 

[PhPanther1]

So, Pitt is getting two CB visitors soon. One is Jason Pinnock, who just decommitted from BC, the other is Anthony Johnson, a current Louisville recruit.

It looks like there is a very good chance that Pinnock will commit to Pitt shortly after his visit. Look at the PSN article. I really hope so.

Go watch film of Pinnock and Johnson. There is no comparison. Bizarrely, Pinnock is listed as a 2-star guy, and Johnson as a 3. But watch their film, and its will be hard not to agree with me that Pinnock looks like a 4-star guy, and Johnson a 2.

Pinnock is 6'2", 196, and looks physically mature. Runs a 4.46 40, and has a vertical jump of nearly 40 inches. Hits hard and looks like a proto-typical Narduzzi corner. Oh, and he actually locates the ball in pass defense.

Go watch and see if you agree.

So you like Pinnock over Johnson?
I actually like Johnson better. I only think they take 1, and since Johnson is currently already committed, good chance Pinnock commitd first and most likely this weekend.

 

[vegasgreed]

As I posted in another thread, I believe Pinnock is pretty much a done deal.

 

[thebadby2]

They don't turn their head most of the time because they have been beaten, and they are just working to catch up to the reciever... cant play the ball if you are 2 steps behind the receiver.

correct.

 

[TheNoise88]

This is pretty much right on the money.

Whille there certainly were times this season when the DBs were simply toasted (with no chance of making a play), quite often Pitt DBs were in good position to make a play but just waited (with their back to the ball) until the ball was in the hands of the WR, before trying to make a play. It's especially difficult making a play that way when covering a much taller WR with long arms.

I'm all for corners who instinctively turn their heads
to make a play.

Is this solely instinct though? Seems to me there's also lax coaching on technique. Starting with the disruption at the LOS (when lined up tight), positioning, hand checking, then failure to follow receiver cues, etc. I'll see a guy like Dane Jackson, who has good size, line up toe to toe with the WR, then let him flow past him unimpeded. Keeps up, usually on the guy like glue actually ... but doesn't edge the receiver off his path or use those subtle lower hand checks to disrupt the route. Seemingly doesn't notice the receiver adjust body and arms and most obviously turn his (the receiver's) head to accommodate the coming or expected pass. Sometimes the pass nearly hits his head as it lands in the receiver hands, he's so close to making a play! This just suggests little or no coaching is happening. Dam frustrating because these guys are good athletes.

 

[76Stingray]

Louisville just lost their DC (actually traded DC's with Miss St, LOL). Things may have just gotten interesting with Johnson.

 

[76Stingray]

Now Louisville has lost their DB coach too.

 

[Panthers1983]

The notion that our defensive backs are in pretty good position but just need to refine their ball skills is a false narrative. Sure, a few teams (Oklahoma State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, etc.) realized that all they had to do was lob jump balls up, and they had a 100% chance of coming up with either a catch or a PI call. But there were also games where our DBs have gotten fried, missed tackles, and been in horrible position.

We need another cornerback, and I would love to land Pinnock. However, I don't really want anyone (who is a realistic get) beyond that. How many roster spots are we going to devote to young, second-rate corners who are never going to see the field? We should be okay with what we have for the foreseeable future (I'm assuming Hamlin and Coleman/whomever else pan out to at least be serviceable); I'd rather see us devote our resources to trying to land a top-notch corner in 2018 than keep trying to plug massive leaks with pieces of chewed bubble gum.

In fact, I'd treat all of our remaining scholarships as precious if I were the coaches. If we end up with 26-27 players during this recruiting cycle, then - barring us telling a few kids on the current roster to take a hike - I believe next year's class will have to be on the small side. I'm all for taking a kid who we really like, but this notion that we need to scramble and land all these 11th hour 2-stars just because we can get them is silly. The same theory applies at DE. Yes, we need them badly. But we already have a few lesser-rated freshmen (Jones, Weaver, Van Lynn - if he sticks, Alexandre) on the roster, so I can't say I'm in love with the idea of taking two more unless they're two guys we REALLY want.

You have to stagger your classes a little better if you want to keep the talent level up. If it's just a matter of being low on numbers at a particular position, bring in a grad transfer or a JUCO kid who isn't going to eat up a scholarship for the next five years. We were short on tight ends, so we went out and landed three(!) this year -- one (Carrigan) of whom will probably never see the field. I love Reeves, and I'm 100% cool with taking another freshman - even a lesser-rated one - at the position, but why two more ? Now, that's just one less tight end you can take next year, in a much more talented class for the position.

 

[Jeffburgh]

So, Pitt is getting two CB visitors soon. One is Jason Pinnock, who just decommitted from BC, the other is Anthony Johnson, a current Louisville recruit.

It looks like there is a very good chance that Pinnock will commit to Pitt shortly after his visit. Look at the PSN article. I really hope so.

Go watch film of Pinnock and Johnson. There is no comparison. Bizarrely, Pinnock is listed as a 2-star guy, and Johnson as a 3. But watch their film, and its will be hard not to agree with me that Pinnock looks like a 4-star guy, and Johnson a 2.

Pinnock is 6'2", 196, and looks physically mature. Runs a 4.46 40, and has a vertical jump of nearly 40 inches. Hits hard and looks like a proto-typical Narduzzi corner. Oh, and he actually locates the ball in pass defense.

Go watch and see if you agree.

I agree, Pinnock's video jumps out at you like Bright and Smith's did.

 

[#99HUGHgreen]

Is this solely instinct though? Seems to me there's also lax coaching on technique. Starting with the disruption at the LOS (when lined up tight), positioning, hand checking, then failure to follow receiver cues, etc. I'll see a guy like Dane Jackson, who has good size, line up toe to toe with the WR, then let him flow past him unimpeded. Keeps up, usually on the guy like glue actually ... but doesn't edge the receiver off his path or use those subtle lower hand checks to disrupt the route. Seemingly doesn't notice the receiver adjust body and arms and most obviously turn his (the receiver's) head to accommodate the coming or expected pass. Sometimes the pass nearly hits his head as it lands in the receiver hands, he's so close to making a play! This just suggests little or no coaching is happening. Dam frustrating because these guys are good athletes.

Agree that much of the blame has to be owned by the coaches. Dane is a great example. He seems to have good coordination + plenty of speed and athleticism- just needs help with his technique. Though from what we've seen this season, it appears that some of the other DBs who played don't have as high of a ceiling as Jackson (or Whitehead or Hamlin).

I am quite excited to see what some of the RS DBs are capable of next season. I have a feeling Garner might be a pleasant surprise (as well as some others). I think they should have played Garner last year, but that's water under the bridge. Also, I am looking forward to seeing the true freshman DBs. Some look quite good on tape.

But yeah, it's hard to rationalize ending up as one of the very worst in college football in passing yards allowed and then trying to point the finger just at the players. Gotta wonder if it would be smart for PN to bring someone new in to help out with the DBs this year... or at the very least PN could commit himself to spending more of his time working with them too.

 

[vegasgreed]

are you taking into consideration the level of high school football in Connecticut? Where Johnson plays in Florida.

I agree, Pinnock's video jumps out at you like Bright and Smith's did.