September 25, 2009
Top of The Pitt
The Pitt football team is rolling at 3-0 and will face its toughest test yet when the Panthers take on North Carolina State in Raleigh on Saturday. But Dave Wannstedt and the coaching staff haven't forgotten about the recruiting trail, so today PantherLair.com is breaking out In the Pitt to go inside Pitt recruiting.
As with any conversation about recruiting, though, it's valuable to start with the numbers game. Here's how Pitt's current 85-scholarship roster breaks down:
Seniors/RS Seniors - 18
Juniors/RS Juniors - 12
Sophomores/RS Sophomores - 24
RS Freshman - 12
Freshman - 19
In terms of scholarship numbers, the class that matters the most to the current recruiting scenario is the seniors/redshirt seniors. That class stands at 18, although if Greg Cross takes a redshirt this year - as Wannstedt apparently mentioned during the kickoff luncheon - then his spot will not be open, dropping the number of available scholarships to 17.
Pitt's commitment list currently stands at 20, and we've heard projected totals ranging from 22 to 25. Since the coaches always seem to find ways to stretch the limits, we'll work with 25 as the target number for the purposes of this breakdown.
To get to 25 the Pitt staff will need some attrition from the lower classes. Assuming Cross redshirts, that means Wannstedt and company will be eight scholarships short of the necessary number. The most likely attrition will come from the current juniors/RS juniors, but that class currently numbers 12, so taking too many from that group will put the recruiting class of 2011 at a severe disadvantage.
In the interest of building a strong class next year, then, the Pitt coaches can't dig too deep into the current juniors/RS juniors to find scholarship spots. Rather, those extra spots will have to come from the sophomores/RS sophomores and the RS freshmen.
We won't get into speculating on which players are likely candidates for early departures - most Pitt fans could probably manufacture a list of eight - so we'll jump straight ahead to some of the new developments on the recruiting front and a breakdown of how the class could finish.
The Quarterback Situation
The commitment of Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty quarterback Anthony Gonzalez[/URL] last week was a huge get for Pitt on a number of levels. For starters, the coaching staff secured a commitment from the reigning Class AAAA State Player of the Year, and when the player that wins that award is also a high-major Division I-A talent, it's a boon for an in-state school to sign him.
Gonzalez projects pretty well on both offense and defense in college, although, like Tyler Palko several years ago, a number of evaluators and scouts feel that he's a better prospect at safety than at quarterback. Nevertheless, Gonzalez has enough talent that he'll get the opportunity to play quarterback when he gets to Pitt next year. The upside is that, if he doesn't pan out at quarterback or he falls down the depth chart, he can move to safety and probably be a multi-year starter.
Still, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti wants to get another quarterback in this class, and there seems to be a lot of momentum mounting right now for Cleveland (Oh.) St. Ignatius quarterback Mark Myers[/URL].
Myers exploded last week for his first big game since taking over as the starter for St. Ignatius this season, throwing for five touchdowns in a win over Mentor Friday night. Pitt running backs coach David Walker, who is Myers' geographic recruiter, was in attendance for the game, and while Cignetti didn't watch the game in person, the word going around is that he is very high on Myers.
In fact, we've heard that the feeling around the South Side is that the coaches can't find a reason not to offer Myers. As such, it now sounds like an offer could be coming for Myers in the very near future. And when that happens, it wouldn't be a surprise if Myers accepts the offer promptly.
One factor that could be holding up the offer for Myers is the fact that Gonzalez committed last week. Pitt wants to take two quarterbacks in this class, and Gonzalez is probably aware of that fact. But to offer a second quarterback a week or two after Gonzalez commits could hammer the point a bit too strongly.
Nevertheless, Myers should be offered soon and will probably commit soon thereafter. This fits into Cignetti's gameplan, as he has been looking for a more classic drop-back pro-style passer to complement Gonzalez, who has been a top target for everyone on the coaching staff.
Back in Play
Perhaps the biggest news in Pitt recruiting this week was the re-emergence of Penn Hills safety Brandon Ifill[/URL] as a primary target. Throughout the spring and summer, Ifill seemed to be drifting away from Pitt, keeping the Panthers in his top five but leaning heavily to Maryland.
