Pitt held its second prospect of 2015 on Friday, and while the focus in last Sunday's camp was largely on the receivers and defensive backs, Friday was all about the linemen.
Sure, there were some talented prospects at each position among the 80 or so players who worked out for the Pitt coaches on Friday, but the talent was largely centralized with the big guys on both sides of the ball.
The linemen included Pitt commit Brandon Ford, top local defensive line target Rashad Wheeler and Philadelphia Imhotep Charter offensive lineman Johncarlo Valentin. And beyond those three, there was a handful of other linemen who are definitely on the Pitt staff's radar, either as potential offers or targets to monitor over the course of the next eight months.
Here's a closer look at Pitt's Friday prospect camp.
Part 1: Offered campers
By my count, five recruits who hold Pitt offers worked out with the coaches on Friday:
Cincinnati (Oh.) St. Xavier quarterback Thomas MacVittie
Upper St. Clair offensive lineman Brandon Ford
Clairton receiver Aaron Mathews
Central Catholic defensive tackle Rashad Wheeler
Imhotep offensive lineman Johncarlo Valentin
Of course, MacVittie and Ford are already committed to Pitt, so they were anxious to work out with the coaching staff since neither had that experience previously. MacVittie was particularly excited about working with offensive coordinator Jim Chaney; conversely, Chaney seemed particularly excited about getting MacVittie to work with Mathews.
Sure enough, in every one-on-one rep that I watched, MacVittie and Mathews were working together. Mathews is probably Pitt's top local skill target and probably one of Pitt's top 3-5 receiver targets nationally. And he showed why on Friday; not only did he stand out among a group of mostly lesser receivers, but he flashed his talents, which run the gamut from athleticism and speed to ball skills and smooth route-running.
Even with 12 offers - six from Power 5 conferences - Mathews still seems to be somewhat under the radar, at least in my opinion, given his ability. He is currently ranked as the No. 93 receiver prospect in the nation, and while that will probably change in the near future as the Rivals.com staff updates the rankings, I think he's probably going to be underrated throughout this recruiting cycle.
Mathews is a big-time target for Pitt; if the coaches could land him this month, they would be ecstatic and he would be a huge addition to the receiving corps.
As for MacVittie, there's no doubting the arm strength, and you could see some of the footwork improvements that his quarterback trainer told us about in May. He still has plenty of room for development and growth, but it's hard not to like the physical tools, like his size and arm.
The linemen also acquitted themselves nicely on Friday. Ford worked out exclusively at right tackle during one-on-ones and held his own. His only struggles came against speed rushers who got outside him too quickly, but there are some technique things he can develop. Overall, he's got a nice skill set to work with.
Wheeler also put in some good work Friday. Like most high school defensive linemen, he's got some work that can be done in the strength and conditioning department, but I think defensive line coach Tom Simslikes the potential he sees in Wheeler and is hoping to get him in a Pitt uniform.
For what it's worth, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi told Wheeler that the Panthers plan to take three defensive tackles in the class of 2016. That means there are three open spots, since no tackle has committed yet, and while that's a good piece of information to keep in mind, here's the other relevant info:
Narduzzi made it pretty clear to Wheeler that he likely won't be DT No. 4 if Pitt gets three committed first. Which is to say, Pitt would really like to have Wheeler in the class, but if three other defensive tackles commit, he'll be on the outside looking in.
The other offered recruit on campus Friday was Valentin, a four-star prospect who ranks as the No. 16 offensive guard in the country. Valentin mostly worked at center during one-on-one reps and did pretty well. He took some reps on both sides of the ball, but his defensive tackle work was unremarkable; he regularly got stuffed when he tried rushing the passer. But he was pretty solid on offense, and while he also needs some work in the weight room, he has the look of an ACC center.
Sure, there were some talented prospects at each position among the 80 or so players who worked out for the Pitt coaches on Friday, but the talent was largely centralized with the big guys on both sides of the ball.
The linemen included Pitt commit Brandon Ford, top local defensive line target Rashad Wheeler and Philadelphia Imhotep Charter offensive lineman Johncarlo Valentin. And beyond those three, there was a handful of other linemen who are definitely on the Pitt staff's radar, either as potential offers or targets to monitor over the course of the next eight months.
Here's a closer look at Pitt's Friday prospect camp.
Part 1: Offered campers
By my count, five recruits who hold Pitt offers worked out with the coaches on Friday:
Cincinnati (Oh.) St. Xavier quarterback Thomas MacVittie
Upper St. Clair offensive lineman Brandon Ford
Clairton receiver Aaron Mathews
Central Catholic defensive tackle Rashad Wheeler
Imhotep offensive lineman Johncarlo Valentin
Of course, MacVittie and Ford are already committed to Pitt, so they were anxious to work out with the coaching staff since neither had that experience previously. MacVittie was particularly excited about working with offensive coordinator Jim Chaney; conversely, Chaney seemed particularly excited about getting MacVittie to work with Mathews.
Sure enough, in every one-on-one rep that I watched, MacVittie and Mathews were working together. Mathews is probably Pitt's top local skill target and probably one of Pitt's top 3-5 receiver targets nationally. And he showed why on Friday; not only did he stand out among a group of mostly lesser receivers, but he flashed his talents, which run the gamut from athleticism and speed to ball skills and smooth route-running.
Even with 12 offers - six from Power 5 conferences - Mathews still seems to be somewhat under the radar, at least in my opinion, given his ability. He is currently ranked as the No. 93 receiver prospect in the nation, and while that will probably change in the near future as the Rivals.com staff updates the rankings, I think he's probably going to be underrated throughout this recruiting cycle.
Mathews is a big-time target for Pitt; if the coaches could land him this month, they would be ecstatic and he would be a huge addition to the receiving corps.
As for MacVittie, there's no doubting the arm strength, and you could see some of the footwork improvements that his quarterback trainer told us about in May. He still has plenty of room for development and growth, but it's hard not to like the physical tools, like his size and arm.
The linemen also acquitted themselves nicely on Friday. Ford worked out exclusively at right tackle during one-on-ones and held his own. His only struggles came against speed rushers who got outside him too quickly, but there are some technique things he can develop. Overall, he's got a nice skill set to work with.
Wheeler also put in some good work Friday. Like most high school defensive linemen, he's got some work that can be done in the strength and conditioning department, but I think defensive line coach Tom Simslikes the potential he sees in Wheeler and is hoping to get him in a Pitt uniform.
For what it's worth, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi told Wheeler that the Panthers plan to take three defensive tackles in the class of 2016. That means there are three open spots, since no tackle has committed yet, and while that's a good piece of information to keep in mind, here's the other relevant info:
Narduzzi made it pretty clear to Wheeler that he likely won't be DT No. 4 if Pitt gets three committed first. Which is to say, Pitt would really like to have Wheeler in the class, but if three other defensive tackles commit, he'll be on the outside looking in.
The other offered recruit on campus Friday was Valentin, a four-star prospect who ranks as the No. 16 offensive guard in the country. Valentin mostly worked at center during one-on-one reps and did pretty well. He took some reps on both sides of the ball, but his defensive tackle work was unremarkable; he regularly got stuffed when he tried rushing the passer. But he was pretty solid on offense, and while he also needs some work in the weight room, he has the look of an ACC center.
