Training camp is over and the season is just around the corner, so it’s time for another edition of In the Pitt, PantherLair.com’s complete rundown on Pitt’s recruiting.
For the class of 2011, the Pitt coaches are almost done. Since the last In the Pitt, the staff has gotten four new commitments: defensive ends 2011 commitment total at 15, meaning there are probably about three spots remaining.
So where do they go with those final three spaces in the class? That’s the question we’ll try to answer in today’s In the Pitt. But one thing has become clear:
They’re shooting the moon to closer out the class.
The “No-Matter-What’s”
With just a few spots left, obviously the coaching staff has to be very selective with how the class is filled out, since a few more commitments would mean the coaches have to close up shop. However, there is a short list of prospects whose commitments would be accepted regardless of the current commit list.
From what we have gathered, these are the recruits Pitt would take under any circumstances. We’ll call them the “No-Matter-What’s.”
Savon Huggins
Darius Jennings
Cyrus Kouandjio
Ishaq Williams
Naturally, there are caveats and exclusions and exceptions - and we’ll get into those in a minute - but first, a word on each of those four.
- If those recruits were listed in order of their likelihood of committing, Williams would probably be last. I haven’t gotten a definitive sense of where he’ll be going, but it’s almost certainly not going to be Pitt.
- Only slightly less likely than Williams is Kouandjio. Every indication is that he’ll be following his older brother Arie to Alabama. Still, Pitt has made his top 11, it sounds like Pitt will be in the running for an official visit, so you can’t completely count out the Panthers just yet. Official visit or not, though, he’s pretty close to a sure thing for Alabama.
- Jennings seems to be higher on Pitt than what he has let on. The Panthers have made his short list and figure to make his future short lists, which should eventually lead to an official visit. Some rumors have even had Pitt in Jennings’ private top three.
“I wasn't too sure about them because they had changes on their staff. That dropped them a little bit. But since then they've picked it up. Coach [Scott] Turner, my recruiter and position coach, and Coach [Dave] Wannstedt came to see me and showed a lot of interest. Then I went up there and it was a nice campus and I learned more about them. They're an option.”
Additionally, we have heard that the Pitt coaches are very high on Jennings, high enough that he earned a spot on this list. He could be a running back, receiver, or defensive back and excel at any of them; that versatility has Scott Turner working very hard on Jennings.
- And then there is Huggins. Offensive tackles like Kouandjio - and a few others we’ll get to in a minute - are probably the highest priority due to a need for top-end players at the position, but Huggins isn’t too far off. The Pitt coaches have identified Huggins as a player who can make a considerable impact from the day he steps on campus. As such, they’re devoting every resource toward his recruitment.
To a certain extent, it appears to be working. Huggins maintains the proper decorum in interviews, keeping his top ten schools “even” and continuing to claim that no one leads. But we’ve heard that Huggins has Pitt very high on his list, perhaps even in the top three or two.
There’s a lot of time left in Huggins’ recruitment, and a lot of things can happen. But Pitt appears to be in very good shape.
It should be noted that Mike Farrell doesn’t think as highly of Pitt’s chances as I do.
“Sources say Rutgers has a clear edge over Pitt for Huggins and that Notre Dame and North Carolina are more of a threat.”
That’s all well and good. We all have our own sources. I won’t call anyone the favorite, and I certainly do not think that Rutgers holds that spot.
The 1-A’s
Those four recruits are the guaranteed “No-Matter-What’s,” but it’s not a surprise to anyone to say that none are Pitt locks. In fact, Pitt is a long-shot for Kouandjio and Williams and will have to fight long and hard for Jennings and Huggins.
So while the coaches are working very hard on those four guys, they certainly haven’t backed off other recruits, and a small group of prospects are close enough to the “No-Matter-What” list that they could almost be considered 1-A recruits, just slightly - only by a hair in some cases - behind the four listed above.
From what we can tell, three guys fit into “The 1-A’s.”
