Concern about recent OL recruiting

[pittpitt]

Pitt has a lot of young OL on their roster, but considering most incoming linemen take 2 years of redshirting and bench riding before they can contribute at the college level (need to get stronger & learn nuances of line movements), the fact we've added only 3 offensive linemen total in the 2015 & 2016 classes could be worrisome for down the road.

Pitt's key Offensive Linemen moving forward:
Adam Bisnowaty - 1 more year
Dorian Johnson - 1 more year
Jaryd Jones-Smith - 2 more years
Brian O'Neill - 3 more years
Alex Officer - 2 more years
That appears to be next year's starting OL, which is pretty good considering the one loss from this year is Rowell, and he's the weakest link so replacing him with JJS (who many thought would be our best lineman this year before he was lost for the season due to injury) looks like a big upgrade, especially with the other 4 each getting one more year of experience. The development of O'Neill could be huge since he's a TE-turned-OT, some of whom have worked out amazingly well in the NCAA over the past 10 years with so much emphasis on faster and more mobile linemen.
Alex Bookser - 3 more years
Carson Baker - 2 more years
Aaron Reese - 2 more years
Mike Herndon - 3 more years
Mark Grimm - 3 more years
These 5 are all either high on the current depth chart or were big-time recruits. Bookser was a 5* recruit listed as the primary back-up at multiple spots, so he should be the most obvious starter in 2017 after Biz & DJ leave. Baker and Reese are both huge tackles but were very lightly recruited. Herndon is a DT-turned-OG who was lightly recruited (best offers: VT & UConn). Grimm is the wild card of the group; he was a mammoth 4* recruit but he hasn't cracked the depth chart yet so he represents un-realized potential at this point. Bookser and Grimm are the only 2 of this group who look like they could/should be multi-year starters for Pitt, although from the outside looking in it appears Grimm has some work to do to make this a reality.

Pitt's OL recruits in 2015 & 2016:
Brandon Ford - 2016, 3* OT, only B5 offer was Maryland
Tony Pilato - 2015, 3* OT, decent-ish offers list (WVU, Minn, UVA, Temple...)
Alex Paulina - 2015, 3* OG, only B5 offer was VT
That's the whole list, and we're just about full on 2016 recruits with a few spots left for some specific standouts. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think we're anticipating any more OL recruits in the 2016 class. None of these 3 on paper provides confidence as a multi-year starter in the future like O'Neill or Bookser does; the closest is Pilato who had the best offers, and he also played center in HS and was a basketball standout, plus he's the only one capable of making the "mean lineman" face. Considering these 3 would each take about 2 more years to be ready to start (and none on paper look like great options to do so, with only Pilato looking potentially good -- again, on paper), it's a little scary that the only guys definitely in front of them for down the road are O'Neill, Bookser, and Grimm. However you want to spin these 3, there's only 3 of them and they're all 3* recruits.

2017 recruits?:
I don't follow recruiting that closely, but here are the top OL recruits in PA in 2017.
Robert Hainsey - 4* OT, from Monroeville but currently plays in Florida, Pitt is up against Michigan, MSU, PSU, Miami, etc. - projected to PSU
Josh Lugg - 4* OT, committed to ND
CJ Thorpe - 4* OG, goes to Central Catholic, Pitt is up against Michigan, PSU, Auburn, Wisc, etc. - projected to PSU
Ryan Solt - 3*, only current offer is Maryland, interest from PSU, Rutgers, Syracuse, etc.
Yikes - Hopefully Narduzzi is creating a relationship with Thorpe and Hainsey, and hopefully he has some inroads with some out-of-state 4*/5* linemen because our well of potential-OL-anchors that Chryst had going isn't here forever, and the prior 2 classes ('15 & '16) aren't providing that level of big uglies.

What do others know or see for Pitt's OLine recruiting in the near future?

