Great misses for Pitt. Gonzales finished with ZERO catches. Speca and Sullivan ended up with a lot of tackles, but 7-8 yards down field as Pillar ran 57 times for 300 yards. PR ran for another 120 ish yards. The two big ten linebackers got run over time and again. If either of those two play at PSU, they will be looking for a new coach
PR/CC - Speca and Gonzales
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I don’t understand the handwringing in association with losing a local player. 90% are overrated. If you look at the players in recent years and the results in college, you’ll see that most did not perform to their high rated level. Any unbiased observer will come to the same conclusion. So when posters say "we needed to do better recruiting local talent!" I just laugh. I say get a kid from Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Texas. Highlighted below are players that played to their ranking.
Class of 2024
Quinton Martin, Belle Vernon, Five-star, Penn State
Anthony Speca, Central Catholic, Four-star, Penn State
Cameron Lindsey, Aliquippa, Four-star, PITT
Cole Sullivan, Central Catholic, Three-star, Michigan
Ryan Cory, Pine-Richland, Three-star, Wisconsin
Class of 2023
Ta’Mere Robinson, Brashear, Four-star, Penn State
Rodney Gallagher, Laurel Highlands, Four-star, West Virginia
Lamont Payne, Chartiers Valley, Four-star, Penn State
Braylan Lovelace, Leechburg, Three-star, PITT
Cruce Brookins, Steel Valley, Three-star, PITT
Class of 2022
Jalen Klemm, Pine-Richland, Four-star, Kansas State (Transferred to Washington)
Donovan Hinish, Central Catholic, Three-star, Notre Dame
Sean FitzSimmons, Central Valley, Three-star, PITT
Patrick Body Jr., Gateway, Three-star, Cincinnati (No current team)
Jeremiah Hasley, Pine-Richland, Three-star, Duke
Class of 2021
Elliot Donald, Central Catholic, Four-star, PITT
Derrick Davis Jr., Gateway, Four-star, LSU (Transferred to PITT)
Nahki Johnson, West Mifflin, Four-star, PITT
Donovan McMillon, Peters Township, Four-star, Florida (Transferred to PITT)
Dorien Ford, Baldwin, Three-star, PITT
Class of 2020
Michael Carmody, Mars, Four-star, Notre Dame
Dayon Hayes, Westinghouse, Four-star, PITT
Zuriah Fisher, Aliquippa, Three-star, Penn State
Aaron Beatty, Central Catholic, Three-star, North Carolina (Transferred to Albany)
Josh Rawlings, Woodland Hills, Three-star, Virginia
Class of 2019
Andrew Kristofic, Pine-Richland, Four-star, Notre Dame
M.J. Devonshire, Aliquippa, Four-star, Kentucky (Transferred to PITT)
Joey Porter Jr., North Allegheny, Three-star, Penn State - NFL
Will Gipson, Aliquippa, Three-star, PITT (Transferred to Fullerton College)
Michael Katic, Pine-Richland, Three-star, Indiana
Class of 2018
Phil Jurkovec, Pine-Richland, Four-star, Notre Dame (Transferred to Boston College, PITT)
T.J. Banks, East Allegheny, Four-star, West Virginia (Transferred to Akron)
Kwantel Raines, Aliquippa, Four-star, West Virginia (Transferred to Temple)
Devin Danielson, Thomas Jefferson, Three-star, PITT
Jake Kradel, Butler, Three-star, PITT
Class of 2017
Lamont Wade, Clairton, Five-star, Penn State
Paris Ford, Steel Valley, Four-star, PITT
C.J. Thorpe, Central Catholic, Four-star, Penn State
Josh Lugg, North Allegheny, Four-star, Notre Dame
Donovan Jeter, Beaver Falls, Four-star, Michigan
Class of 2016
Miles Sanders, Woodland Hills, Four-star, Penn State - NFL
Damar Hamlin, Central Catholic, Four-star, PITT -NFL
Kaezon Pugh, Aliquippa, Four-star, Pitt (Transferred to Howard)
Khaleke Hudson, McKeesport, Three-star, Michigan
Therran Coleman, Brashear, Three-star, PITT (Transferred to Western Michigan)
Kurt Kinish, Central Catholic, Three Star, Notre Dame
Class of 2015