Keith Lumpkin
Sheldon Royster
Donovan Smith
- Lumpkin might actually be the 1-A offensive tackle, right behind Kouandjio but only slightly. The coaches seem to love his potential, and if fortune should befall them in the form of commitments from Kouandjio and Lumpkin, they would take both.
That’s not likely to happen.
However, they are in play with Lumpkin. Much has been made of Lumpkin’s marathon unofficial visit to Rutgers earlier this month, and that’s all well and good except for one thing:
The day before he spent countless hours at Rutgers, he was at Pitt for upwards of 12 hours. Lumpkin plans to take official visits, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if his final decision came down to the Scarlet Knights and the Panthers.
- Royster is almost in the “No-Matter-What” category. From what we’ve heard, the Pitt staff is very high on Royster for some of the same reasons they love Jennings: he has a lot of versatility and can be a star at a number of positions.
The problem with Royster - at least from our perspective - is that he’s not real keen on this side of the recruiting process; that is to say, he doesn’t like to do interviews. In 2010, he has done exactly four interviews with Rivals, so it’s rather difficult to get a read on where he stands.
Regardless, I’m confident that Pitt is very high on Royster, and if he’s not in the “No-Matter-What” category, he’s just outside.
- Smith is another top tackle prospect for Pitt, but they would have to feel like they are out of it completely for Kouandjio and/or Lumpkin before he is fully elevated to the “No-Matter-What” level. Still, like Royster, Smith is right near that category if he’s not completely in it.
That being said, I have a hard time imagining the coaches saying no to Smith if he tried to commit, particularly since their chances are slim-to-none with Kouandjio.
Also Receiving Votes
Since Pitt’s not the current favorite for any of those seven recruits listed above, it’s hard to put the odds in their favor on landing more than 1 or 2 of them (more on how they can get higher than that number later), which means that other recruits are still on the list.
As of this writing, these five recruits are lower priorities than the first seven we mentioned.
Brandon Clemons
Deion Barnes
Miles Shuler
Damiere Byrd
Jeremiah Bryson
Jack Tabb
Ejuan Price
- Clemons is one guy I’m not really sure about. He’s a very good prospect and Pitt offered him very early. Plus, he seems to have a lot of interest in the Panthers. But he doesn’t get talked about much, and right now the emphasis is more on the tackles, namely Lumpkin and Kouandjio, as well as Smith.
Still, we’ll have to keep an eye on Clemons. If he keeps his interest in Pitt high, he could end up as a strong addition to the class.
- Barnes is below Williams and not a top priority for Pitt since the Panthers already have three defensive ends committed. But Barnes is good enough that if he said he wanted to go to Pitt, they would take him. Pitt made the top five for Barnes, but most recruiting observers seem to agree that he’s probably headed to Penn State.
- Shuler is, without question, one of the top athletes Pitt has recruited this year, and there are several positions he could project at in college. But the coaches don’t have him ranked as high as some of the other “athletes” - namely, Jennings and Royster - and he has been somewhat de-prioritized.
Make no mistake about it: Pitt is still interested in Shuler and he is still interested in the Panthers. They made his top seven:
"I went up there already on an unofficial visit and I like what they have to offer. They're recruiting me for offense. I have a good relationship with the coaches there."
- Byrd is similar to Shuler, both in ability and Pitt’s interest (although Shuler is slightly ahead in the athleticism and speed categories). They would probably have to miss on one of the higher-ranked athletes to kick Byrd’s recruitment back into high gear.
- Bryson is probably slightly above the “Also Receiving Votes” category. Pitt already has a running back commitment in Jameel Poteat, but the target number for the position is at least two, if not three. The coaches would probably stop going after backs if they landed Huggins, but in the meantime, they’ll continue working on Bryson.
has a Penn State offer, it seems that he will be headed for Happy Valley, although chances are he will have trouble qualifying.