 

[pittdan77]

Aaron Donald was "lightly" recruited. Not sure that ever has any bearing on what happens in college. Linemen are a strange lot and some schools don't put much emphasis in what a kid's real upside looks like. If you can put quality weight on a kid, make him stronger, and teach him the proper technique, you can make a good o-linemen out of him.

 

[Pghfan]

Think it's Paulina who had shoulder surgery too. Shoulder surgery for an o-lineman is no bueno..

 

[pittpitt]

Aaron Donald was "lightly" recruited. Not sure that ever has any bearing on what happens in college. Linemen are a strange lot and some schools don't put much emphasis in what a kid's real upside looks like. If you can put quality weight on a kid, make him stronger, and teach him the proper technique, you can make a good o-linemen out of him.

Yes, there are outliers in every situation--including football recruiting--but if you had to fill a team with 4*/5* players or 3* players, no intelligent fan thinks the team of 3* is a coin flip to be as good.

Name some decent teams that "don't put much emphasis in what a kid's real upside looks like" because I'm willing to bet they're not any of the good ones in the SEC, Big10, or ACC.

 

[thebadby2]

Yes, there are outliers in every situation--including football recruiting--but if you had to fill a team with 4*/5* players or 3* players, no intelligent fan thinks the team of 3* is a coin flip to be as good.

Name some decent teams that "don't put much emphasis in what a kid's real upside looks like" because I'm willing to bet they're not any of the good ones in the SEC, Big10, or ACC.

Alabama never got the memo that recruiting rankings don't matter.

 

[northeasteer]

Think it's Paulina who had shoulder surgery too. Shoulder surgery for an o-lineman is no bueno..

Alex is my nephew. He's doing fine.

 

[Las Panteras]

Aaron Donald was "lightly" recruited. Not sure that ever has any bearing on what happens in college. Linemen are a strange lot and some schools don't put much emphasis in what a kid's real upside looks like. If you can put quality weight on a kid, make him stronger, and teach him the proper technique, you can make a good o-linemen out of him.

justify it away.......

its ok.......its what 30 years of mediocrity will do to Pitt fans.

The OP is correct. To justify losses of 4 stars only to settle for 3 stars is not a win for Pitt

Would be nice if Pitt fans called it the way it is.....instead of they way they can justify it to be.

 

[vegasgreed]

tom herman is undefeated at houston this year as a first time head coach. on his ol, he has two true freshman starting on the ol. one of those two starters actually played on the dl in high school.

 

[wbrpanther]

Pitt has a lot of young OL on their roster, but considering most incoming linemen take 2 years of redshirting and bench riding before they can contribute at the college level (need to get stronger & learn nuances of line movements), the fact we've added only 3 offensive linemen total in the 2015 & 2016 classes could be worrisome for down the road.

Pitt's key Offensive Linemen moving forward:
Adam Bisnowaty - 1 more year
Dorian Johnson - 1 more year
Jaryd Jones-Smith - 2 more years
Brian O'Neill - 3 more years
Alex Officer - 2 more years
That appears to be next year's starting OL, which is pretty good considering the one loss from this year is Rowell, and he's the weakest link so replacing him with JJS (who many thought would be our best lineman this year before he was lost for the season due to injury) looks like a big upgrade, especially with the other 4 each getting one more year of experience. The development of O'Neill could be huge since he's a TE-turned-OT, some of whom have worked out amazingly well in the NCAA over the past 10 years with so much emphasis on faster and more mobile linemen.
Alex Bookser - 3 more years
Carson Baker - 2 more years
Aaron Reese - 2 more years
Mike Herndon - 3 more years
Mark Grimm - 3 more years
These 5 are all either high on the current depth chart or were big-time recruits. Bookser was a 5* recruit listed as the primary back-up at multiple spots, so he should be the most obvious starter in 2017 after Biz & DJ leave. Baker and Reese are both huge tackles but were very lightly recruited. Herndon is a DT-turned-OG who was lightly recruited (best offers: VT & UConn). Grimm is the wild card of the group; he was a mammoth 4* recruit but he hasn't cracked the depth chart yet so he represents un-realized potential at this point. Bookser and Grimm are the only 2 of this group who look like they could/should be multi-year starters for Pitt, although from the outside looking in it appears Grimm has some work to do to make this a reality.