Jordan Whitehead, Central Valley, Four-star, PITT - NFL
Sterling Jenkins, Baldwin, Three-star, Penn State
Alex Paulina, Canon-McMillan, Three-star, PITT (Transferred to Waynesburg)
John Petrishen, Central Catholic, Three-star, Penn State (Transferred to PITT)
Brett Zanotto, Franklin Regional, Three-star, Maryland (Transferred to Duquesne)
Class of 2024
Quinton Martin, Belle Vernon, Five-star, Penn State
Anthony Speca, Central Catholic, Four-star, Penn State
Cameron Lindsey, Aliquippa, Four-star, PITT
Cole Sullivan, Central Catholic, Three-star, Michigan
Ryan Cory, Pine-Richland, Three-star, Wisconsin
Class of 2023
Ta’Mere Robinson, Brashear, Four-star, Penn State
Rodney Gallagher, Laurel Highlands, Four-star, West Virginia
Lamont Payne, Chartiers Valley, Four-star, Penn State
Braylan Lovelace, Leechburg, Three-star, PITT
Cruce Brookins, Steel Valley, Three-star, PITT
Class of 2022
Jalen Klemm, Pine-Richland, Four-star, Kansas State (Transferred to Washington)
Donovan Hinish, Central Catholic, Three-star, Notre Dame
Sean FitzSimmons, Central Valley, Three-star, PITT
Patrick Body Jr., Gateway, Three-star, Cincinnati (No current team)
Jeremiah Hasley, Pine-Richland, Three-star, Duke
Class of 2021
Elliot Donald, Central Catholic, Four-star, PITT
Derrick Davis Jr., Gateway, Four-star, LSU (Transferred to PITT)
Nahki Johnson, West Mifflin, Four-star, PITT
Donovan McMillon, Peters Township, Four-star, Florida (Transferred to PITT)
Dorien Ford, Baldwin, Three-star, PITT
Class of 2020
Michael Carmody, Mars, Four-star, Notre Dame
Dayon Hayes, Westinghouse, Four-star, PITT
Zuriah Fisher, Aliquippa, Three-star, Penn State
Aaron Beatty, Central Catholic, Three-star, North Carolina (Transferred to Albany)
Josh Rawlings, Woodland Hills, Three-star, Virginia
Class of 2019
Andrew Kristofic, Pine-Richland, Four-star, Notre Dame
M.J. Devonshire, Aliquippa, Four-star, Kentucky (Transferred to PITT)
Joey Porter Jr., North Allegheny, Three-star, Penn State - NFL
Will Gipson, Aliquippa, Three-star, PITT (Transferred to Fullerton College)
Michael Katic, Pine-Richland, Three-star, Indiana
Class of 2018
Phil Jurkovec, Pine-Richland, Four-star, Notre Dame (Transferred to Boston College, PITT)
T.J. Banks, East Allegheny, Four-star, West Virginia (Transferred to Akron)
Kwantel Raines, Aliquippa, Four-star, West Virginia (Transferred to Temple)
Devin Danielson, Thomas Jefferson, Three-star, PITT
Jake Kradel, Butler, Three-star, PITT
Class of 2017
Lamont Wade, Clairton, Five-star, Penn State
Paris Ford, Steel Valley, Four-star, PITT
C.J. Thorpe, Central Catholic, Four-star, Penn State
Josh Lugg, North Allegheny, Four-star, Notre Dame
Donovan Jeter, Beaver Falls, Four-star, Michigan
Class of 2016
Miles Sanders, Woodland Hills, Four-star, Penn State - NFL
Damar Hamlin, Central Catholic, Four-star, PITT -NFL
Kaezon Pugh, Aliquippa, Four-star, Pitt (Transferred to Howard)
Khaleke Hudson, McKeesport, Three-star, Michigan
Therran Coleman, Brashear, Three-star, PITT (Transferred to Western Michigan)
Kurt Kinish, Central Catholic, Three Star, Notre Dame
Class of 2015
Jordan Whitehead, Central Valley, Four-star, PITT - NFL
Sterling Jenkins, Baldwin, Three-star, Penn State
Alex Paulina, Canon-McMillan, Three-star, PITT (Transferred to Waynesburg)
John Petrishen, Central Catholic, Three-star, Penn State (Transferred to PITT)
Brett Zanotto, Franklin Regional, Three-star, Maryland (Transferred to Duquesne)
a wet napkin, lol. Anth, where were you? And this wasn't some 5-star RB, it was a QB taking direct snaps and running it straight up the middle
Who are we kidding? We'd love to have these guys. You think all of the other coaches recruiting them don't know what they are doing, and Narduzzi is enlightened?