But Pitt has made up a lot of ground with Ifill lately, and the value of Saturday's game against Navy can't be overstated. It was one thing for Ifill to see former teammate Dan Mason start and excel in the game, but Ifill was even more struck by the fact that Mason and running back Dion Lewis are getting opportunities to be contributing starters as freshmen. That seems to be making a huge impact on Ifill at this point.
Plus, he's been talking to the Pitt coaches a lot lately, and while he said Pitt and Maryland are at the top of his list, it certainly sounds like the Panthers are holding a slight edge right now. Ifill is going to visit Maryland this Saturday for the Terrapins' home game against Rutgers - another of his top five - so the balance could shift back to Maryland, but the progress the Pitt staff has made in the past two weeks should lay the foundation for a strong finish.
And if Ifill were to commit to Pitt this fall or in December, it will be very interesting to see what happens with Cullen Christian[/URL]. Christian has had Michigan as his leader for what seems like forever, but he hasn't committed yet, which means there is always a chance for another team to contend.
In some ways, Christian is a little reminiscent of Shayne Hale. Hale virtually never mentioned Pitt throughout the recruiting process - although there were rumblings here and there that he was in touch with the coaching staff - and most thought he was a lock for either Ohio State or Virginia.
Of course, the big difference between Christian and Hale is that Hale had a charismatic teammate in Cam Saddler, and when Saddler committed, Hale wasn't far behind. Christian probably won't be swayed by his teammates' decisions, although having one former teammate (Mason) at Pitt, one current teammate (defensive tackle Aaron Donald[/URL]) committed to Pitt, and potentially a second current teammate (Ifill) committed to Pitt, Christian just might follow suit.
The First Official Visit
Pitt's official visits for the class of 2010 kicked off last weekend when New Jersey TE/DE Sherard Cadogan[/URL] came to town for the Navy game. Cadogan is pretty high on Pitt, and when we interviewed him after the visit, he seemed to stop himself short of saying Pitt is his leader.
The problem is, Pitt was only his first official visit, and Cadogan seems intent on taking all five. He's going to Wisconsin this weekend, then West Virginia, South Carolina, and Michigan State. He'll be done with visits by the end of October, after which he'll probably make a decision.
If Pitt was the last official for Cadogan, the chances would look a lot better. But a lot of time will have passed between his official visit to Pitt and the time he finally makes a decision. Cadogan's final official visit will be the weekend of October 24th; Pitt might actually be better served by trying to convince him to hold off on deciding after that visit and talking him into taking an unofficial visit to Pittsburgh two weeks later for the Pitt-Notre Dame game.
The Final Five
The current list of 20 commitments means that the staff is looking for five more to fill things out. Chances are good that the class will not be complete until after December and January official visits, but chances are also good that most of the final five are already on the current radar.
The three players mentioned above - Myers, Ifill, and Cadogan - are all good possibilities for the final five spots. Cadogan is probably the least likely to commit, just because of the timing issue with the official visits, while the hold-up with Myers is the fact that he doesn't have an offer. Ifill looks a lot more like a Pitt lean today than he did two weeks ago, but the coaching staffs at Pitt and Maryland have told him that they want him to visit officially in December, so Wannstedt and company will have to keep the pressure on throughout the fall.
Pitt is still the front-runner for DeMatha offensive lineman Shane Johnson[/URL], too. Throughout August we heard from a number of sources that Johnson was on the verge of committing to Pitt; one source close to DeMatha even termed Johnson at "99%" and expressed surprise that he hadn't pulled the trigger. But influences within Johnson's family want him to look around, and he's obliging.
Boston College, Virginia, California, and Wake Forest make up the rest of his top five, but Boston College, Cal, and Wake Forest have three offensive line commits each, and Virginia has two. Rutgers is also apparently in play - and might have support within Johnson's family - but the Scarlet Knights already have four commitments on the line.
Johnson may take all five official visits, but the odds are still strongly in Pitt's favor.
If Myers, Ifill, Cadogan, and Johnson commit, one spot will remain in Pitt's class of 2010, and it seems likely that the final commit will be a prospect who does not yet have an offer.
McKeesport athlete Ty-Meer Brown[/URL] told us this week that Pitt has verbally offered him and a written offer should be coming soon. Brown might not act immediately on his offer, but his other offers are from Bowling Green, Toledo, and Akron. Georgia Tech and Connecticut are showing interest, but you have to like Pitt's chances to keep Brown home.