Pitt's OL recruits in 2015 & 2016:
Brandon Ford - 2016, 3* OT, only B5 offer was Maryland
Tony Pilato - 2015, 3* OT, decent-ish offers list (WVU, Minn, UVA, Temple...)
Alex Paulina - 2015, 3* OG, only B5 offer was VT
That's the whole list, and we're just about full on 2016 recruits with a few spots left for some specific standouts. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think we're anticipating any more OL recruits in the 2016 class. None of these 3 on paper provides confidence as a multi-year starter in the future like O'Neill or Bookser does; the closest is Pilato who had the best offers, and he also played center in HS and was a basketball standout, plus he's the only one capable of making the "mean lineman" face. Considering these 3 would each take about 2 more years to be ready to start (and none on paper look like great options to do so, with only Pilato looking potentially good -- again, on paper), it's a little scary that the only guys definitely in front of them for down the road are O'Neill, Bookser, and Grimm. However you want to spin these 3, there's only 3 of them and they're all 3* recruits.

2017 recruits?:
I don't follow recruiting that closely, but here are the top OL recruits in PA in 2017.
Robert Hainsey - 4* OT, from Monroeville but currently plays in Florida, Pitt is up against Michigan, MSU, PSU, Miami, etc. - projected to PSU
Josh Lugg - 4* OT, committed to ND
CJ Thorpe - 4* OG, goes to Central Catholic, Pitt is up against Michigan, PSU, Auburn, Wisc, etc. - projected to PSU
Ryan Solt - 3*, only current offer is Maryland, interest from PSU, Rutgers, Syracuse, etc.
Yikes - Hopefully Narduzzi is creating a relationship with Thorpe and Hainsey, and hopefully he has some inroads with some out-of-state 4*/5* linemen because our well of potential-OL-anchors that Chryst had going isn't here forever, and the prior 2 classes ('15 & '16) aren't providing that level of big uglies.

What do others know or see for Pitt's OLine recruiting in the near future?

I understand your point but there is no 2016 class yet. I see Pitt adding 2 more besides Ford.

 

[goalieman]

Alex is my nephew. He's doing fine.

Good news ..... thanks for the update !

 

[LeftCoastPanther]

Pitt is still in the mix for three O-linemen and with all the coaching changes may have a chance to steal a talented kid. Keep winning and the chances of finishing the class with a couple of kids will increase.

 

[CaptainSidneyReilly]

Pitt has a lot of young OL on their roster, but considering most incoming linemen take 2 years of redshirting and bench riding before they can contribute at the college level (need to get stronger & learn nuances of line movements), the fact we've added only 3 offensive linemen total in the 2015 & 2016 classes could be worrisome for down the road.

Pitt's key Offensive Linemen moving forward:
Adam Bisnowaty - 1 more year
Dorian Johnson - 1 more year
Jaryd Jones-Smith - 2 more years
Brian O'Neill - 3 more years
Alex Officer - 2 more years
That appears to be next year's starting OL, which is pretty good considering the one loss from this year is Rowell, and he's the weakest link so replacing him with JJS (who many thought would be our best lineman this year before he was lost for the season due to injury) looks like a big upgrade, especially with the other 4 each getting one more year of experience. The development of O'Neill could be huge since he's a TE-turned-OT, some of whom have worked out amazingly well in the NCAA over the past 10 years with so much emphasis on faster and more mobile linemen.
Alex Bookser - 3 more years
Carson Baker - 2 more years
Aaron Reese - 2 more years
Mike Herndon - 3 more years
Mark Grimm - 3 more years
These 5 are all either high on the current depth chart or were big-time recruits. Bookser was a 5* recruit listed as the primary back-up at multiple spots, so he should be the most obvious starter in 2017 after Biz & DJ leave. Baker and Reese are both huge tackles but were very lightly recruited. Herndon is a DT-turned-OG who was lightly recruited (best offers: VT & UConn). Grimm is the wild card of the group; he was a mammoth 4* recruit but he hasn't cracked the depth chart yet so he represents un-realized potential at this point. Bookser and Grimm are the only 2 of this group who look like they could/should be multi-year starters for Pitt, although from the outside looking in it appears Grimm has some work to do to make this a reality.