Don't be ridiculous. If they want to leave town, that's fine and good, but let's not act like it's not indicative of the bigger problem, because it is.
Don't be ridiculous. If they want to leave town, that's fine and good, but let's not act like it's not indicative of the bigger problem, because it is.
Speca never impressed me. Gonzalez, yes, he would have been nice. And Sullivan too.
I still say Jimmy Franks comes down here and takes these guys only to clown Narduzzi. He takes them because he can, even tho he knows it is unlikely any of them will ever see the field up there. He will just recruit over these guys, while getting one over on Narduzzi. Jimmy Franks recruits to well to play guys from the WPIAL. Specca, Gonzales, and Hayes will never play up there.
Duzz missed on them. I never said he didn’t want them. They simply won’t play at PSU. Maybe Gonzales will, but he dropped 2/3 passes thrown his way last night.
Speca and Gonzalez' value is magnified because they are Central kids, not because PN wants them. Inroads there pay off up the road, when their next true stud arrives, whoever that is. Agree that these kids aren't that guy.
All of these kids know each other these days, no matter where they go to school. You get a couple of them, it makes it easier to get another (i.e. Martin).
PSU will get them roided up and looking like WWE guy like the great white linebackers who came before them
I don't think he needs to give scholarships away to make Narduzzi’s local recruiting look bad. Pitt wasn't even the second choice for a lot of these guys. Narduzzi could lose a local guy to freaking Maryland or Virginia. He's just not all that popular around the WPIAL.
But I'm sure PSU and ND also consider wanting to maintain the WPIAL as a fertile ground for them, so they may offer a WPIAL player over someone from the middle of nowhere if it's close.
This is definitely the case.
He dicks with Duz and Pitt fans and to stroke off the local cultists in WPA. Rapin’ Ron Cook and Jerry Sandusky Dulac get woodrows (more figuratively than literally) as well. Also jerks off the local gym teacher coaches that want to believe the region still produces elite players.
As we’ve seen other than the NFL-dad rarity like Potter these guys aren’t worthy to play there for the most part, and will pushed out of there in another year, having served their PR purpose. Most likely to transfer back HERE, and occasionally they even work out (Petrishen for example); or more likely on downward to the MAC, FCS etc. Gonzalez is looking particularly like Dayton or Slippery Rock material at this point.
It’s very cynical and degrading, really for all involved, various degrees of prostitution, those players and their parents know in their hearts they are being played. But they get a little check or a free auto lease for a year, and go along. Just another reason the sport is going down the drain.
their frosh are supposedly the real deal, Moon & Thompson. Heck Thompson doesn't even play yet. Maybe time to bench Anth in favor of Thompson. Gatten looked kind of small for LB, but there is absolutely zero chance for him as a nitter legacy.
I agree with this. He knows they are marginal PSU recruits, but he'll take them to keep them away from Pitt and if they dont work out, he'll recruit over them. Win win for him.
The only real questionable takes, in my opinion, were Hardy, Payne, and Gonzalez. Pitt wasn't in on Hardy, and Gonzalez was probably going to VT if not PSU. If you look at their bottom five recruits in most classes, these guys aren't in it. It's just how northern teams fill out their classes.
And if we’re being honest, Hardy’s going to be an NFL draft pick either this year or next year. Even if he’s only a fringe NFL guy, for a February signing day offer, getting a multi-year starting role out of him is a pretty good job of scouting and development. And they weren’t going to take Gonzalez until he popped a bunch of sub-11 100m dash times this spring and blew his prior testing numbers out of the water at their camp this summer. I don’t necessarily see it with Payne.
yeah big miss by Narduzzi. Hardy really came on strong at PH but thought he was just someone the nits added to maintain local presence (as you said it was a last minute offer). Surprised he has developed the way he did but good for him
Yeah Forbes I agree, but there's a flipside to that as well.
Posters go nuts when we miss on local players. You constantly hear that we should be doing a better job landing these players. Most of these 4 star players have turn out average. Look at the Pitt roster for further proof. Should we recruit them hard? Yes. Is it the end of the world? Hardly...
The 2016 class is the best one in recent years.
Some believe that a high 3 star player from Virginia, Florida, Georgia or Texas is better than a 4 star local player, and I believe it...
pretty sure he is more of the nickle back and not a starter but still he has been very productive in that role
I’m not saying Pitt didn’t want these kids, or that they didn’t recruit these kids.
