Welcome back to In The Pitt, PantherLair.com’s weekly discourse featuring a roundup of everything that’s happened in the past week, with insight and inside information thrown in for good measure.
November 14, 2008
Top of The Pitt
The biggest story in the past week of Pitt sports was the commitment of Weston (FL) Cypress Bay running back committed before he left town. Douglas gives Pitt 14 commitments in the class of 2009 and a third running back.
Douglas’ coach at Cypress Bay, Mark Guandolo, performance at the Miami Nike camp from earlier this year:
40-yard dash: 4.48 - 3rd among running backs; 4th among all players
Shuttle: 4.19 - 2nd among running backs; 7th among all players
Vertical leap: 42.3” - 1st among running backs; 1st among all players
I think those digits give a pretty good indication of what kind of player Douglas is: he’s a speed-based athlete who can really move.
Naturally, Douglas will tell you that there’s more to his game than just speed.
“I can run by you and I can shake you, but the thing that people don't know is that I can drag defenders. I can break tackles. With my speed I can break tackles because I get my momentum going.
“People think I can't break tackles, and I know I'm undersized, but I don't run like I'm undersized. I like to hit. I love running up the middle. That's what I love to do the most."
You can take his word for it, or you can just watch his highlight tape. Sure, there are plenty of clips where he uses his speed to break big plays. Check out the first two clips, for example, where multiple defenders take good angles at Douglas, but he turns on the speed jets to get around the edge for touchdowns.
That’s the case for most of the highlight tapes, but it’s not the only thing he does. On one occasion, he’s even used on the goalline, and on another clip he spins out of a tackle to gain a first down. And keep an eye out around the 2:00 mark as he plows his way through a mass of humanity to get to the end zone.
Of course, I’d be remiss to not mention the final clip of the highlight tape, in which he covers 35 yards and dodges virtually the entire defensive lineup on his way to another touchdown.
Douglas has some moves, some speed, and he runs with a head of steam. With that combination, he should provide a lot of options for the Pitt offensive staff. Versatility is a key component of his game, and that could mean quick passes, tosses, the return game, and a number of possibilities that don’t always start in the I-formation.
In Jamie Newberg’s breakdown of Florida’s talented 2009 running back class, he says the following about Douglas:
“Ultra-quick smaller back with blazing speed. Not afraid to run between the tackles and has deceptive power. A big-play back.”
I guess the only real question about Douglas’ commitment is this:
Does Pitt really need him?
After all, Douglas gives the Panthers three running back recruits in the class of 2009, and while the most common comparison in the aftermath of his commitment has been to all-purpose athlete Cameron Saddler, the question remains about just how much use Pitt has for three backs who are less than 5’10”.
Or, for that matter, how much use Pitt has for two Cameron Saddler’s.
But as we’ve all seen in the past, this is a coaching staff - and a head coach, in particular - who loves speed and will take speedy athletes in almost any situation, even if it means over-recruiting a certain position or taking under-sized players.
At the same time, we’ve known that the staff planned to take three running backs. The previous top targets were thought to be De’Antwan Williams (Woodbridge, VA), but Douglas was offered back in the spring, so the staff has been after him for awhile. And as we’ve all observed for some time, there just aren’t a lot of big running backs in this recruiting class. So when the Pitt staff was looking for backs, it was probably inevitable that they would end up with three smaller players.
Still, when they offered Douglas, Pitt’s other running back commits - Ray Graham and Dion Lewis - weren’t really on the radar yet. So if the staff had been focused on Graham and Lewis at the time, I wonder if Douglas would have been offered; or, at the very least, if he would have been a top priority.
Nevertheless, the staff felt confident enough in Douglas’ abilities to offer him, and now he’s headed for Pittsburgh.
Remaining ships
As is the case after just about every commitment, the question now becomes one of future recruiting:
Where does the staff go from here?
The best way to approach this question is to determine a working number of scholarships available for this class. Dave Wannstedt said on Monday that they are looking to take “18-19” in this class. They’ve already got 14, so you can see that, according to Wannstedt’s math, there’s only 5 spots left, at most.