Meanwhile, Virginia RB/CB Angus Harper[/URL] told us this week that the Pitt coaches have told him they will offer five more recruits in the class of 2010. If that's the case, Myers and Brown are likely candidates for two of the five. The other three could depend largely on what happens with the other top recruits in the class. If Johnson commits elsewhere, for example, Pitt might pull the trigger on offering a prospect like Sean Hickey[/URL]. Erie WR/CB Shyquawn Pullium[/URL] could also find an offer if he has a strong senior season, and it's likely that Pitt will find at least one or two Florida prospects later this fall.
Of course, there's always the possibility that Pitt could fill a spot or two with a recruit who is committed elsewhere. Rumors will probably swirl about Sto-Rox quarterback Paul Jones[/URL] up until Signing Day, and there's a lot of talk Pitt is still in contact with New Jersey WR Shakim Phillips[/URL], who committed to Boston College. A strong season and an effective official visit in December might also sway a local recruit like Miles Dieffenbach[/URL].
The Clemmings Question
Things could change a bit if the status of T.J. Clemmings[/URL] shifts away from Pitt, and for a period of time, it looked like Clemmings' commitment to Pitt was shaky, at best. The story of Clemmings' commitment varies depending on who you ask: some will tell you everything was on the up-and-up, while others will go so far as to say that the verbal pledge never actually happened. Due to Clemmings' silence on the matter, it's tough to get a full read on how things truly stand.
However, the situation appears to be looking up for Pitt. The two biggest threats to the Panthers in the recruitment of Clemmings are probably Ohio State and Florida, but the Buckeyes have four defensive end commits, and while Florida currently has just one commit at the position, the Gators are in hot pursuit of three five-star ends and a handful of four-stars. At this point, both schools appear to have moved on and don't seem to be in the picture anymore.
And from what we hear, Clemmings' silence isn't just a media operation; some sources have indicated that he doesn't make much contact with college coaches, thus lessening his standing with potential suitors. We're even hearing that, to a certain extent, it seems like Clemmings committed to Pitt and then decided to forego any further recruiting activity.
Rumors will continue to swirl about Clemmings until Signing Day - barring some definitive statement from Clemmings himself - but at this point, it looks like the chips could still fall for Pitt.
Keep in touch on the go. Follow PantherLair.com:
Top of The Pitt
The Pitt football team is rolling at 3-0 and will face its toughest test yet when the Panthers take on North Carolina State in Raleigh on Saturday. But Dave Wannstedt and the coaching staff haven't forgotten about the recruiting trail, so today PantherLair.com is breaking out In the Pitt to go inside Pitt recruiting.
As with any conversation about recruiting, though, it's valuable to start with the numbers game. Here's how Pitt's current 85-scholarship roster breaks down:
Seniors/RS Seniors - 18
Juniors/RS Juniors - 12
Sophomores/RS Sophomores - 24
RS Freshman - 12
Freshman - 19
In terms of scholarship numbers, the class that matters the most to the current recruiting scenario is the seniors/redshirt seniors. That class stands at 18, although if Greg Cross takes a redshirt this year - as Wannstedt apparently mentioned during the kickoff luncheon - then his spot will not be open, dropping the number of available scholarships to 17.
Pitt's commitment list currently stands at 20, and we've heard projected totals ranging from 22 to 25. Since the coaches always seem to find ways to stretch the limits, we'll work with 25 as the target number for the purposes of this breakdown.
To get to 25 the Pitt staff will need some attrition from the lower classes. Assuming Cross redshirts, that means Wannstedt and company will be eight scholarships short of the necessary number. The most likely attrition will come from the current juniors/RS juniors, but that class currently numbers 12, so taking too many from that group will put the recruiting class of 2011 at a severe disadvantage.
In the interest of building a strong class next year, then, the Pitt coaches can't dig too deep into the current juniors/RS juniors to find scholarship spots. Rather, those extra spots will have to come from the sophomores/RS sophomores and the RS freshmen.
We won't get into speculating on which players are likely candidates for early departures - most Pitt fans could probably manufacture a list of eight - so we'll jump straight ahead to some of the new developments on the recruiting front and a breakdown of how the class could finish.
The Quarterback Situation
The commitment of Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty quarterback Anthony Gonzalez[/URL] last week was a huge get for Pitt on a number of levels. For starters, the coaching staff secured a commitment from the reigning Class AAAA State Player of the Year, and when the player that wins that award is also a high-major Division I-A talent, it's a boon for an in-state school to sign him.
