August 6th, 2010
Top of the Pitt
Training camp 2010 kicks off in less than 24 hours, so before the madness begins, PantherLair.com is taking one more look at how the class of 2011 is shaping up.
Pitt currently has 12 commitments (or 11 ½, depending on how you slice it). Most sources have indicated that the coaches plan to get to at least 16 and probably 18 in the class, so that leaves 6 - or 7 - more spots to fill.
As always, we recommend that you keep the 2011 Big Boardhttp://pittsburgh.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=996&CID=1100016 handy; it’s a useful resource and a handy overview of Pitt’s recruiting efforts.
Now then…
Quarterback
Commits: Gary Nova
Remaining targets: None
Quarterback is probably the easiest position to handicap in Pitt’s class of 2011:
Simply put, the Panthers are done. Nova was one of two quarterbacks that Wannstedt and Frank Cignetti offered in the class, and with him on board, the position is full. The possibility always exists that a late-bloomer could develop in his senior season and catch the eyes of the coaches, but in a small class, it’s not likely that Pitt would move on another signal-caller.
Running back
Commits: Breon Allen
Remaining targets: Jeremiah Bryson
Pitt landed one of their big targets last week when Poteat pulled the trigger. That’s one down, with presumably one to go, since the target number at running back has been two. For the other spot, Huggins is easily the biggest fish on the board (at running back and perhaps overall). But when Poteat committed, the initial reaction was that the news would kill Pitt’s chances with Huggins. From what we’ve heard, though, that’s not the case.
Pitt is still very much involved with Huggins, and the interest is mutual. In fact, Pitt appears to be in very good position with the nation’s No. 9 running back prospect. Huggins won’t be making a decision anytime soon, and it’s too early to call anyone a favorite. But there are no indications that Pitt won’t be one of the final schools Huggins chooses from; that means an official visit and a hat on the table when his decision day comes.
In the meantime, Wasonga and Bryson are still on the board. There are a number of questions about Wasonga, ranging from academics to his interest in Penn State. But the word on Bryson seems to indicate that the Smyrna (TN) running back is increasing his interest in Pitt.
And then there’s Allen. We’re confident about a couple things regarding him:
- He does have a Pitt offer
- He did commit to Pitt on July 17th
But it’s not quite that simple. As we’ve said before, Allen has never visited Pitt, so his commitment is sort of pending an official visit this fall. Presumably, that visit will happen sooner rather than later, and it will culminate with a reaffirmation of his commitment. But we’ll see what happens: Pitt is in good shape with Huggins and Bryson, and it would seem that three running backs are probably one too many in the class.
There haven’t been any indications that Allen can play another position - at 5’6” he probably doesn’t project too well on defense - but regardless of what he does, Pitt won’t let up on Huggins, Bryson, and Wasonga.
Wide receiver
Commits: Justin Olack
Remaining targets: Damiere Byrd
With Belton and Olack, Pitt is more or less done with receiver recruiting. Jennings visited Pitt this week, and he’ll cut his list from 15 to 10 in the next week or two. Jennings didn’t rule the Panthers out as possibilities for making the next cut, but he also wouldn’t commit to Pitt’s chances. If Pitt does make his list of 10, then it’s an indication that the visit went well, which should lead to a spot in the top five and an official visit.
Pitt is also reportedly still involved with Byrd, but ultimately, Jennings and Byrd are luxury recruits:
Very good players - outstanding, in the case of Jennings - but at a position where the coaches feel like they have locked up a couple of good players, thus rendering Jennings and Byrd as nice potential additions rather than must-have recruits.
Tight end
Commits: Sam Collura
Remaining targets: Jack Tabb
After taking two tight ends in the class of 2010 and bringing in two transfers at the position over the past two years, Pitt might actually use some restraint in this class. Collura was Pitt’s first commitment, and while he could end up making a move to the offensive line, the coaches seem to like his potential at tight end.
Meanwhile, Tabb is a recruit that Pitt thinks highly of, but similar to Jennings and Byrd, he is something of a luxury recruit, and in a small class, Pitt would be better off with just one tight end.