Let’s take a look at that number. After this season, Pitt will graduate the following scholarship players:
1. Dave Brytus
2. Chase Clowser
3. Conredge Collins
4. CJ Davis
5. Rashaad Duncan
6. Mark Estermyer
7. Adam Gunn
8. Derek Kinder
9. Conor Lee
10. Scott McKillop
11. Austin Ransom
12. LaRod Stephens-Howling
13. Eric Thatcher
14. Dominic Williams
So that group covers the current commitments. Let’s assume for the purposes of this conversation that LeSean McCoy will leave for the NFL and Doug Fulmer will not return from his third season-ending injury. That adds two more, bringing the number up to 16, which still leaves us short of Wannstedt’s 18-19 projection.
To get those remaining 2-3 spots, I’d guess we’ll see some of the natural attrition from transfers and health issues. Let’s assume the absolute maximum of 20 (which may be a stretch, but let’s consider it anyway). That means six more recruits.
So far Pitt has the following commitments:
RB - 3 (Dion Lewis)
WR - 2 (Todd Thomas)
TE - 1 (Brock DeCicco)
OL - 3 (Cory King)
DL - 3 (Tyrone Ezell
DB - 2 (Kevin Adams)
Adams could project as a safety or an outside linebacker, so his listing as a defensive back is somewhat temporary. Still, I think that the Pitt staff is looking for the following positions:
1 TE
1 DL
2 DB
2 LB
The Merrell twins - DE Shane Gordon, who is a teammate of Jason Douglas at Cypress Bay.
On the defensive line, there are a couple options. Of the three commitments, Clarke is an end and Ezell is probably a tackle, but Lippert has some flexibility, so the fourth recruit could be an end or a tackle. Jamil Merrell is an end, but he’s not the only lineman on the board. There are the two Hoboken players, DE Isaac Holmes, and one or both of them could come to Pitt.
At tight end, Malcolm Bush is probably the top target. Bush decommitted from Rutgers, but I think that he always kept in touch with the Pitt coaches even when he was committed to the Scarlet Knights, and from what I hear the relationship is pretty strong there.
At defensive back, there are a couple different options. If Adams projects as an outside linebacker, then the staff will probably want to take one safety - in addition to Fleming - and one corner. Earlier this week they offered Florida safety Josh Evans. Evans may very well be the best player in the Garden State this season (although Ray Graham might have something to say about that). Evans has a ton of offers and will pretty much have his pick of schools provided he gets his grades in order, but he has maintained a solid and consistent relationship with Pitt assistant Jeff Hafley. Evans will be a tough get, but he’s always been positive about Pitt whenever I’ve talked to him, for whatever that’s worth.
As for corner, the only offer out there at this point seems to be Aliquippa’s Terry Patrick, but his academic issues seem certain to prevent him from making it this year.
To tell the truth, I would not be surprised at all to see Pitt sign a cornerback who is already committed to another school. Probably the top two names that would be candidates would be Gateway’s Jordan Hall. Brown’s name always seems to get thrown around in these conversations, but to tell the truth, I haven’t really heard anything approaching concrete on whether or not he’s wavering. On the other hand, I have heard that Hall is in regular contact with the Pitt coaches, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see something happen there.
The one thing about cornerback (and I touched on this on the message board yesterday) is that it’s not a pressing need. Sure, you’d like to take a player at every position every year, but keep in mind that Pitt took three cornerbacks last season in Jarred Holley, Ronald Hobby, and Antwuan Reed, and they have Buddy Jackson from the class before that. That’s four young, talented corners, which lessens the pressure on this year’s recruiting.
Overall, the Pitt staff is working with lesser numbers than before, and the interesting thing about this situation is that it allows Wannstedt and company the luxury of being a bit more selective than they have been in the past. They can focus on the recruits they really want, and if a recruit doesn’t make the grade, they can simply explain that there’s just not enough room.
I don’t see them turning down a high target like Khalil Wilkes, who is still pretty interested in Pitt, but I do think that the final spots will probably go to the positions discussed above.
Louisville
We’ve got to take some space to review the win over Louisville last weekend. There were a couple things that are hard to argue with:
1. It was good for the team to get its first automatic bowl eligibility under Dave Wannstedt
2. It was good for Wannstedt to get his first win over Louisville
3. It was good for the offense to succeed despite virtually no production from LeSean McCoy
Let’s start with the third statement first.
