When was the last time we had this happen for any WPIAL recruiting class? I think we came close under Wannstedt, but I actually want to say Hackett in the early 90s.
Interesting stat re: Pitt, WPIAL
- Thread starter HailToPitt725
- Start date
Building those relationships are more important than ever
This coming season will tell the story of whether it is possible to build a great team with WPIAL talent. With another 10+ win season, Pitt would have a heck of a selling point with local kids, especially if some of those kids listed (and Jurkovich) have breakout seasons.
This helps build the fan base too. The local players tend to be my favourites.
A near-total 180 looks to be emerging. Transfers had previously been used almost exclusively to fill occasional gaps, and the core of the team, at all levels of the depth chart, came from high school recruits.
Increasingly it is looking like the portal will be used for more and more prospective starters and others who get the most PT, while high school guys will continue but almost exclusively to fill out the lower portions of the depth chart.
The DL looks to be the exception to this so far, the one position that Duz has traction with higher ranked HS recruits.
However, it seems high school guys of any decent pedigree are increasingly going to bigger programs even at the risk of quickly getting the bum’s rush if they don’t immediately succeed.
Of course, one team’s trash is another team’s treasure sometimes. This is why fans have to shrug off the perceived snubs of local higher star recruits who blow us off in high school only to come back after not succeeding at the more glamorous programs. It can’t be taken personally, at least any longer.
These guys might well have been arrogant during initial HS recruiting. But once a Brian Kelly lights into a guy (or ignores him completely, maybe more likely) and heaves him to rot on the bench, they get humble quickly and realize the grass is rarely greener.
It likely ain’t fun for them to slink back with hat in hand, and probably makes Duz seeth a bit to have to consider them…but like it or not, they still can be our likely best bet for starting at many positions, especially vs the 2 and 3 star guys we are consistently getting from high schools.
Let’s also not forget the transfers we are getting from the lower levels as well, the MAC and other G5, with their higher performers who are looking to move up a level. Mumpfield, Means, etc. Combined with the fallen studs from the top programs, transfers are rapidly becoming our source for our core players.
All the chaos and inconsistency that rampant transfers out and in creates seems a risk to alienate fans (we are always rooting for laundry in a sense, but to see nearly wholesale changeover in players every season, and the regular expectation that exciting home grown players who emerge like an Addison will almost certainly be poached immediately by the blue bloods, can be disengaging for fans).
Ok, I’m cold and there are wolves chasing me, so I’ll end this now.
The game has changed now with NIL and transfer portal. It is the way of college football now for most teams, unless you are a Ga or Bama, OSU etc....
Call this...."the grass is not always greener" tour.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Not sure Pitt wants to rely on WPIAL kids like it was the late 70's but it's always nice when you keep talent at home.
If these local guys do well and then have a conversation with the younger guys about how they made a mistake and should have gone to Pitt originally. Then that could really help future recruiting.
I don’t think we should necessarily rely on it, especially since the talent pool has shrunk and we’re seeing big dividends in the south, but I do believe we should still prioritize landing big time local commits. If we had this type of retention in every class (we won’t), it’d push top 30-40 classes into the top 20 and could be the difference between 8-9 wins and 10-11 wins. Just my opinion, though.
I think these kids going to bigger schools and then coming back isn’t a bad thing. They are hopefully coming here improved and more grateful of their second opportunity. Shows other recruits grass isn’t always greener elsewhere.
I hope this isn’t true.
The transfer portal is a lot of “meh.”
According to 247, there are 40 players in the transfer portal that would even rate as a 92 college player.
Of those, 18 would be a 93+, with 9 being a 94+.
It’s not a source for high end college football players.
The only chance to get the Addisons and KPs and Kanceys is through high school.
i just looked him up, looks like he got some playing time as a redshirt freshman last year.
List of WPIAL Players that Pitt offered but went elsewhere. Who would you like to see transfer to Pitt?
2023 Class:
Lamont Payne – CB
Ta’mere Robinson – OLB
Jordan Mayer – DE
2022 Class:
Tyreese Fearbry – DE
Donavan Hinish – DT
Patrick Body – CB
2021 Class:
Andre Porter – DT
Khalil Dinkins – TE
Josh Hough – RB
2020 Class:
Michael Carmody – OT
Zuriah Fisher – OLB
Aaron Beatty – DE
Josh Rawlings – TE
2023 Class:
Lamont Payne – CB
Ta’mere Robinson – OLB
Jordan Mayer – DE
2022 Class:
Tyreese Fearbry – DE
Donavan Hinish – DT
Patrick Body – CB
2021 Class:
Andre Porter – DT
Khalil Dinkins – TE
Josh Hough – RB
2020 Class:
Michael Carmody – OT
Zuriah Fisher – OLB
Aaron Beatty – DE
Josh Rawlings – TE
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