Offensive line
Commits: Artie Rowell
Remaining targets: Brandon Clemons
Pitt’s target number on the offensive line is three, ideally with two tackles and one interior lineman; Rowell projects inside - either guard or center - but they’ll probably end up with one more tackle and another interior prospect. It’s tough to handicap the offensive line race: Kouandjio is the big fish, but it’s highly unlikely he’ll pick Pitt; Smith seems to keep Pitt in the mix, but he has never made overt statements indicating how high the Panthers might be on his list; Walker seems to be Ohio State’s to lose, but we have heard that he has maintained contact with the coaching staff since visiting during spring camp; Pitt has done good work with Lumpkin, but the coaches aren’t confident in their chances; Whitmire is an enigma, shying away from coaches and reporters throughout the recruiting process; and Clemons seems like he could pick Pitt, but it also appears that he’s waiting for more offers.
Of the recruits who are on the board now, Clemons is the only interior lineman left, which makes him a high priority if Pitt wants another guard/center prospect. Still, it’s difficult to project which linemen the Panthers will land; Smith, Walker, Lumpkin, or Whitmire would make for good recruiting scores in the class and give Pitt a good prospect at offensive tackle, and two of those four would make for an impressive haul. But all four could take some time, meaning Pitt will be involved in a battle throughout the fall and winter.
Defensive end
Commits: None
Remaining targets: Deonte Gibson
The story at defensive end has been told often enough:
Pitt wants two defensive ends from this group of four: Issaka, Jefferson, Green, and Calhoun, with Jackson and Gibson more or less in that group as well. Williams and Barnes are good enough that Pitt would take them even if two of the others had already committed, but most indications are that one, if not both, of those two will be headed to Penn State (Barnes seems like a PSU lock, and rumor has it that Williams isn’t too far behind).
As to which of the four will pull the trigger first, it’s really anyone’s guess. Jefferson has hinted in recent days that he could be deciding soon, but given that he and Green are close, one would surmise that those two will be in concert when commitment time comes. To put it another way:
Pitt plans to accept commitments from two of those four, and the coaches have all four ranked close enough together that they’ll take the first two who jump. Jefferson and Green both know this to be the case, so if they both ultimately want to go to Pitt, they could conspire to commit at the same time so that neither gets left out.
As we said, Jefferson seems to be getting closer, but Green appears to be sticking to his plans for announcing in mid-October (although it should be noted that he said he’d make his announcement public that day, leaving open the possibility of a silent verbal prior to October).
Issaka is still bouncing back and forth between Pitt and Rutgers, and he is feeling pressure to commit soon, regardless of the school he chooses. Calhoun has about a dozen offers, but he appears to be up in the air.
The Pitt coaches could probably jump-start the process at defensive end if they felt so inclined. The key would be to tell Green that he can commit and still take an official visit to Texas Tech early in the season, which has been the sticking point for him all summer. If that happens, he would probably commit, which would lead to Jefferson, Issaka, or Calhoun following in tow (most likely Jefferson). Green would then take the official visit, realize he doesn’t want to go to Texas Tech, and everything would be settled.
But they seem intent on sticking to their guns and insisting that Green not take an official visit after he commits. As such, Green and Jefferson run the risk of the New Jersey ends - Issaka and Calhoun - committing and stealing the spots.
Defensive tackle
Commits: Marquise Wright
Remaining targets: None
Like wide receiver and tight end, Pitt appears to be pretty much done recruiting the defensive tackle position. There are a couple names still on the board - Delvon Simmons - and while Pitt will continue to maintain contact with Simmons, the coaches always planned to take one defensive tackle in the class. Wright is that player.
Linebacker
Commits: Ben Kline
Remaining targets: Ejuan Price
Linebacker may not be as settled as receiver, tight end, and defensive tackle, but it’s not too far behind. The target number has been two since the class began, and while Alston and Kline might not have been Nos. 1 and 2 on the board, the Pitt coaches are satisfied with the two linebackers they have commitments from so far.
Price may end up being the best player in the WPIAL this year, and he is certainly the top linebacker in the state. But from what we’ve gathered, there doesn’t appear to be much contact on either side. That could indicate that Price is looking elsewhere, or that the Pitt coaches decided to sit tight with the two linebackers they have; either way, it would seem that the ship has sailed for Pitt and Price.
Cornerback
Commits: Lafayette Pitts
Remaining targets: Kelvin Fisher
Pitt doesn’t want to overload with cornerbacks, but that might end up happening. Chestnut and Pitts were high on the coaching staff’s board from the time they started building the class, and landing Chestnut, in particular, was a big recruiting win for the Panthers.