The thing that impressed me most about that win was that the Panthers did it while McCoy was in the midst of his worst game as a collegiate back. I can’t think of a single game of consequence in the past two seasons that Pitt has won without significant contributions from McCoy. But last Saturday, as McCoy was en route to his career-low in rushing yards, Matt Cavanaugh almost every single offensive weapon he had - 13 in all - to put the Panthers over the top.
The win would have been impressive and noteworthy for that fact alone.
But then there’s statement No. 2 from above. There are several teams Wannstedt has yet to get over in his career at Pitt. Last season he topped the West Virginia hurdle in the 13-9 game. Earlier this year he got his first win against Notre Dame. And on Saturday, Wannstedt beat Louisville for the first time since he took over the Panthers.
To me, that’s notable, because sometimes I think that something like that can have a habit of repeating itself. After all, think about the way Pitt lost to Louisville last year. And for that matter, think about the Pitt-Rutgers series under Wannstedt, as the head coach has struggled every year to find a way to beat the Scarlet Knights.
Now he can consider the Louisville hurdle crossed (one can only hope that the trend continues when Pitt plays in Connecticut, since the Panthers have never won there).
Now for statement No. 1. There is no way this can be overvalued. For the first time in the Wannstedt Era, a bowl game is guaranteed. The quality of the bowl game is up in the air, but this much is true: Pitt will be going to a bowl.
Quite frankly, that’s huge. Every team that wants to be considered even a contender for national recognition needs to go to bowl games every year. Teams that don’t go to bowl games are irrelevant, plain and simple. You might as well not exist if you don’t go to a bowl game. Even if the post-season destination is one of the lesser bowls, it’s still mandatory for any program that wants to be taken seriously.
Finally, after three long seasons, the Wannstedt Panthers are relevant again, and that is the net gain of the Louisville game.
Recruiting roundup
- Pitt wraps up the regular season on December 6th at Connecticut, but I wouldn’t expect the coaching staff to wait very long before jumping into the official visits. In fact, I’m hearing that the next weekend - December 12th-14th - is shaping up as the first big official visit weekend. Look for some New Jersey prospects to headline the list of visitors, and we’ll have more names as the weekend gets closer.
The difficult thing for Pitt is that the weekend of the 12th is probably the only weekend in December that is available for a big official visit event. The Panthers play at Connecticut on the first weekend of the month, and the weekend of the 12th is the final weekend of the fall semester. The staff likes to bring prospects in when players and students are around; on the weekend of the 19th, most will be gone. So if Pitt is looking to have any December recruiting success, that’s just about the only weekend it can happen.
- One recruit who isn’t likely to be taking an official visit to Pitt is Milton Hershey TE/DE committed to Penn State on Wednesday. Pitt liked him and offered him after the summer prospect camp, but he wasn’t a necessity. He’s got a lot of intriguing potential, but they’ve got good commits and targets at both defensive end and tight end.
- There was a message board rumor that Pitt commit will be to Pitt.
When it’s all said and done, Graham could be the biggest steal of the Wannstedt Era, let alone this class.
- The Ticker brought up a couple articles on Penn Hills linebacker take official visits to Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Toledo, and Boston College. I think this one comes down to Pitt and Penn State, and I still view the Panthers as the leaders.
- Another prospect to keep an eye on is Philadelphia (PA) Neumann-Goretti lineman Pitt is one of five schools he would like to take an official visit to. I’m not sure how high he is on the board at this point, but we’ll see what happens if he does take the visit. He says he’s planning to take a visit to Temple on the weekend of December 12th, which means he might have to wait until January to visit Pitt. If that happens, there might not be any space left by the time he makes it to Pittsburgh.
- After Jason Douglas committed to Pitt, he told me that he planned to work on Cypress Bay teammate Shane Gordon. When I asked if his efforts had shown any early success, Douglas’ quote was as follows:
“He’s leaning really heavily to Pitt. I’m going to get him, too.”
Naturally, that caught my interest, so I called up Gordon the next night. As I might have expected, Gordon was Duke, and Gordon is the one mentioning Pitt to an interviewer who hadn’t even mentioned PantherLair.com at that point in the discussion.
To me, that’s notable, and I think Pitt’s chances with Gordon increased considerably when Douglas picked the Panthers.
- In the recruiting breakdown above I mentioned Florida safety an offer from Pitt earlier this week. The really interesting thing about Bishop is the way his recruiting has developed. He had two offers - Air Force and Florida International - heading into his senior season. Like many prospects, he expected to put together a strong senior highlight film and build up his offer sheet. But he took a unique approach by putting his highlights on youtube and sending the link out to college coaches.
Rather than invest the time and money in sending out countless DVD’s, Bishop and his father simply e-mailed a link, and the results have been impressive:
In the time since he put the clips online, Bishop has received offers from Western Michigan, Central Michigan, North Carolina State, West Virginia, and, most recently, Pitt. Syracuse and UNLV also sound like they are close to offering.
It’s the natural progression of user-generated content, and it’s awfully innovative of Bishop and his family to take this online approach to recruiting. It will be interesting to see if this catches on. Personally, it seems like a smart move to me.
If you want to watch the youtube clips, here’s the link. It’s a worthwhile watch, and I recommend clicking “Watch in high quality” below the video.
- On the 2010 front, Pitt offered Michigan quarterback seems to have some interest in the Panthers, so we’ll see what happens. At the same time, Michigan isn’t exactly fertile Pitt recruiting ground, but I guess stranger things have happened.
- Tony also checked in with 2010 defensive end seems to have a lot of interest in the Panthers.
- Speaking of 2010, we still think that Fox Chapel offensive lineman Kevin Weatherspoon are virtual locks for Pitt, so much so that each could commit shortly after Signing Day 2009. From what we hear, it sounds like a very real possibility.
- The early signing period for the basketball recruiting class of 2009 opened on Wednesday, and Tony reported that Talib Zanna. Pitt is expected to make an official announcement next week once all the papers have been signed and approved.
Prediction time
No Pitt game to make a prediction on this week, so we’ll take one last stab at the big picture.
What do you think Pitt’s final record - bowl game included - will be this season?
I say 9-4.
Add your prediction to the bottom of this thread.
Thanks for joining this week’s edition of In The Pitt. As always, feel free to e-mail chrispeak1@comcast.net with any suggestions, feedback, or other input.
November 14, 2008
Top of The Pitt
The biggest story in the past week of Pitt sports was the commitment of Weston (FL) Cypress Bay running back committed before he left town. Douglas gives Pitt 14 commitments in the class of 2009 and a third running back.
Douglas’ coach at Cypress Bay, Mark Guandolo, performance at the Miami Nike camp from earlier this year:
40-yard dash: 4.48 - 3rd among running backs; 4th among all players
Shuttle: 4.19 - 2nd among running backs; 7th among all players
Vertical leap: 42.3” - 1st among running backs; 1st among all players
I think those digits give a pretty good indication of what kind of player Douglas is: he’s a speed-based athlete who can really move.
Naturally, Douglas will tell you that there’s more to his game than just speed.
“I can run by you and I can shake you, but the thing that people don't know is that I can drag defenders. I can break tackles. With my speed I can break tackles because I get my momentum going.
“People think I can't break tackles, and I know I'm undersized, but I don't run like I'm undersized. I like to hit. I love running up the middle. That's what I love to do the most."
You can take his word for it, or you can just watch his highlight tape. Sure, there are plenty of clips where he uses his speed to break big plays. Check out the first two clips, for example, where multiple defenders take good angles at Douglas, but he turns on the speed jets to get around the edge for touchdowns.
That’s the case for most of the highlight tapes, but it’s not the only thing he does. On one occasion, he’s even used on the goalline, and on another clip he spins out of a tackle to gain a first down. And keep an eye out around the 2:00 mark as he plows his way through a mass of humanity to get to the end zone.
Of course, I’d be remiss to not mention the final clip of the highlight tape, in which he covers 35 yards and dodges virtually the entire defensive lineup on his way to another touchdown.
Douglas has some moves, some speed, and he runs with a head of steam. With that combination, he should provide a lot of options for the Pitt offensive staff. Versatility is a key component of his game, and that could mean quick passes, tosses, the return game, and a number of possibilities that don’t always start in the I-formation.