What I’m saying is Speca plays too high and isn’t overly fast. If you x-rayed his chest this morning, Pillar’s helmet would be on the X-Ray
Gonzales couldn’t get open against a D2 corner and dropped a for sure TD with about 10 mins left that ruined CC momentum after a blocked punt. He looks the part but is probably looks like Tarzan plays like Jane rn.
Sullivan made some plays and was ok. Not much on offense except a catch/fumble forced by my nephew (who played the worst game of his life)
Yuhas might be 6 feet under PR stadium right now with how Cory was mauling people.
What I’m saying is Speca plays too high and isn’t overly fast. If you x-rayed his chest this morning, Pillar’s helmet would be on the X-Ray
Gonzales couldn’t get open against a D2 corner and dropped a for sure TD with about 10 mins left that ruined CC momentum after a blocked punt. He looks the part but is probably looks like Tarzan plays like Jane rn.
Sullivan made some plays and was ok. Not much on offense except a catch/fumble forced by my nephew (who played the worst game of his life)
Yuhas might be 6 feet under PR stadium right now with how Cory was mauling people.
He’s their starting nickel, which they probably are in for 40-50% of snaps. If they start in nickel personnel, he’s a starter. If they start in base personnel, he’s not. I think it’s mostly semantic - they consider him to be a starter. Pitt just doesn’t do nickel personnel in its defense, which is probably a big reason why we passed, because he’ll be a dedicated nickel at the next level, too. I think he’s played a little bit outside, but more situationally versus planned. He’s got a specialized role and he’s played it very well.
Pretty sure Pitt could have had Tiawan Mullen in that class, but they only wanted to take one short corner and Woods committed first. Could be wrong about that.
Seems like a mistake in hindsight. You can never overrecruit at the cornerback position - just aren’t too many human beings with the athletic ability to play at a high level, and you’ve gotta take as many as you can get.
Anyway, I really don’t believe that their staff recruits out of spite or to stick it to Duzz or whatever. I think most of the differences just come back to defensive philosophy. Pitt’s defense doesn’t have nickel corners, Penn State’s does. So Pitt saw Hardy as a nickel corner only, which is a dealbreaker for Pitt but not for Penn State. Which dovetails with Speca - if you don’t have a nickel corner, it means that you’re leaving your middle linebacker on the field for passing downs. If you have a nickel, then you’re taking the middle linebacker off the field for passing downs. So even if both staffs evaluated Speca and said, “we question his ability to hold up in coverage on pure passing downs,” that’s going to be much more of a dealbreaker for Pitt than it is for Penn State, who can let him be a running down thumper at MLB and not expose him on passing downs.
I've got no issue with not taking Hardy/Mullen after the 2018 season. It was clear that even NFL corners (Maddox) could be exposed in this defense if they lack height, so you probably don't want too many of them... and we already had Williams (who, ironically, has done quite well) on the team and Woods in the fold.
I do think Pitt wanted Speca, though. If he offered to flip right now, Narduzzi would welcome him with open arms, in my opinion. I don't see this as a matter of Pitt deciding he doesn't fit its defense.
I've cautioned folks several times on both of these kids. Neither flash during games I've seen.
So I guess Cory (Wisconsin) up front had a good night opening holes for Pillar.
Agree with you. It is why I don't think they will play up at the cow pasture. I truly believe Jimmy Franks gets off keeping these guys from going to Pitt. He really likes getting over on the Duzz.
NA dominated PR the week before. They need to check in on some of those NA guys.
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There is no spot in the Venn Diagram where stacking up on low-rated WPIAL players and winning overlap. Some of you would build an entire roster within a 25-mile radius if you could.
Rawlings already a Sr and not one career catch. Fearbry 3 tackles no sacks in mainly mop up duty. RS Frosh so early to write him off.
I watched the TJ vs Perry scrimmage and one of TJ's coaches said it best - "if he can't beat our tackles, how is he going to do it at PSU or PITT?"
He reminds me of Hinnish in that others in the class got all the hype (Speca, Martin similar to Wade, Jeter, Ford) but he is low key good and will probably end up the best of that group
Yeah. 2nd team as stated by broadcast crew in Georgia’s blowout. Fearbry did have a tackle for loss in mop up with all 2nd and 3rd teamers in game. Looks the part, however.
He’s very good. Needs to get bigger. Great athlete and drive for a HSer. He would def play as a RS frosh. Think he’ll be very good at Wisconsin. Having Phil’s old girlfriend from PR on staff at Wisconsin didn’t hurt. We should hire her
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