But Pitt is still in good shape with the other three corner prospects: Jarrett, Shuler, and Fisher. Having Chestnut on board will help with Jarrett, who will probably end up picking one of the two in-state schools. Shuler has tried to stay quiet for most of this summer, but Pitt is likely to be one of his finalists. And Fisher visited Pitt earlier this week in the midst of his summer job as ball boy for the Steelers.
Fortunately for Pitt, if some combination Jarrett, Shuler, and Fisher - either one, two or all three - committed, it wouldn’t necessarily be a matter of taking three or more cornerbacks, since almost all of the players on the board at corner also could project at another position. Chestnut and Pitts could be safeties, while Shuler and Fisher could play offense.
Safety
Commits: None
Remaining targets: Sheldon Royster
It’s not entirely accurate to say that safety isn’t a priority in this class, but the truth is, it’s not. Of the recruits listed at safety on Alex Dixon doesn’t seem likely to include Pitt in his final six.
Royster is Pitt’s best chance out of the group of safeties we list on the The Big Boardhttp://pittsburgh.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=996&CID=1100016, but he has been nearly impossible to reach since the spring, so it’s anyone’s guess where he stands with any college. Pitt is working hard on Royster’s St. Peter’s Prep teammates Huggins and Lumpkin, so it stands to reason that Jeff Hafley is working equally hard on Royster.
Ultimately, even if Pitt doesn’t sign any of those safety prospects, chances are they’ll add at least one more cornerback recruit, and as we said above, one of the current corner prospects could potentially move to safety.
Training camp 2010 kicks off on Saturday, and if you’ve been on PantherLair.com for the past five years, you know that our training camp coverage is the most comprehensive on the internet. As such, 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
And while you’re at it, do you have a friend who is a Pitt fan? And is your friend missing out on all the Pitt coverage from PantherLair.com? We’ve got an opportunity for you to help your friend tap into the most comprehensive source of Pitt news on the internet, and we’ll also sweeten the pot for you, too. Click here to learn about the new PantherLair.com referral programhttp://pittsburgh.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=551&mid=145726024&sid=996&tid=145726024&style=1.
Keep in touch on the go. Follow PantherLair.com:
Top of the Pitt
Training camp 2010 kicks off in less than 24 hours, so before the madness begins, PantherLair.com is taking one more look at how the class of 2011 is shaping up.
Pitt currently has 12 commitments (or 11 ½, depending on how you slice it). Most sources have indicated that the coaches plan to get to at least 16 and probably 18 in the class, so that leaves 6 - or 7 - more spots to fill.
As always, we recommend that you keep the 2011 Big Boardhttp://pittsburgh.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=996&CID=1100016 handy; it’s a useful resource and a handy overview of Pitt’s recruiting efforts.
Now then…
Quarterback
Commits: Gary Nova
Remaining targets: None
Quarterback is probably the easiest position to handicap in Pitt’s class of 2011:
Simply put, the Panthers are done. Nova was one of two quarterbacks that Wannstedt and Frank Cignetti offered in the class, and with him on board, the position is full. The possibility always exists that a late-bloomer could develop in his senior season and catch the eyes of the coaches, but in a small class, it’s not likely that Pitt would move on another signal-caller.
Running back
Commits: Breon Allen
Remaining targets: Jeremiah Bryson
Pitt landed one of their big targets last week when Poteat pulled the trigger. That’s one down, with presumably one to go, since the target number at running back has been two. For the other spot, Huggins is easily the biggest fish on the board (at running back and perhaps overall). But when Poteat committed, the initial reaction was that the news would kill Pitt’s chances with Huggins. From what we’ve heard, though, that’s not the case.
Pitt is still very much involved with Huggins, and the interest is mutual. In fact, Pitt appears to be in very good position with the nation’s No. 9 running back prospect. Huggins won’t be making a decision anytime soon, and it’s too early to call anyone a favorite. But there are no indications that Pitt won’t be one of the final schools Huggins chooses from; that means an official visit and a hat on the table when his decision day comes.
In the meantime, Wasonga and Bryson are still on the board. There are a number of questions about Wasonga, ranging from academics to his interest in Penn State. But the word on Bryson seems to indicate that the Smyrna (TN) running back is increasing his interest in Pitt.