Pitt's OL recruits in 2015 & 2016:
Brandon Ford - 2016, 3* OT, only B5 offer was Maryland
Tony Pilato - 2015, 3* OT, decent-ish offers list (WVU, Minn, UVA, Temple...)
Alex Paulina - 2015, 3* OG, only B5 offer was VT
That's the whole list, and we're just about full on 2016 recruits with a few spots left for some specific standouts. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think we're anticipating any more OL recruits in the 2016 class. None of these 3 on paper provides confidence as a multi-year starter in the future like O'Neill or Bookser does; the closest is Pilato who had the best offers, and he also played center in HS and was a basketball standout, plus he's the only one capable of making the "mean lineman" face. Considering these 3 would each take about 2 more years to be ready to start (and none on paper look like great options to do so, with only Pilato looking potentially good -- again, on paper), it's a little scary that the only guys definitely in front of them for down the road are O'Neill, Bookser, and Grimm. However you want to spin these 3, there's only 3 of them and they're all 3* recruits.

2017 recruits?:
I don't follow recruiting that closely, but here are the top OL recruits in PA in 2017.
Robert Hainsey - 4* OT, from Monroeville but currently plays in Florida, Pitt is up against Michigan, MSU, PSU, Miami, etc. - projected to PSU
Josh Lugg - 4* OT, committed to ND
CJ Thorpe - 4* OG, goes to Central Catholic, Pitt is up against Michigan, PSU, Auburn, Wisc, etc. - projected to PSU
Ryan Solt - 3*, only current offer is Maryland, interest from PSU, Rutgers, Syracuse, etc.
Yikes - Hopefully Narduzzi is creating a relationship with Thorpe and Hainsey, and hopefully he has some inroads with some out-of-state 4*/5* linemen because our well of potential-OL-anchors that Chryst had going isn't here forever, and the prior 2 classes ('15 & '16) aren't providing that level of big uglies.

What do others know or see for Pitt's OLine recruiting in the near future?

Excellent Analysis and Information, I do not know much about the Recruiting Picture or Future, but I do know Iowa and Wisconsin success start with having a great Offensive Line!

 

[phxpanther]

tom herman is undefeated at houston this year as a first time head coach. on his ol, he has two true freshman starting on the ol. one of those two starters actually played on the dl in high school.

His offense last year had to replace 4 starters on the OL, including 3 who started playoff games as rookies, and all they did was win the NC.

I guess he might know what he's doing

 

[Pghfan]

Alex is my nephew. He's doing fine.

Thank you for the reply and the update. Keep us informed please. Pitt needs him

 

[raleighpanther]

I'm concerned about the overall numbers of OLmen in the '15 and '16 classes, but not so much about the quality. Paying attention to Ford's offers is pointless. He committed to Pitt very early, and people stopped recruiting him. Had he not committed, he might have a very attractive offer list right now. Or not, but I'd say his meager offer list is meaningless, given the circumstances.

Also, to the extent that you put stock into the number of stars a guy has, its important to consider that Pitt was willing to accept his commitment very early, meaning they really wanted him. PNs staff regards him highly, and that is what counts more than the stars given out by amateurs.

 

[pittpitt]

tom herman is undefeated at houston this year as a first time head coach. on his ol, he has two true freshman starting on the ol. one of those two starters actually played on the dl in high school.

Not even close to true. Houston's depth chart lists 4 Sr's and 1 RSJr as the starters, with all the primary back-ups as Jr's.