Gonzalez projects pretty well on both offense and defense in college, although, like Tyler Palko several years ago, a number of evaluators and scouts feel that he's a better prospect at safety than at quarterback. Nevertheless, Gonzalez has enough talent that he'll get the opportunity to play quarterback when he gets to Pitt next year. The upside is that, if he doesn't pan out at quarterback or he falls down the depth chart, he can move to safety and probably be a multi-year starter.
Still, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti wants to get another quarterback in this class, and there seems to be a lot of momentum mounting right now for Cleveland (Oh.) St. Ignatius quarterback Mark Myers[/URL].
Myers exploded last week for his first big game since taking over as the starter for St. Ignatius this season, throwing for five touchdowns in a win over Mentor Friday night. Pitt running backs coach David Walker, who is Myers' geographic recruiter, was in attendance for the game, and while Cignetti didn't watch the game in person, the word going around is that he is very high on Myers.
In fact, we've heard that the feeling around the South Side is that the coaches can't find a reason not to offer Myers. As such, it now sounds like an offer could be coming for Myers in the very near future. And when that happens, it wouldn't be a surprise if Myers accepts the offer promptly.
One factor that could be holding up the offer for Myers is the fact that Gonzalez committed last week. Pitt wants to take two quarterbacks in this class, and Gonzalez is probably aware of that fact. But to offer a second quarterback a week or two after Gonzalez commits could hammer the point a bit too strongly.
Nevertheless, Myers should be offered soon and will probably commit soon thereafter. This fits into Cignetti's gameplan, as he has been looking for a more classic drop-back pro-style passer to complement Gonzalez, who has been a top target for everyone on the coaching staff.
Back in Play
Perhaps the biggest news in Pitt recruiting this week was the re-emergence of Penn Hills safety Brandon Ifill[/URL] as a primary target. Throughout the spring and summer, Ifill seemed to be drifting away from Pitt, keeping the Panthers in his top five but leaning heavily to Maryland.
But Pitt has made up a lot of ground with Ifill lately, and the value of Saturday's game against Navy can't be overstated. It was one thing for Ifill to see former teammate Dan Mason start and excel in the game, but Ifill was even more struck by the fact that Mason and running back Dion Lewis are getting opportunities to be contributing starters as freshmen. That seems to be making a huge impact on Ifill at this point.
Plus, he's been talking to the Pitt coaches a lot lately, and while he said Pitt and Maryland are at the top of his list, it certainly sounds like the Panthers are holding a slight edge right now. Ifill is going to visit Maryland this Saturday for the Terrapins' home game against Rutgers - another of his top five - so the balance could shift back to Maryland, but the progress the Pitt staff has made in the past two weeks should lay the foundation for a strong finish.
And if Ifill were to commit to Pitt this fall or in December, it will be very interesting to see what happens with Cullen Christian[/URL]. Christian has had Michigan as his leader for what seems like forever, but he hasn't committed yet, which means there is always a chance for another team to contend.
In some ways, Christian is a little reminiscent of Shayne Hale. Hale virtually never mentioned Pitt throughout the recruiting process - although there were rumblings here and there that he was in touch with the coaching staff - and most thought he was a lock for either Ohio State or Virginia.
Of course, the big difference between Christian and Hale is that Hale had a charismatic teammate in Cam Saddler, and when Saddler committed, Hale wasn't far behind. Christian probably won't be swayed by his teammates' decisions, although having one former teammate (Mason) at Pitt, one current teammate (defensive tackle Aaron Donald[/URL]) committed to Pitt, and potentially a second current teammate (Ifill) committed to Pitt, Christian just might follow suit.
The First Official Visit
Pitt's official visits for the class of 2010 kicked off last weekend when New Jersey TE/DE Sherard Cadogan[/URL] came to town for the Navy game. Cadogan is pretty high on Pitt, and when we interviewed him after the visit, he seemed to stop himself short of saying Pitt is his leader.
The problem is, Pitt was only his first official visit, and Cadogan seems intent on taking all five. He's going to Wisconsin this weekend, then West Virginia, South Carolina, and Michigan State. He'll be done with visits by the end of October, after which he'll probably make a decision.