And then there’s Allen. We’re confident about a couple things regarding him:
- He does have a Pitt offer
- He did commit to Pitt on July 17th
But it’s not quite that simple. As we’ve said before, Allen has never visited Pitt, so his commitment is sort of pending an official visit this fall. Presumably, that visit will happen sooner rather than later, and it will culminate with a reaffirmation of his commitment. But we’ll see what happens: Pitt is in good shape with Huggins and Bryson, and it would seem that three running backs are probably one too many in the class.
There haven’t been any indications that Allen can play another position - at 5’6” he probably doesn’t project too well on defense - but regardless of what he does, Pitt won’t let up on Huggins, Bryson, and Wasonga.
Wide receiver
Commits: Justin Olack
Remaining targets: Damiere Byrd
With Belton and Olack, Pitt is more or less done with receiver recruiting. Jennings visited Pitt this week, and he’ll cut his list from 15 to 10 in the next week or two. Jennings didn’t rule the Panthers out as possibilities for making the next cut, but he also wouldn’t commit to Pitt’s chances. If Pitt does make his list of 10, then it’s an indication that the visit went well, which should lead to a spot in the top five and an official visit.
Pitt is also reportedly still involved with Byrd, but ultimately, Jennings and Byrd are luxury recruits:
Very good players - outstanding, in the case of Jennings - but at a position where the coaches feel like they have locked up a couple of good players, thus rendering Jennings and Byrd as nice potential additions rather than must-have recruits.
Tight end
Commits: Sam Collura
Remaining targets: Jack Tabb
After taking two tight ends in the class of 2010 and bringing in two transfers at the position over the past two years, Pitt might actually use some restraint in this class. Collura was Pitt’s first commitment, and while he could end up making a move to the offensive line, the coaches seem to like his potential at tight end.
Meanwhile, Tabb is a recruit that Pitt thinks highly of, but similar to Jennings and Byrd, he is something of a luxury recruit, and in a small class, Pitt would be better off with just one tight end.
Offensive line
Commits: Artie Rowell
Remaining targets: Brandon Clemons
Pitt’s target number on the offensive line is three, ideally with two tackles and one interior lineman; Rowell projects inside - either guard or center - but they’ll probably end up with one more tackle and another interior prospect. It’s tough to handicap the offensive line race: Kouandjio is the big fish, but it’s highly unlikely he’ll pick Pitt; Smith seems to keep Pitt in the mix, but he has never made overt statements indicating how high the Panthers might be on his list; Walker seems to be Ohio State’s to lose, but we have heard that he has maintained contact with the coaching staff since visiting during spring camp; Pitt has done good work with Lumpkin, but the coaches aren’t confident in their chances; Whitmire is an enigma, shying away from coaches and reporters throughout the recruiting process; and Clemons seems like he could pick Pitt, but it also appears that he’s waiting for more offers.
Of the recruits who are on the board now, Clemons is the only interior lineman left, which makes him a high priority if Pitt wants another guard/center prospect. Still, it’s difficult to project which linemen the Panthers will land; Smith, Walker, Lumpkin, or Whitmire would make for good recruiting scores in the class and give Pitt a good prospect at offensive tackle, and two of those four would make for an impressive haul. But all four could take some time, meaning Pitt will be involved in a battle throughout the fall and winter.
Defensive end
Commits: None
Remaining targets: Deonte Gibson
The story at defensive end has been told often enough:
Pitt wants two defensive ends from this group of four: Issaka, Jefferson, Green, and Calhoun, with Jackson and Gibson more or less in that group as well. Williams and Barnes are good enough that Pitt would take them even if two of the others had already committed, but most indications are that one, if not both, of those two will be headed to Penn State (Barnes seems like a PSU lock, and rumor has it that Williams isn’t too far behind).
As to which of the four will pull the trigger first, it’s really anyone’s guess. Jefferson has hinted in recent days that he could be deciding soon, but given that he and Green are close, one would surmise that those two will be in concert when commitment time comes. To put it another way:
Pitt plans to accept commitments from two of those four, and the coaches have all four ranked close enough together that they’ll take the first two who jump. Jefferson and Green both know this to be the case, so if they both ultimately want to go to Pitt, they could conspire to commit at the same time so that neither gets left out.
As we said, Jefferson seems to be getting closer, but Green appears to be sticking to his plans for announcing in mid-October (although it should be noted that he said he’d make his announcement public that day, leaving open the possibility of a silent verbal prior to October).