- Tabb probably shouldn’t be on this list at all, since Pitt has one tight end already committed and a ton of tight ends on the roster. But he’s still on the board, so we’ll include him. Still, I have a hard time seeing Pitt put any kind of full-court press to get Tabb into the class.
- And then there’s Price. Arguably the best linebacker in the state - and certainly one of the top prospects in western Pa. - Price was one of Pitt’s top targets in the class until mid-summer, when the staff appeared to do a 180 and reverse course. The Panthers do have two linebacker commitments, but even after Ben Kline committed, we were still hearing that they would find room for Price.
Apparently the coaches decided to fill the remaining spaces in a different manner.
I don’t usually opine on how Pitt should handle their recruiting (largely because there are so many elements that we don’t see), choosing instead to report what is happening and share info that I pick up along the way. But I’m a big fan of Price: I think he’s a legit linebacker prospect who can help provide short-term depth and be a long-term starter. I don’t have a problem with them backing off from Delvon Simmons, but Price was one that I thought they should work to find a spot for.
As it stands right now, that doesn’t seem to be the plan. However, as I am frequently reminded, recruiting is always flux and things can always change. Depending on how things shake out with the targets that are still on the board, it’s not hard to see Pitt getting back involved with Price.
That begs the question: would he want to hear more from them, or would he scorn them for backing off?
I think Price would still be open to Pitt if the coaches re-initiated the recruitment. The key is that they have been up-front with Price and Woodland Hills head coach George Novak about the situation; Novak is a good ally and he has been around long enough to understand the way the process works. Sometimes schools run out of room, and sometimes coaches find extra room or situations change.
Remember that in the summer of 2007, Pitt backed off Cam Saddler. But those bridges weren’t burned, and we all know where Saddler plays now.
So I’m saying there’s still a chance for Pitt and Price.
Keep in mind
Before we wrap up a look at Pitt’s remaining targets for the class of 2011, we should mention a few more names.
Aundrey Walker
Jay Whitmire
Quinton Jefferson
- Walker is another tackle prospect who most likely won’t be headed for Pitt. But we’ve heard that he has maintained contact with the coaching staff since taking an unofficial visit this past spring. Again, he’s not likely to pick Pitt, but it’s worth monitoring as long as he stays in contact.
- Whitmire seems like he could be a big-time prospect, but we’ve heard that he’s not big on the recruiting process, even to the point of not keeping in touch with coaches (never mind reporters like me, but you better stay in contact with the coaches).
- Jefferson would appear to be off the board since Pitt has three defensive end commits, but he’s worth mentioning here because I don’t think that door is completely shut just yet.
He’s also worth mentioning because he’s illustrative of several things.
First off, Jefferson’s situation is illustrative of the way that recruiting is always in flux. All summer, we heard that Pitt’s plan was to take the first two defensive ends to commit and then the coaches would shut down defensive end recruiting (other than Ishaq Williams and perhaps Deion Barnes).
So after Desimon Green committed later in the day after Issaka pulled the trigger, and all of a sudden the “first two to jump” philosophy was adjusted.
And now we’re hearing that they still might take Jefferson.
The second point that Jefferson illustrates is that the coaching staff’s plan isn’t exactly concrete. Put another way, the plan as it stands on any given day could very well be completely different from the plan as it stands on a different day. The plan on Monday could be to take players at positions X, Y, and Z to fill out the class, but on Wednesday the plan could be to take players at positions L, H, and X.
It’s literally always changing. Such is the case when there are few spots left and very good players on the board as options. If you’re Dave Wannstedt, you want to take them all. You can’t, though, so you have to decide who you want. But they’re all very good prospects, so your opinion on who you want the most changes depending on the day’s perspective.
So I’m confident about the “No-Matter-What” recruits and the “1-A” guys. Beyond that, recruits can - and probably will - move up and down the board.
How to make a splash
But what about those big-name recruits Pitt is after? What about Huggins and Kouandjio and Jennings? It’s impossible to predict the way the class will end, but if it could include one or more of those three - plus four-star 1-A’s like Royster - then it will be, hands down, the best class Wannstedt has brought to Pitt.