If Pitt was the last official for Cadogan, the chances would look a lot better. But a lot of time will have passed between his official visit to Pitt and the time he finally makes a decision. Cadogan's final official visit will be the weekend of October 24th; Pitt might actually be better served by trying to convince him to hold off on deciding after that visit and talking him into taking an unofficial visit to Pittsburgh two weeks later for the Pitt-Notre Dame game.
The Final Five
The current list of 20 commitments means that the staff is looking for five more to fill things out. Chances are good that the class will not be complete until after December and January official visits, but chances are also good that most of the final five are already on the current radar.
The three players mentioned above - Myers, Ifill, and Cadogan - are all good possibilities for the final five spots. Cadogan is probably the least likely to commit, just because of the timing issue with the official visits, while the hold-up with Myers is the fact that he doesn't have an offer. Ifill looks a lot more like a Pitt lean today than he did two weeks ago, but the coaching staffs at Pitt and Maryland have told him that they want him to visit officially in December, so Wannstedt and company will have to keep the pressure on throughout the fall.
Pitt is still the front-runner for DeMatha offensive lineman Shane Johnson[/URL], too. Throughout August we heard from a number of sources that Johnson was on the verge of committing to Pitt; one source close to DeMatha even termed Johnson at "99%" and expressed surprise that he hadn't pulled the trigger. But influences within Johnson's family want him to look around, and he's obliging.
Boston College, Virginia, California, and Wake Forest make up the rest of his top five, but Boston College, Cal, and Wake Forest have three offensive line commits each, and Virginia has two. Rutgers is also apparently in play - and might have support within Johnson's family - but the Scarlet Knights already have four commitments on the line.
Johnson may take all five official visits, but the odds are still strongly in Pitt's favor.
If Myers, Ifill, Cadogan, and Johnson commit, one spot will remain in Pitt's class of 2010, and it seems likely that the final commit will be a prospect who does not yet have an offer.
McKeesport athlete Ty-Meer Brown[/URL] told us this week that Pitt has verbally offered him and a written offer should be coming soon. Brown might not act immediately on his offer, but his other offers are from Bowling Green, Toledo, and Akron. Georgia Tech and Connecticut are showing interest, but you have to like Pitt's chances to keep Brown home.
Meanwhile, Virginia RB/CB Angus Harper[/URL] told us this week that the Pitt coaches have told him they will offer five more recruits in the class of 2010. If that's the case, Myers and Brown are likely candidates for two of the five. The other three could depend largely on what happens with the other top recruits in the class. If Johnson commits elsewhere, for example, Pitt might pull the trigger on offering a prospect like Sean Hickey[/URL]. Erie WR/CB Shyquawn Pullium[/URL] could also find an offer if he has a strong senior season, and it's likely that Pitt will find at least one or two Florida prospects later this fall.
Of course, there's always the possibility that Pitt could fill a spot or two with a recruit who is committed elsewhere. Rumors will probably swirl about Sto-Rox quarterback Paul Jones[/URL] up until Signing Day, and there's a lot of talk Pitt is still in contact with New Jersey WR Shakim Phillips[/URL], who committed to Boston College. A strong season and an effective official visit in December might also sway a local recruit like Miles Dieffenbach[/URL].
The Clemmings Question
Things could change a bit if the status of T.J. Clemmings[/URL] shifts away from Pitt, and for a period of time, it looked like Clemmings' commitment to Pitt was shaky, at best. The story of Clemmings' commitment varies depending on who you ask: some will tell you everything was on the up-and-up, while others will go so far as to say that the verbal pledge never actually happened. Due to Clemmings' silence on the matter, it's tough to get a full read on how things truly stand.
However, the situation appears to be looking up for Pitt. The two biggest threats to the Panthers in the recruitment of Clemmings are probably Ohio State and Florida, but the Buckeyes have four defensive end commits, and while Florida currently has just one commit at the position, the Gators are in hot pursuit of three five-star ends and a handful of four-stars. At this point, both schools appear to have moved on and don't seem to be in the picture anymore.
And from what we hear, Clemmings' silence isn't just a media operation; some sources have indicated that he doesn't make much contact with college coaches, thus lessening his standing with potential suitors. We're even hearing that, to a certain extent, it seems like Clemmings committed to Pitt and then decided to forego any further recruiting activity.
Rumors will continue to swirl about Clemmings until Signing Day - barring some definitive statement from Clemmings himself - but at this point, it looks like the chips could still fall for Pitt.
Keep in touch on the go. Follow PantherLair.com:
