This is something I always used to do when I was at Cardiac Hill, just sort of rank the recruits in terms of what I think they can do at the college level, or what kind of excitement they bring to the Pitt program. I know there was a thread about this earlier, just wanted to add my two cents to the mix.
Obviously in a 17-man class, not everyone is going to work out at the college level. So of course everyone sounds like a future starter right now when we know that's not going to be the case.
1.Dayon Hayes DL - Hayes is going to be a good one. They don't need him to be good as a freshman, but he may force his way out there anyway. His combination of size, skill, and letting him work with Partridge for a whole year, think he'll hit the ground running in 2021 as a high impact guy.
2. Jordan Addison WR - He's a playmaker. He's going to make plays for Pitt, probably right away. Having him on the field next to Shocky is going to be the best combination of speed Pitt has had at WR in a while.
3. Israel Abanikanda RB - Abanikanda has really good speed for a RB. He can catch and can do a lot of things well. Pitt needs to revamp RB position a bit, and you have to wonder if he can pass up some guys right away.
4. Solomon DeShields ATH - Sort of reminds me like a Dorin Dickerson, Todd Thomas type. He's just a big athlete that can play a bunch of different positions. I think he'll eventually find a home at LB and be a productive player.
5. Jaylon Barden WR - Barden has good hands and should be able to make plays right away. He's a good route runner for a HS player. He's also very confident, he believes in himself and he believes he can be the No. 1 receiver next year, and I think that's a good thing.
6. Bangally Kamara LB - I like Kamara's speed and tackling ability. He's aggressive and knows how to blitz. He's a very ideal player for Pitt's defensive scheme. He'll start at Pitt sooner rather than later.
7. Lucas Krull TE - Of all the newcomers, I think it's fairly safe to assume Krull is the only one that is almost a definite day one starter. There's a lot of untapped potential here, and he's going to get a lot of chances
8. Jahvante Royal CB - I'm definitely intrigued at the prospect of a 6'3" cornerback. Royal has long arms and the speed to play on the outside; still might be a safety when it's all said and done.
9. Branson Taylor OT - I like Taylor because he likely doesn't have a ton of deep-rooted bad habits and should be easily coached because he hasn't been playing the game that long. Taylor has good footwork and has the ability to be a starting tackle at Pitt eventually.
10. Buddy Mack DB - I probably like Mack better than most, but for a guy committed to Charlotte. My first question is how? He's athletic and hits and just seemingly has the look of an ACC starting safety someday.
11. Hunter Sellers DB - I think Sellers is a smart player that will pick things up quickly and the staff will be able to plug him anywhere in the secondary and he'll figure it out.
12. Aydin Henningham WR/DB - I like Henningham's athleticism and I think it can translate to either side of the ball. He would be a big, physical athlete that could help on offense or in the secondary.
13. AJ Roberts LB - Athletic, hard-hitting linebacker. I think his skill set fits Pitt's scheme and he should help the overall team speed of this position down the line.
14. Emmanuel Belgrave DE - Hard to argue with Pitt's D-Line recruiting at the moment, they're getting a lot of production from 3-star type guys. I think Belgrave needs refined a bit, but should be a good member of the rotation after a redshirt.
15. Michael Statham OT - I think Statham has a lot of raw ability, think he needs to get down from 370 pounds to be able to play better at this level. The raw skills and ability are there though.
16. Samuel Williams DE - I see a good bit of upside here. Just started playing DE at the tail end of his junior year. Big athlete, needs to put on weight. Might take a few years to crack the lineup.
17. Daniel Moraga TE - 2 year guy, should be able to help stabilize the TE position until they find a way to build it back up
Obviously in a 17-man class, not everyone is going to work out at the college level. So of course everyone sounds like a future starter right now when we know that's not going to be the case.
1.Dayon Hayes DL - Hayes is going to be a good one. They don't need him to be good as a freshman, but he may force his way out there anyway. His combination of size, skill, and letting him work with Partridge for a whole year, think he'll hit the ground running in 2021 as a high impact guy.
2. Jordan Addison WR - He's a playmaker. He's going to make plays for Pitt, probably right away. Having him on the field next to Shocky is going to be the best combination of speed Pitt has had at WR in a while.
3. Israel Abanikanda RB - Abanikanda has really good speed for a RB. He can catch and can do a lot of things well. Pitt needs to revamp RB position a bit, and you have to wonder if he can pass up some guys right away.
4. Solomon DeShields ATH - Sort of reminds me like a Dorin Dickerson, Todd Thomas type. He's just a big athlete that can play a bunch of different positions. I think he'll eventually find a home at LB and be a productive player.
5. Jaylon Barden WR - Barden has good hands and should be able to make plays right away. He's a good route runner for a HS player. He's also very confident, he believes in himself and he believes he can be the No. 1 receiver next year, and I think that's a good thing.
6. Bangally Kamara LB - I like Kamara's speed and tackling ability. He's aggressive and knows how to blitz. He's a very ideal player for Pitt's defensive scheme. He'll start at Pitt sooner rather than later.
7. Lucas Krull TE - Of all the newcomers, I think it's fairly safe to assume Krull is the only one that is almost a definite day one starter. There's a lot of untapped potential here, and he's going to get a lot of chances
8. Jahvante Royal CB - I'm definitely intrigued at the prospect of a 6'3" cornerback. Royal has long arms and the speed to play on the outside; still might be a safety when it's all said and done.
9. Branson Taylor OT - I like Taylor because he likely doesn't have a ton of deep-rooted bad habits and should be easily coached because he hasn't been playing the game that long. Taylor has good footwork and has the ability to be a starting tackle at Pitt eventually.
10. Buddy Mack DB - I probably like Mack better than most, but for a guy committed to Charlotte. My first question is how? He's athletic and hits and just seemingly has the look of an ACC starting safety someday.
11. Hunter Sellers DB - I think Sellers is a smart player that will pick things up quickly and the staff will be able to plug him anywhere in the secondary and he'll figure it out.
12. Aydin Henningham WR/DB - I like Henningham's athleticism and I think it can translate to either side of the ball. He would be a big, physical athlete that could help on offense or in the secondary.
13. AJ Roberts LB - Athletic, hard-hitting linebacker. I think his skill set fits Pitt's scheme and he should help the overall team speed of this position down the line.
14. Emmanuel Belgrave DE - Hard to argue with Pitt's D-Line recruiting at the moment, they're getting a lot of production from 3-star type guys. I think Belgrave needs refined a bit, but should be a good member of the rotation after a redshirt.
15. Michael Statham OT - I think Statham has a lot of raw ability, think he needs to get down from 370 pounds to be able to play better at this level. The raw skills and ability are there though.
16. Samuel Williams DE - I see a good bit of upside here. Just started playing DE at the tail end of his junior year. Big athlete, needs to put on weight. Might take a few years to crack the lineup.
17. Daniel Moraga TE - 2 year guy, should be able to help stabilize the TE position until they find a way to build it back up