Issaka is still bouncing back and forth between Pitt and Rutgers, and he is feeling pressure to commit soon, regardless of the school he chooses. Calhoun has about a dozen offers, but he appears to be up in the air.
The Pitt coaches could probably jump-start the process at defensive end if they felt so inclined. The key would be to tell Green that he can commit and still take an official visit to Texas Tech early in the season, which has been the sticking point for him all summer. If that happens, he would probably commit, which would lead to Jefferson, Issaka, or Calhoun following in tow (most likely Jefferson). Green would then take the official visit, realize he doesn’t want to go to Texas Tech, and everything would be settled.
But they seem intent on sticking to their guns and insisting that Green not take an official visit after he commits. As such, Green and Jefferson run the risk of the New Jersey ends - Issaka and Calhoun - committing and stealing the spots.
Defensive tackle
Commits: Marquise Wright
Remaining targets: None
Like wide receiver and tight end, Pitt appears to be pretty much done recruiting the defensive tackle position. There are a couple names still on the board - Delvon Simmons - and while Pitt will continue to maintain contact with Simmons, the coaches always planned to take one defensive tackle in the class. Wright is that player.
Linebacker
Commits: Ben Kline
Remaining targets: Ejuan Price
Linebacker may not be as settled as receiver, tight end, and defensive tackle, but it’s not too far behind. The target number has been two since the class began, and while Alston and Kline might not have been Nos. 1 and 2 on the board, the Pitt coaches are satisfied with the two linebackers they have commitments from so far.
Price may end up being the best player in the WPIAL this year, and he is certainly the top linebacker in the state. But from what we’ve gathered, there doesn’t appear to be much contact on either side. That could indicate that Price is looking elsewhere, or that the Pitt coaches decided to sit tight with the two linebackers they have; either way, it would seem that the ship has sailed for Pitt and Price.
Cornerback
Commits: Lafayette Pitts
Remaining targets: Kelvin Fisher
Pitt doesn’t want to overload with cornerbacks, but that might end up happening. Chestnut and Pitts were high on the coaching staff’s board from the time they started building the class, and landing Chestnut, in particular, was a big recruiting win for the Panthers.
But Pitt is still in good shape with the other three corner prospects: Jarrett, Shuler, and Fisher. Having Chestnut on board will help with Jarrett, who will probably end up picking one of the two in-state schools. Shuler has tried to stay quiet for most of this summer, but Pitt is likely to be one of his finalists. And Fisher visited Pitt earlier this week in the midst of his summer job as ball boy for the Steelers.
Fortunately for Pitt, if some combination Jarrett, Shuler, and Fisher - either one, two or all three - committed, it wouldn’t necessarily be a matter of taking three or more cornerbacks, since almost all of the players on the board at corner also could project at another position. Chestnut and Pitts could be safeties, while Shuler and Fisher could play offense.
Safety
Commits: None
Remaining targets: Sheldon Royster
It’s not entirely accurate to say that safety isn’t a priority in this class, but the truth is, it’s not. Of the recruits listed at safety on Alex Dixon doesn’t seem likely to include Pitt in his final six.
Royster is Pitt’s best chance out of the group of safeties we list on the The Big Boardhttp://pittsburgh.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=996&CID=1100016, but he has been nearly impossible to reach since the spring, so it’s anyone’s guess where he stands with any college. Pitt is working hard on Royster’s St. Peter’s Prep teammates Huggins and Lumpkin, so it stands to reason that Jeff Hafley is working equally hard on Royster.
Ultimately, even if Pitt doesn’t sign any of those safety prospects, chances are they’ll add at least one more cornerback recruit, and as we said above, one of the current corner prospects could potentially move to safety.
Training camp 2010 kicks off on Saturday, and if you’ve been on PantherLair.com for the past five years, you know that our training camp coverage is the most comprehensive on the internet. As such, 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
And while you’re at it, do you have a friend who is a Pitt fan? And is your friend missing out on all the Pitt coverage from PantherLair.com? We’ve got an opportunity for you to help your friend tap into the most comprehensive source of Pitt news on the internet, and we’ll also sweeten the pot for you, too. Click here to learn about the new PantherLair.com referral programhttp://pittsburgh.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=551&mid=145726024&sid=996&tid=145726024&style=1.
Keep in touch on the go. Follow PantherLair.com:
