"Chescat, post: 1926953, member: 176"]I have no problem with out of staters. In a perfect world we'd get the best from Western PA, a few from eastern PA, and fill in the rest from other states.
It will take a tad more time for Coach Pat & Staff to start to keep the Best in Western Pennsylvania, just like it did in 1970s. Back then Pitt TV was limited by NCAA Selections Broadcasts and Ohio State and Michigan Big Ten had no Footprint in East. However, UGA and OU challenged the NCAA and won in the Supreme Court in 1980s and Conferences started to emerge as Independents and some Programs changed Conferences. Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1990s and that brought TV to East and even Penn State lost a few Players that came back to haunt them and beat them as Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan took a number of 4 & 5 Star Recruits from their Summer Camp Pipeline and some in West Pennsylvanian went to Michigan due to Terly Austin a Pitt Alumnus Player and Terrific Recruiter and Coach Pitt. Michigan and Ohio State started taking more from New Jersey as well, once Big Ten Games were now seen on TV in the East Region.
Now in 2015s, as Pitt Coach Pat & Staff Rebuilds its Program Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan are taking away just enough Top 4 & 5 Stars especially with Meyers, Harbaugh getting Players from Maryland, NJ, as well, as that was PSU Former Coach Johnson used to Recruit Maryland and Virginia.
Additionally, Franklin and Terry Smith who is from Aliquippa, are far better Recruiters than Paterno and Staff and that is saying something because Bradley really had great relationships with many high School Coaches. Those High School Coaching Clinics really give PSU, ND, OSU, and Michigan real advantages.
Therefore, using a Great Coach Quote told to me Face, "Most Collge Football Games Are Won By 4 To 6 Plays Made By 2 To 3 Players!" It is one reason why losing just 2 to 5 Top Recruits every year in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland is why Penn State and Pitt have not won or played in a NCS Game since 1980s and 1994 Joe was robbed of one to be shared with Nebraska, in my opinion.
Just losing 2 to 3 Top 4 & 5 Star Recruits can make that difference from Winning 10+ to 11 and 12 games and instead Winning 8 or 9. If those Recruits go to a competitor you play against that is a double whammy! One reason why Paterno's Coaching Record from 1993-2011 against Michigan, OSU, Iowa, and Wisconsin are more Losses than Wins.
Today, Pitt Coach Pat and Staff has to do what Jackie Sherrill did and found Top Sleeper Stars in Florida, Mississippi, DC, and was able to keep the Best in Western PA, only losing 1 or 2 Penn State in those days, and OSU & Michigan and even ND were pretty much Shutout.
I like the fact that Narduzzi and staff are able to succeed in Ohio, Florida, New Jersey, and Maryland. I get the sense that Narduzzi makes Western PA a priority, but also feels if he can't get the top locals, then so be it...and then will recruit elsewhere.
Astute observation, When I went to high school my Class was over 500 Students Today I was just told the Senior class is just 185. Pennsylvania High Schools especially in Western PA have dropped and now Ohio, NJ, MD, VA, and especially Florida has more recruits than UF, Miami, and FSU, can even take in one year. Yet, Michigan, OSU, PSU and now Maryland, Virginia, and Virginia Tech and all of SEC and ACC are also taking a few too. Once Schiano took over rutgers he actually kept enough NJ and grabbed Florida recruits to have Winning Seasons and being Ranked 12th one year before he left for the NFL. Greg united NJ by grabbing a number of Assistants on his Staff that came from Upper and Lower NJ. If Rutgers could just keep 30% of its Top Recruits it could have a Winning Record. This is why Meyers is such an Elite Coach, he Hired Schiano too to recruit there and in Florida, and Johnson still does Maryland and Virginia. Franklin and Smith don't ignore Florida or SEC & ACC Footprints either. Franklin was Top Recruiter dating back to his days at Maryland as well. Much better than Paterno & Staff ever was and recruited just One Day Drive to Penn State. Florida requires 3 to 4 Plane changes to get to State College, but Franklin has overcome it with his Personality. when Franklin got the job I warned Lair Posters he was a terrific Strategic Recruiter and his Staff too. We will see how he does in coaching in 2017 as his own tests to repeat what he did in 2016. Teams will be better prepared. Narduzzi has his own test on rebuilding after losing 13 starters and Harbaugh lost even more and will be tested too.