But can they do it? Can the Pitt staff land one or more of those elite prospects?
Yes, they can.
They’ve done everything right so far. They’ve gotten unofficial visits. They’ve established strong personal relationships. They’ve gotten into the top ten’s. And they’ve positioned themselves for official visits.
Now they have to win on the field.
I think we all understand this, but it bears repeating. The next step - and arguably the biggest step - is to go out and win this season. A dog of a 2010 season can and probably will sink Pitt’s chances with almost all of those recruits in the top two groups that I listed. But a big season - 10, 11 or 12 regular season wins and a strong showing in the bowl game - is an essential component of finishing the 2011 class with a bang.
It’s imperative. There are no if’s, and’s or but’s about it: if Pitt wins, they will have a shot at Huggins and the like. If they lose - or struggle, or have an average season - they will not have a shot. It’s really as simple as that. The Pitt coaches have done everything they can so far and they have done it well, but a poor season can waste all of the efforts.
Plus, the 2012 class is already looking very, very strong, and this season will go a long way in getting the ball rolling with that group.
First things first, though: the key ingredient in finishing out the class of 2011 is what happens on the field this year.
With the start of the season just around the corner, there’s no better time than right now to take advantage of an annual subscription to PantherLair.com. Not only do you save money by upgrading to an annual subscription, but you’ll also be able to sign up PantherLair.com text alerts, which means you’ll get instant notification when breaking news - like a new commit or a major depth chart change - takes place.
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This post was edited on 8/27 9:36 AM by Chris Peak
For the class of 2011, the Pitt coaches are almost done. Since the last In the Pitt, the staff has gotten four new commitments: defensive ends 2011 commitment total at 15, meaning there are probably about three spots remaining.
So where do they go with those final three spaces in the class? That’s the question we’ll try to answer in today’s In the Pitt. But one thing has become clear:
They’re shooting the moon to closer out the class.
The “No-Matter-What’s”
With just a few spots left, obviously the coaching staff has to be very selective with how the class is filled out, since a few more commitments would mean the coaches have to close up shop. However, there is a short list of prospects whose commitments would be accepted regardless of the current commit list.
From what we have gathered, these are the recruits Pitt would take under any circumstances. We’ll call them the “No-Matter-What’s.”
Savon Huggins
Darius Jennings
Cyrus Kouandjio
Ishaq Williams
Naturally, there are caveats and exclusions and exceptions - and we’ll get into those in a minute - but first, a word on each of those four.
- If those recruits were listed in order of their likelihood of committing, Williams would probably be last. I haven’t gotten a definitive sense of where he’ll be going, but it’s almost certainly not going to be Pitt.
- Only slightly less likely than Williams is Kouandjio. Every indication is that he’ll be following his older brother Arie to Alabama. Still, Pitt has made his top 11, it sounds like Pitt will be in the running for an official visit, so you can’t completely count out the Panthers just yet. Official visit or not, though, he’s pretty close to a sure thing for Alabama.
- Jennings seems to be higher on Pitt than what he has let on. The Panthers have made his short list and figure to make his future short lists, which should eventually lead to an official visit. Some rumors have even had Pitt in Jennings’ private top three.
“I wasn't too sure about them because they had changes on their staff. That dropped them a little bit. But since then they've picked it up. Coach [Scott] Turner, my recruiter and position coach, and Coach [Dave] Wannstedt came to see me and showed a lot of interest. Then I went up there and it was a nice campus and I learned more about them. They're an option.”
Additionally, we have heard that the Pitt coaches are very high on Jennings, high enough that he earned a spot on this list. He could be a running back, receiver, or defensive back and excel at any of them; that versatility has Scott Turner working very hard on Jennings.