In Jamie Newberg’s breakdown of Florida’s talented 2009 running back class, he says the following about Douglas:
“Ultra-quick smaller back with blazing speed. Not afraid to run between the tackles and has deceptive power. A big-play back.”
I guess the only real question about Douglas’ commitment is this:
Does Pitt really need him?
After all, Douglas gives the Panthers three running back recruits in the class of 2009, and while the most common comparison in the aftermath of his commitment has been to all-purpose athlete Cameron Saddler, the question remains about just how much use Pitt has for three backs who are less than 5’10”.
Or, for that matter, how much use Pitt has for two Cameron Saddler’s.
But as we’ve all seen in the past, this is a coaching staff - and a head coach, in particular - who loves speed and will take speedy athletes in almost any situation, even if it means over-recruiting a certain position or taking under-sized players.
At the same time, we’ve known that the staff planned to take three running backs. The previous top targets were thought to be De’Antwan Williams (Woodbridge, VA), but Douglas was offered back in the spring, so the staff has been after him for awhile. And as we’ve all observed for some time, there just aren’t a lot of big running backs in this recruiting class. So when the Pitt staff was looking for backs, it was probably inevitable that they would end up with three smaller players.
Still, when they offered Douglas, Pitt’s other running back commits - Ray Graham and Dion Lewis - weren’t really on the radar yet. So if the staff had been focused on Graham and Lewis at the time, I wonder if Douglas would have been offered; or, at the very least, if he would have been a top priority.
Nevertheless, the staff felt confident enough in Douglas’ abilities to offer him, and now he’s headed for Pittsburgh.
Remaining ships
As is the case after just about every commitment, the question now becomes one of future recruiting:
Where does the staff go from here?
The best way to approach this question is to determine a working number of scholarships available for this class. Dave Wannstedt said on Monday that they are looking to take “18-19” in this class. They’ve already got 14, so you can see that, according to Wannstedt’s math, there’s only 5 spots left, at most.
Let’s take a look at that number. After this season, Pitt will graduate the following scholarship players:
1. Dave Brytus
2. Chase Clowser
3. Conredge Collins
4. CJ Davis
5. Rashaad Duncan
6. Mark Estermyer
7. Adam Gunn
8. Derek Kinder
9. Conor Lee
10. Scott McKillop
11. Austin Ransom
12. LaRod Stephens-Howling
13. Eric Thatcher
14. Dominic Williams
So that group covers the current commitments. Let’s assume for the purposes of this conversation that LeSean McCoy will leave for the NFL and Doug Fulmer will not return from his third season-ending injury. That adds two more, bringing the number up to 16, which still leaves us short of Wannstedt’s 18-19 projection.
To get those remaining 2-3 spots, I’d guess we’ll see some of the natural attrition from transfers and health issues. Let’s assume the absolute maximum of 20 (which may be a stretch, but let’s consider it anyway). That means six more recruits.
So far Pitt has the following commitments:
RB - 3 (Dion Lewis)
WR - 2 (Todd Thomas)
TE - 1 (Brock DeCicco)
OL - 3 (Cory King)
DL - 3 (Tyrone Ezell
DB - 2 (Kevin Adams)
Adams could project as a safety or an outside linebacker, so his listing as a defensive back is somewhat temporary. Still, I think that the Pitt staff is looking for the following positions:
1 TE
1 DL
2 DB
2 LB
The Merrell twins - DE Shane Gordon, who is a teammate of Jason Douglas at Cypress Bay.
On the defensive line, there are a couple options. Of the three commitments, Clarke is an end and Ezell is probably a tackle, but Lippert has some flexibility, so the fourth recruit could be an end or a tackle. Jamil Merrell is an end, but he’s not the only lineman on the board. There are the two Hoboken players, DE Isaac Holmes, and one or both of them could come to Pitt.
At tight end, Malcolm Bush is probably the top target. Bush decommitted from Rutgers, but I think that he always kept in touch with the Pitt coaches even when he was committed to the Scarlet Knights, and from what I hear the relationship is pretty strong there.
At defensive back, there are a couple different options. If Adams projects as an outside linebacker, then the staff will probably want to take one safety - in addition to Fleming - and one corner. Earlier this week they offered Florida safety Josh Evans. Evans may very well be the best player in the Garden State this season (although Ray Graham might have something to say about that). Evans has a ton of offers and will pretty much have his pick of schools provided he gets his grades in order, but he has maintained a solid and consistent relationship with Pitt assistant Jeff Hafley. Evans will be a tough get, but he’s always been positive about Pitt whenever I’ve talked to him, for whatever that’s worth.
As for corner, the only offer out there at this point seems to be Aliquippa’s Terry Patrick, but his academic issues seem certain to prevent him from making it this year.
To tell the truth, I would not be surprised at all to see Pitt sign a cornerback who is already committed to another school. Probably the top two names that would be candidates would be Gateway’s Jordan Hall. Brown’s name always seems to get thrown around in these conversations, but to tell the truth, I haven’t really heard anything approaching concrete on whether or not he’s wavering. On the other hand, I have heard that Hall is in regular contact with the Pitt coaches, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see something happen there.
The one thing about cornerback (and I touched on this on the message board yesterday) is that it’s not a pressing need. Sure, you’d like to take a player at every position every year, but keep in mind that Pitt took three cornerbacks last season in Jarred Holley, Ronald Hobby, and Antwuan Reed, and they have Buddy Jackson from the class before that. That’s four young, talented corners, which lessens the pressure on this year’s recruiting.
Overall, the Pitt staff is working with lesser numbers than before, and the interesting thing about this situation is that it allows Wannstedt and company the luxury of being a bit more selective than they have been in the past. They can focus on the recruits they really want, and if a recruit doesn’t make the grade, they can simply explain that there’s just not enough room.
I don’t see them turning down a high target like Khalil Wilkes, who is still pretty interested in Pitt, but I do think that the final spots will probably go to the positions discussed above.
Louisville
We’ve got to take some space to review the win over Louisville last weekend. There were a couple things that are hard to argue with:
1. It was good for the team to get its first automatic bowl eligibility under Dave Wannstedt
2. It was good for Wannstedt to get his first win over Louisville
3. It was good for the offense to succeed despite virtually no production from LeSean McCoy
Let’s start with the third statement first.
The thing that impressed me most about that win was that the Panthers did it while McCoy was in the midst of his worst game as a collegiate back. I can’t think of a single game of consequence in the past two seasons that Pitt has won without significant contributions from McCoy. But last Saturday, as McCoy was en route to his career-low in rushing yards, Matt Cavanaugh almost every single offensive weapon he had - 13 in all - to put the Panthers over the top.
The win would have been impressive and noteworthy for that fact alone.
But then there’s statement No. 2 from above. There are several teams Wannstedt has yet to get over in his career at Pitt. Last season he topped the West Virginia hurdle in the 13-9 game. Earlier this year he got his first win against Notre Dame. And on Saturday, Wannstedt beat Louisville for the first time since he took over the Panthers.
To me, that’s notable, because sometimes I think that something like that can have a habit of repeating itself. After all, think about the way Pitt lost to Louisville last year. And for that matter, think about the Pitt-Rutgers series under Wannstedt, as the head coach has struggled every year to find a way to beat the Scarlet Knights.
Now he can consider the Louisville hurdle crossed (one can only hope that the trend continues when Pitt plays in Connecticut, since the Panthers have never won there).
Now for statement No. 1. There is no way this can be overvalued. For the first time in the Wannstedt Era, a bowl game is guaranteed. The quality of the bowl game is up in the air, but this much is true: Pitt will be going to a bowl.
Quite frankly, that’s huge. Every team that wants to be considered even a contender for national recognition needs to go to bowl games every year. Teams that don’t go to bowl games are irrelevant, plain and simple. You might as well not exist if you don’t go to a bowl game. Even if the post-season destination is one of the lesser bowls, it’s still mandatory for any program that wants to be taken seriously.
Finally, after three long seasons, the Wannstedt Panthers are relevant again, and that is the net gain of the Louisville game.
Recruiting roundup
- Pitt wraps up the regular season on December 6th at Connecticut, but I wouldn’t expect the coaching staff to wait very long before jumping into the official visits. In fact, I’m hearing that the next weekend - December 12th-14th - is shaping up as the first big official visit weekend. Look for some New Jersey prospects to headline the list of visitors, and we’ll have more names as the weekend gets closer.
The difficult thing for Pitt is that the weekend of the 12th is probably the only weekend in December that is available for a big official visit event. The Panthers play at Connecticut on the first weekend of the month, and the weekend of the 12th is the final weekend of the fall semester. The staff likes to bring prospects in when players and students are around; on the weekend of the 19th, most will be gone. So if Pitt is looking to have any December recruiting success, that’s just about the only weekend it can happen.
- One recruit who isn’t likely to be taking an official visit to Pitt is Milton Hershey TE/DE committed to Penn State on Wednesday. Pitt liked him and offered him after the summer prospect camp, but he wasn’t a necessity. He’s got a lot of intriguing potential, but they’ve got good commits and targets at both defensive end and tight end.
- There was a message board rumor that Pitt commit will be to Pitt.
When it’s all said and done, Graham could be the biggest steal of the Wannstedt Era, let alone this class.
- The Ticker brought up a couple articles on Penn Hills linebacker take official visits to Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Toledo, and Boston College. I think this one comes down to Pitt and Penn State, and I still view the Panthers as the leaders.
- Another prospect to keep an eye on is Philadelphia (PA) Neumann-Goretti lineman Pitt is one of five schools he would like to take an official visit to. I’m not sure how high he is on the board at this point, but we’ll see what happens if he does take the visit. He says he’s planning to take a visit to Temple on the weekend of December 12th, which means he might have to wait until January to visit Pitt. If that happens, there might not be any space left by the time he makes it to Pittsburgh.
- After Jason Douglas committed to Pitt, he told me that he planned to work on Cypress Bay teammate Shane Gordon. When I asked if his efforts had shown any early success, Douglas’ quote was as follows:
“He’s leaning really heavily to Pitt. I’m going to get him, too.”
Naturally, that caught my interest, so I called up Gordon the next night. As I might have expected, Gordon was Duke, and Gordon is the one mentioning Pitt to an interviewer who hadn’t even mentioned PantherLair.com at that point in the discussion.
To me, that’s notable, and I think Pitt’s chances with Gordon increased considerably when Douglas picked the Panthers.
- In the recruiting breakdown above I mentioned Florida safety an offer from Pitt earlier this week. The really interesting thing about Bishop is the way his recruiting has developed. He had two offers - Air Force and Florida International - heading into his senior season. Like many prospects, he expected to put together a strong senior highlight film and build up his offer sheet. But he took a unique approach by putting his highlights on youtube and sending the link out to college coaches.
Rather than invest the time and money in sending out countless DVD’s, Bishop and his father simply e-mailed a link, and the results have been impressive:
In the time since he put the clips online, Bishop has received offers from Western Michigan, Central Michigan, North Carolina State, West Virginia, and, most recently, Pitt. Syracuse and UNLV also sound like they are close to offering.
It’s the natural progression of user-generated content, and it’s awfully innovative of Bishop and his family to take this online approach to recruiting. It will be interesting to see if this catches on. Personally, it seems like a smart move to me.
If you want to watch the youtube clips, here’s the link. It’s a worthwhile watch, and I recommend clicking “Watch in high quality” below the video.
- On the 2010 front, Pitt offered Michigan quarterback seems to have some interest in the Panthers, so we’ll see what happens. At the same time, Michigan isn’t exactly fertile Pitt recruiting ground, but I guess stranger things have happened.
- Tony also checked in with 2010 defensive end seems to have a lot of interest in the Panthers.
- Speaking of 2010, we still think that Fox Chapel offensive lineman Kevin Weatherspoon are virtual locks for Pitt, so much so that each could commit shortly after Signing Day 2009. From what we hear, it sounds like a very real possibility.
- The early signing period for the basketball recruiting class of 2009 opened on Wednesday, and Tony reported that Talib Zanna. Pitt is expected to make an official announcement next week once all the papers have been signed and approved.
Prediction time
No Pitt game to make a prediction on this week, so we’ll take one last stab at the big picture.
What do you think Pitt’s final record - bowl game included - will be this season?
I say 9-4.
Add your prediction to the bottom of this thread.
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