It actually amazes me that we can pull in the talent that we do from New Jersey, but at the same time can't make a solid foothold in eastern PA. Seemingly we've made an impression in Coatesville where there are Div1 players almost every year (Coatesville by the way is an ex steel town, almost unheard of in Chester County LOL). This town has fallen on hard times,and in some ways is similar to Aliquippa (much larger than Aliquippa, but demographically it has some similarities).
Franklin was very astute when he brought his Staff together at Penn State. he grabbed many Assistants with Roots from Regions he wanted to Recruit. Penn State Central location in the State and proximity to NJ, Maryland and New England and there Terrific Summer camp recruiting Pipelines combined with High School Coaching Clinics Relationships has alway made Eastern Pennsylvania its domain and won't conc3ede Western PA anymore like it had to do under Paterno and that includes Aliquippa, Clairton as well as Philadelphia and NJ too. However, Harbaugh and Meyers won't concede anything and has grabbed a few gems too.
Of course hardly any town in America can boast of the list of great players from Aliquippa,
No town in America like Belinchick said this year produces such Great players in a High School that has less than 170 Students in all 3 classes. It may be the First Zip Code that produces 4 NFL Hall of famers and that is indeed a Great Feat in Football History, with Ditka, Dorsett, and Ty Law soon to be added that went to Michigan I might add, and Pitt's Revis. Gilbert, Lay, Wilamowski, Stringer, Whitehead, Foster, Campbell, Posluszny Brothers, Pope, Pete Maravich, Henry, Thomas, Shell all played at Pitt, Penn State, Michigan, UTenn, LSU, and WVU and now the Battle is for Kwantel Raines just like last year Lamont Wade. Whitehead was Freshmen of the year in the ACC.
I'm getting odd topic LOL, but I like the geographical diversity I presently see
with Narduzzi's recruiting as of late.
Overtime, back in the 1970-80ss Pitt made big in roads into Youngstown Ohio. However, Coach Narduzzi is now going against the Stoops Brothers, Pelini, Tressel but overtime if he can get Pitt to 10+ wins he will make an impact. Kelly at ND is really hurting Pitt and Penn State, and Michigan and Ohio State are hard to Recruit against not just by Pitt, but Penn State and ND too. Why Narduzzi has hired recruiting Staffers from Florida and bringing back Charlie Partridge was a No Brainer and Pitt is lucky to have him.
As Coach Pat & staff keep showing they can coach up their recruits just like Wisky-Alvarez-Chryst, Iowa-Ferentz, and MSU Dantonio does, and ND Kelly shows he can't cut it with the Irish, and being competitive against Penn State, more Top Recruits will start to choose Pitt Is It just like in the 1970-80s, once Coach Pat Rebuilds the Program and by staying 10+ years. This is why Pitt grabbed a Big Ten Coach from a program like Wisky, MSU and Iowa that has to coach up 2 and 3 Stars to take on Michigan, OSU and ND, PSU Top Recruiting Program Resources and not one from the ACC!
Still, even in lean winning year at Pitt, Pitt is right there with USC, ND, Ohio State, Alabama, and Michigan in All Americans, NCAA & NFL Record Holders, Hall of Famers, NFL Post-Season Awards & All-Pros, and not Penn State even with 46 years under Paterno that Lack Athletic Integrity and required NCAA Sanctions Reforms?
Penn State has produced more NFL Players but more NFL Busts as well unlike Pitt, USC, Ohio State, Bama, and Michigan. Broadcasters and Coaches too!
Franklin and Staff challenge has been trying to catch up for over 100 years and that includes 1900-1960, 1960-1999 and even the last Two Decades from 2000-2017!