- And then there is Huggins. Offensive tackles like Kouandjio - and a few others we’ll get to in a minute - are probably the highest priority due to a need for top-end players at the position, but Huggins isn’t too far off. The Pitt coaches have identified Huggins as a player who can make a considerable impact from the day he steps on campus. As such, they’re devoting every resource toward his recruitment.
To a certain extent, it appears to be working. Huggins maintains the proper decorum in interviews, keeping his top ten schools “even” and continuing to claim that no one leads. But we’ve heard that Huggins has Pitt very high on his list, perhaps even in the top three or two.
There’s a lot of time left in Huggins’ recruitment, and a lot of things can happen. But Pitt appears to be in very good shape.
It should be noted that Mike Farrell doesn’t think as highly of Pitt’s chances as I do.
“Sources say Rutgers has a clear edge over Pitt for Huggins and that Notre Dame and North Carolina are more of a threat.”
That’s all well and good. We all have our own sources. I won’t call anyone the favorite, and I certainly do not think that Rutgers holds that spot.
The 1-A’s
Those four recruits are the guaranteed “No-Matter-What’s,” but it’s not a surprise to anyone to say that none are Pitt locks. In fact, Pitt is a long-shot for Kouandjio and Williams and will have to fight long and hard for Jennings and Huggins.
So while the coaches are working very hard on those four guys, they certainly haven’t backed off other recruits, and a small group of prospects are close enough to the “No-Matter-What” list that they could almost be considered 1-A recruits, just slightly - only by a hair in some cases - behind the four listed above.
From what we can tell, three guys fit into “The 1-A’s.”
Keith Lumpkin
Sheldon Royster
Donovan Smith
- Lumpkin might actually be the 1-A offensive tackle, right behind Kouandjio but only slightly. The coaches seem to love his potential, and if fortune should befall them in the form of commitments from Kouandjio and Lumpkin, they would take both.
That’s not likely to happen.
However, they are in play with Lumpkin. Much has been made of Lumpkin’s marathon unofficial visit to Rutgers earlier this month, and that’s all well and good except for one thing:
The day before he spent countless hours at Rutgers, he was at Pitt for upwards of 12 hours. Lumpkin plans to take official visits, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if his final decision came down to the Scarlet Knights and the Panthers.
- Royster is almost in the “No-Matter-What” category. From what we’ve heard, the Pitt staff is very high on Royster for some of the same reasons they love Jennings: he has a lot of versatility and can be a star at a number of positions.
The problem with Royster - at least from our perspective - is that he’s not real keen on this side of the recruiting process; that is to say, he doesn’t like to do interviews. In 2010, he has done exactly four interviews with Rivals, so it’s rather difficult to get a read on where he stands.
Regardless, I’m confident that Pitt is very high on Royster, and if he’s not in the “No-Matter-What” category, he’s just outside.
- Smith is another top tackle prospect for Pitt, but they would have to feel like they are out of it completely for Kouandjio and/or Lumpkin before he is fully elevated to the “No-Matter-What” level. Still, like Royster, Smith is right near that category if he’s not completely in it.
That being said, I have a hard time imagining the coaches saying no to Smith if he tried to commit, particularly since their chances are slim-to-none with Kouandjio.
Also Receiving Votes
Since Pitt’s not the current favorite for any of those seven recruits listed above, it’s hard to put the odds in their favor on landing more than 1 or 2 of them (more on how they can get higher than that number later), which means that other recruits are still on the list.
As of this writing, these five recruits are lower priorities than the first seven we mentioned.
Brandon Clemons
Deion Barnes
Miles Shuler
Damiere Byrd
Jeremiah Bryson
Jack Tabb
Ejuan Price
- Clemons is one guy I’m not really sure about. He’s a very good prospect and Pitt offered him very early. Plus, he seems to have a lot of interest in the Panthers. But he doesn’t get talked about much, and right now the emphasis is more on the tackles, namely Lumpkin and Kouandjio, as well as Smith.
Still, we’ll have to keep an eye on Clemons. If he keeps his interest in Pitt high, he could end up as a strong addition to the class.
- Barnes is below Williams and not a top priority for Pitt since the Panthers already have three defensive ends committed. But Barnes is good enough that if he said he wanted to go to Pitt, they would take him. Pitt made the top five for Barnes, but most recruiting observers seem to agree that he’s probably headed to Penn State.
- Shuler is, without question, one of the top athletes Pitt has recruited this year, and there are several positions he could project at in college. But the coaches don’t have him ranked as high as some of the other “athletes” - namely, Jennings and Royster - and he has been somewhat de-prioritized.
Make no mistake about it: Pitt is still interested in Shuler and he is still interested in the Panthers. They made his top seven:
"I went up there already on an unofficial visit and I like what they have to offer. They're recruiting me for offense. I have a good relationship with the coaches there."
- Byrd is similar to Shuler, both in ability and Pitt’s interest (although Shuler is slightly ahead in the athleticism and speed categories). They would probably have to miss on one of the higher-ranked athletes to kick Byrd’s recruitment back into high gear.
- Bryson is probably slightly above the “Also Receiving Votes” category. Pitt already has a running back commitment in Jameel Poteat, but the target number for the position is at least two, if not three. The coaches would probably stop going after backs if they landed Huggins, but in the meantime, they’ll continue working on Bryson.
has a Penn State offer, it seems that he will be headed for Happy Valley, although chances are he will have trouble qualifying.
- Tabb probably shouldn’t be on this list at all, since Pitt has one tight end already committed and a ton of tight ends on the roster. But he’s still on the board, so we’ll include him. Still, I have a hard time seeing Pitt put any kind of full-court press to get Tabb into the class.
- And then there’s Price. Arguably the best linebacker in the state - and certainly one of the top prospects in western Pa. - Price was one of Pitt’s top targets in the class until mid-summer, when the staff appeared to do a 180 and reverse course. The Panthers do have two linebacker commitments, but even after Ben Kline committed, we were still hearing that they would find room for Price.
Apparently the coaches decided to fill the remaining spaces in a different manner.
I don’t usually opine on how Pitt should handle their recruiting (largely because there are so many elements that we don’t see), choosing instead to report what is happening and share info that I pick up along the way. But I’m a big fan of Price: I think he’s a legit linebacker prospect who can help provide short-term depth and be a long-term starter. I don’t have a problem with them backing off from Delvon Simmons, but Price was one that I thought they should work to find a spot for.
As it stands right now, that doesn’t seem to be the plan. However, as I am frequently reminded, recruiting is always flux and things can always change. Depending on how things shake out with the targets that are still on the board, it’s not hard to see Pitt getting back involved with Price.
That begs the question: would he want to hear more from them, or would he scorn them for backing off?
I think Price would still be open to Pitt if the coaches re-initiated the recruitment. The key is that they have been up-front with Price and Woodland Hills head coach George Novak about the situation; Novak is a good ally and he has been around long enough to understand the way the process works. Sometimes schools run out of room, and sometimes coaches find extra room or situations change.
Remember that in the summer of 2007, Pitt backed off Cam Saddler. But those bridges weren’t burned, and we all know where Saddler plays now.
So I’m saying there’s still a chance for Pitt and Price.
Keep in mind
Before we wrap up a look at Pitt’s remaining targets for the class of 2011, we should mention a few more names.
Aundrey Walker
Jay Whitmire
Quinton Jefferson
- Walker is another tackle prospect who most likely won’t be headed for Pitt. But we’ve heard that he has maintained contact with the coaching staff since taking an unofficial visit this past spring. Again, he’s not likely to pick Pitt, but it’s worth monitoring as long as he stays in contact.
- Whitmire seems like he could be a big-time prospect, but we’ve heard that he’s not big on the recruiting process, even to the point of not keeping in touch with coaches (never mind reporters like me, but you better stay in contact with the coaches).
- Jefferson would appear to be off the board since Pitt has three defensive end commits, but he’s worth mentioning here because I don’t think that door is completely shut just yet.
He’s also worth mentioning because he’s illustrative of several things.
First off, Jefferson’s situation is illustrative of the way that recruiting is always in flux. All summer, we heard that Pitt’s plan was to take the first two defensive ends to commit and then the coaches would shut down defensive end recruiting (other than Ishaq Williams and perhaps Deion Barnes).
So after Desimon Green committed later in the day after Issaka pulled the trigger, and all of a sudden the “first two to jump” philosophy was adjusted.
And now we’re hearing that they still might take Jefferson.
The second point that Jefferson illustrates is that the coaching staff’s plan isn’t exactly concrete. Put another way, the plan as it stands on any given day could very well be completely different from the plan as it stands on a different day. The plan on Monday could be to take players at positions X, Y, and Z to fill out the class, but on Wednesday the plan could be to take players at positions L, H, and X.
It’s literally always changing. Such is the case when there are few spots left and very good players on the board as options. If you’re Dave Wannstedt, you want to take them all. You can’t, though, so you have to decide who you want. But they’re all very good prospects, so your opinion on who you want the most changes depending on the day’s perspective.
So I’m confident about the “No-Matter-What” recruits and the “1-A” guys. Beyond that, recruits can - and probably will - move up and down the board.
How to make a splash
But what about those big-name recruits Pitt is after? What about Huggins and Kouandjio and Jennings? It’s impossible to predict the way the class will end, but if it could include one or more of those three - plus four-star 1-A’s like Royster - then it will be, hands down, the best class Wannstedt has brought to Pitt.
But can they do it? Can the Pitt staff land one or more of those elite prospects?
Yes, they can.
They’ve done everything right so far. They’ve gotten unofficial visits. They’ve established strong personal relationships. They’ve gotten into the top ten’s. And they’ve positioned themselves for official visits.
Now they have to win on the field.
I think we all understand this, but it bears repeating. The next step - and arguably the biggest step - is to go out and win this season. A dog of a 2010 season can and probably will sink Pitt’s chances with almost all of those recruits in the top two groups that I listed. But a big season - 10, 11 or 12 regular season wins and a strong showing in the bowl game - is an essential component of finishing the 2011 class with a bang.
It’s imperative. There are no if’s, and’s or but’s about it: if Pitt wins, they will have a shot at Huggins and the like. If they lose - or struggle, or have an average season - they will not have a shot. It’s really as simple as that. The Pitt coaches have done everything they can so far and they have done it well, but a poor season can waste all of the efforts.
Plus, the 2012 class is already looking very, very strong, and this season will go a long way in getting the ball rolling with that group.
First things first, though: the key ingredient in finishing out the class of 2011 is what happens on the field this year.
With the start of the season just around the corner, there’s no better time than right now to take advantage of an annual subscription to PantherLair.com. Not only do you save money by upgrading to an annual subscription, but you’ll also be able to sign up PantherLair.com text alerts, which means you’ll get instant notification when breaking news - like a new commit or a major depth chart change - takes place.
Overall, the biggest reason to upgrade to an annual subscription is pretty simple:
PantherLair.com’s coverage of Pitt sports is a year-round event. From training camp in August, we segue into comprehensive coverage of the football season, plus fall and winter recruiting, with updates on official visits and news on prospects. We provide daily coverage of the basketball team throughout the winter, and football’s National Letter of Intent Signing Day in February is practically a holiday on the site. From there we follow the hoops team into March Madness and also gear up for spring camp, with more unparalleled coverage. Spring camp leads to the dawn of a new recruiting class, along with the summer prospect camps. And before you know it, we’re back to August again for another training camp.
There’s no point in the calendar year when a Pitt fan wouldn’t want to be on PantherLair.com. So it only makes sense to save money by upgrading to an annual subscription.
Click here to upgrade todayhttp://pittsburgh.rivals.com/nsupgrade.asp
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This post was edited on 8/27 9:36 AM by Chris Peak