If you're talking about Ohio State last year, then I'm guessing the freshmen were of the 4*/5* variety and played beside experienced 4*/5* linemen. That's a lot different than what my concerns are addressing. I'm also guessing those 2 freshmen linemen didn't represent 100% of the OL in their recruit class.

 

[pittpitt]

I see Pitt adding 2 more besides Ford.

I hope your thought is based on information about how strongly they're pursuing certain OL recruits and isn't just a hopeful thought based on what we logically need. Do you know how many spots we have left to add recruits in this class? I think we only have 11 or 12 seniors and about 12 recruits currently committed, so I'm unsure how we would add some of the big-time defensive guys we're still after, and possibly Sanders, and 2 more offensive linemen.

 

[wbrpanther]

I hope your thought is based on information about how strongly they're pursuing certain OL recruits and isn't just a hopeful thought based on what we logically need. Do you know how many spots we have left to add recruits in this class? I think we only have 11 or 12 seniors and about 12 recruits currently committed, so I'm unsure how we would add some of the big-time defensive guys we're still after, and possibly Sanders, and 2 more offensive linemen.

To answer your question, no I don't know how many spots Pitt has left. Of course neither do you.

 

[pittdan77]

justify it away.......

its ok.......its what 30 years of mediocrity will do to Pitt fans.

The OP is correct. To justify losses of 4 stars only to settle for 3 stars is not a win for Pitt

Would be nice if Pitt fans called it the way it is.....instead of they way they can justify it to be.

Not justifying away anything. You really don't understand OL development. Very few of these kids have a coach in HS that's worth anything for coaching up a lineman correctly. Most of them just scream a lot and know a few very basic "technique's". The four star kids are predominately from bigger schools where maybe they've gotten some coaching or have been to a lot of camps.

Trust me...I played the position. I learned more in two weeks of summer camp from Jim Sweeny than I learned in six years of Jr High and Sr High football. My college coaches were incredible compared to the clown that thought pushing a seven man sled around and learning blocking assignments was all that mattered.

 

[MajorMajors]

I hope your thought is based on information about how strongly they're pursuing certain OL recruits and isn't just a hopeful thought based on what we logically need. Do you know how many spots we have left to add recruits in this class? I think we only have 11 or 12 seniors and about 12 recruits currently committed, so I'm unsure how we would add some of the big-time defensive guys we're still after, and possibly Sanders, and 2 more offensive linemen.

I suspect there's a chance that current recruit Bryce Hargrove, who is listed as a DT and is 6'6" and 255#, would be a candidate to switch to the offensive line once he adds weight.

Go Pitt.

 

[melwood]

Pitt has a lot of young OL on their roster, but considering most incoming linemen take 2 years of redshirting and bench riding before they can contribute at the college level (need to get stronger & learn nuances of line movements), the fact we've added only 3 offensive linemen total in the 2015 & 2016 classes could be worrisome for down the road.

Pitt's key Offensive Linemen moving forward:
Adam Bisnowaty - 1 more year
Dorian Johnson - 1 more year
Jaryd Jones-Smith - 2 more years
Brian O'Neill - 3 more years
Alex Officer - 2 more years
That appears to be next year's starting OL, which is pretty good considering the one loss from this year is Rowell, and he's the weakest link so replacing him with JJS (who many thought would be our best lineman this year before he was lost for the season due to injury) looks like a big upgrade, especially with the other 4 each getting one more year of experience. The development of O'Neill could be huge since he's a TE-turned-OT, some of whom have worked out amazingly well in the NCAA over the past 10 years with so much emphasis on faster and more mobile linemen.
Alex Bookser - 3 more years
Carson Baker - 2 more years
Aaron Reese - 2 more years
Mike Herndon - 3 more years
Mark Grimm - 3 more years
These 5 are all either high on the current depth chart or were big-time recruits. Bookser was a 5* recruit listed as the primary back-up at multiple spots, so he should be the most obvious starter in 2017 after Biz & DJ leave. Baker and Reese are both huge tackles but were very lightly recruited. Herndon is a DT-turned-OG who was lightly recruited (best offers: VT & UConn). Grimm is the wild card of the group; he was a mammoth 4* recruit but he hasn't cracked the depth chart yet so he represents un-realized potential at this point. Bookser and Grimm are the only 2 of this group who look like they could/should be multi-year starters for Pitt, although from the outside looking in it appears Grimm has some work to do to make this a reality.

Pitt's OL recruits in 2015 & 2016:
Brandon Ford - 2016, 3* OT, only B5 offer was Maryland
Tony Pilato - 2015, 3* OT, decent-ish offers list (WVU, Minn, UVA, Temple...)
Alex Paulina - 2015, 3* OG, only B5 offer was VT
That's the whole list, and we're just about full on 2016 recruits with a few spots left for some specific standouts. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think we're anticipating any more OL recruits in the 2016 class. None of these 3 on paper provides confidence as a multi-year starter in the future like O'Neill or Bookser does; the closest is Pilato who had the best offers, and he also played center in HS and was a basketball standout, plus he's the only one capable of making the "mean lineman" face. Considering these 3 would each take about 2 more years to be ready to start (and none on paper look like great options to do so, with only Pilato looking potentially good -- again, on paper), it's a little scary that the only guys definitely in front of them for down the road are O'Neill, Bookser, and Grimm. However you want to spin these 3, there's only 3 of them and they're all 3* recruits.

2017 recruits?:
I don't follow recruiting that closely, but here are the top OL recruits in PA in 2017.
Robert Hainsey - 4* OT, from Monroeville but currently plays in Florida, Pitt is up against Michigan, MSU, PSU, Miami, etc. - projected to PSU
Josh Lugg - 4* OT, committed to ND
CJ Thorpe - 4* OG, goes to Central Catholic, Pitt is up against Michigan, PSU, Auburn, Wisc, etc. - projected to PSU
Ryan Solt - 3*, only current offer is Maryland, interest from PSU, Rutgers, Syracuse, etc.
Yikes - Hopefully Narduzzi is creating a relationship with Thorpe and Hainsey, and hopefully he has some inroads with some out-of-state 4*/5* linemen because our well of potential-OL-anchors that Chryst had going isn't here forever, and the prior 2 classes ('15 & '16) aren't providing that level of big uglies.

What do others know or see for Pitt's OLine recruiting in the near future?

Solt is not that good - he's a legacy at Maryland (old man played there and for the Colts) and will probably end up there. He's not even as good as McGovern who is going to PSU (a legit recruit for NEPA). We can do better....

 

[Piranha]

Alex is my nephew. He's doing fine.

Are u a WV fan? If so, how do u feel about him playing for the Panthers?

 

[Cap pitt]

Pitt has a lot of young OL on their roster, but considering most incoming linemen take 2 years of redshirting and bench riding before they can contribute at the college level (need to get stronger & learn nuances of line movements), the fact we've added only 3 offensive linemen total in the 2015 & 2016 classes could be worrisome for down the road.

Pitt's key Offensive Linemen moving forward:
Adam Bisnowaty - 1 more year
Dorian Johnson - 1 more year
Jaryd Jones-Smith - 2 more years
Brian O'Neill - 3 more years
Alex Officer - 2 more years
That appears to be next year's starting OL, which is pretty good considering the one loss from this year is Rowell, and he's the weakest link so replacing him with JJS (who many thought would be our best lineman this year before he was lost for the season due to injury) looks like a big upgrade, especially with the other 4 each getting one more year of experience. The development of O'Neill could be huge since he's a TE-turned-OT, some of whom have worked out amazingly well in the NCAA over the past 10 years with so much emphasis on faster and more mobile linemen.
Alex Bookser - 3 more years
Carson Baker - 2 more years
Aaron Reese - 2 more years
Mike Herndon - 3 more years
Mark Grimm - 3 more years
These 5 are all either high on the current depth chart or were big-time recruits. Bookser was a 5* recruit listed as the primary back-up at multiple spots, so he should be the most obvious starter in 2017 after Biz & DJ leave. Baker and Reese are both huge tackles but were very lightly recruited. Herndon is a DT-turned-OG who was lightly recruited (best offers: VT & UConn). Grimm is the wild card of the group; he was a mammoth 4* recruit but he hasn't cracked the depth chart yet so he represents un-realized potential at this point. Bookser and Grimm are the only 2 of this group who look like they could/should be multi-year starters for Pitt, although from the outside looking in it appears Grimm has some work to do to make this a reality.

Pitt's OL recruits in 2015 & 2016:
Brandon Ford - 2016, 3* OT, only B5 offer was Maryland
Tony Pilato - 2015, 3* OT, decent-ish offers list (WVU, Minn, UVA, Temple...)
Alex Paulina - 2015, 3* OG, only B5 offer was VT
That's the whole list, and we're just about full on 2016 recruits with a few spots left for some specific standouts. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think we're anticipating any more OL recruits in the 2016 class. None of these 3 on paper provides confidence as a multi-year starter in the future like O'Neill or Bookser does; the closest is Pilato who had the best offers, and he also played center in HS and was a basketball standout, plus he's the only one capable of making the "mean lineman" face. Considering these 3 would each take about 2 more years to be ready to start (and none on paper look like great options to do so, with only Pilato looking potentially good -- again, on paper), it's a little scary that the only guys definitely in front of them for down the road are O'Neill, Bookser, and Grimm. However you want to spin these 3, there's only 3 of them and they're all 3* recruits.

2017 recruits?:
I don't follow recruiting that closely, but here are the top OL recruits in PA in 2017.
Robert Hainsey - 4* OT, from Monroeville but currently plays in Florida, Pitt is up against Michigan, MSU, PSU, Miami, etc. - projected to PSU
Josh Lugg - 4* OT, committed to ND
CJ Thorpe - 4* OG, goes to Central Catholic, Pitt is up against Michigan, PSU, Auburn, Wisc, etc. - projected to PSU
Ryan Solt - 3*, only current offer is Maryland, interest from PSU, Rutgers, Syracuse, etc.
Yikes - Hopefully Narduzzi is creating a relationship with Thorpe and Hainsey, and hopefully he has some inroads with some out-of-state 4*/5* linemen because our well of potential-OL-anchors that Chryst had going isn't here forever, and the prior 2 classes ('15 & '16) aren't providing that level of big uglies.

What do others know or see for Pitt's OLine recruiting in the near future?

Hainsey and Thorpe are projected to psu? Why? Don't they hear the grumbling going on about bad coaching up at unhappy valley by the nitter faithful

 

[VAPITTALUM]

Hainsey and Thorpe are projected to psu? Why? Don't they hear the grumbling going on about bad coaching up at unhappy valley by the nitter faithful

Thorpe is a legacy recruit for PSU. Hainsey was at Gateway prior to heading to Florida to play for IMG Academy. Both would be great gets, but it's an uphill battle even with the notable struggles by the PSU offensive line. An OL, which starts 4 upperclassmen and 1 underclassmen (RS SO).

 

[Bradlib Zannamaker]

Aaron Donald was "lightly" recruited. Not sure that ever has any bearing on what happens in college. Linemen are a strange lot and some schools don't put much emphasis in what a kid's real upside looks like. If you can put quality weight on a kid, make him stronger, and teach him the proper technique, you can make a good o-linemen out of him.

Unfortunately for us, this isn't entirely true. Although, like any other position, lineman can be coached up and hit the weightroom, they still rely on skill and athleticism that is primarily God-given. To some observers lineman are pigs in a trench slopping around and banging into one another and would assume that getting strong and knowing your blocks will equate to success. Although training and technique are vital (as you noted) there is still a need for talent (relfexes, field awareness, motor, intelligence, frame, nastiness/mean streak, etc.). Hopefully we can get some guys with talent, who tend to be highly rated by the star system.