OK, so a lot has happened in the past few days, let's kind of see where we are.
1) So Kenny Pickett was drafted by the Steelers and he became the school's highest drafted QB ever. I think that's obviously a great thing for Pickett, and also I think that'll be a useful recruiting tool for Pitt in the future.
2) It has certainly been lost in the shuffle due to everything else, but Pitt did get a commitment yesterday in the class of 2023. He has yet to reveal himself, and we'll try to figure out a timeline on when he plans to announce. From what I've heard he's pretty disinterested in the recruiting process at whole. Didn't do a photoshoot at Pitt, doesn't do interviews, and he just kind of wants to play football.
So it is a QB, and I think it's pretty easy to figure out who it is.
3) Pitt lost Joey Yellen to the transfer portal. He did start two games in 2020, but fell to fourth string in 2021 and truthfully if he was taking snaps this year for Pitt, then that wouldn't have been a good sign. His departure, however, leaves Pitt with just three scholarship QBs. One of those QBs, Nate Yarnell, has never taken a college snap and was injured throughout the spring.
4) Before I get to Addison, it has been reported two other Pitt players could potentially also be in the same boat about being poached and paid by another school. We haven't heard that specifically, that could be going on, but pretty much our sources have really only been talking about Addison. I guess it would be worth watching guys like Kancey and Hill or whoever, but for now the only player this whole thing is about is No. 3.
5) And yes...Jordan Addison.
So yesterday afternoon, Chris and I kind of caught wind something was up. People around the program were starting to sound concerned that Addison may be leaving. But we kept hearing that it wasn't 'done' meaning Pitt players, coaches, family and boosters were trying to change his mind. Those efforts still may be going on actually, though I'm not overly confident that will change what already appears to be in motion. The overwhelming thing I've heard is that 'Jordan seems set' on this, but not necessarily everyone around him felt the same.
Addison had been working out in California with a group of guys when Pitt broke for spring break during spring ball. One included was USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who is from Addison's area and they obviously know each other.
We're seeing some national media try to play up, "Well Pitt will have a new QB, OC, and WR Coach" and to an extent, I think that's something in his head. But again, he will have a new QB, OC, and WR Coach at USC or wherever. So we can all kind of guess the true motivation here, whether some will be willing to admit it or not.
We know the deadline for being in the portal and playing next season is tomorrow May 1st, so basically we're all sort of watching closely to see what happens today.
Understandably, the Pitt staff isn't real happy. This program isn't predicated on winning with top 10 recruiting classes, but rather developing players, which they've done a nice job of of late. So to lose a guy they've molded for two years is pretty disheartening to them, let alone in a scenario that doesn't quite feel right given that there is likely a predetermined destination for if and when he enters the transfer portal.
So what we know is this.
Jordan Addison seems ready to transfer. There are efforts being made to not let that happen. I'm not really overly confident that it can change what has happened in the last 12 hours now that the cat is out of the bag so to speak.
I have my opinions on the whole thing. I'm all for players making NIL money, I'm all for player movement as well, but I do think there kind of needs to be some sort of middle ground between players making money and programs with deep pockets buying players from other programs. Let's not be naive to think paying players beyond the scope of what was deemed legal hasn't been going on forever, but this situation is a new thing altogether, and really given the current rules there's no way to regulate it. There is nothing to prevent Konata Mumpfield scoring 20 touchdowns this season and a school offering him a giant NIL deal next offseason. So the NCAA sort of made a plan to open all of this up, but I don't think they realized this would all happen so fast. The spirit of the NIL was for guys being able to endorse a restaurant in a commercial or sell some autographs to make some extra cash, not for boosters to pay All-Americans a million dollars to transfer.
1) So Kenny Pickett was drafted by the Steelers and he became the school's highest drafted QB ever. I think that's obviously a great thing for Pickett, and also I think that'll be a useful recruiting tool for Pitt in the future.
2) It has certainly been lost in the shuffle due to everything else, but Pitt did get a commitment yesterday in the class of 2023. He has yet to reveal himself, and we'll try to figure out a timeline on when he plans to announce. From what I've heard he's pretty disinterested in the recruiting process at whole. Didn't do a photoshoot at Pitt, doesn't do interviews, and he just kind of wants to play football.
So it is a QB, and I think it's pretty easy to figure out who it is.
3) Pitt lost Joey Yellen to the transfer portal. He did start two games in 2020, but fell to fourth string in 2021 and truthfully if he was taking snaps this year for Pitt, then that wouldn't have been a good sign. His departure, however, leaves Pitt with just three scholarship QBs. One of those QBs, Nate Yarnell, has never taken a college snap and was injured throughout the spring.
4) Before I get to Addison, it has been reported two other Pitt players could potentially also be in the same boat about being poached and paid by another school. We haven't heard that specifically, that could be going on, but pretty much our sources have really only been talking about Addison. I guess it would be worth watching guys like Kancey and Hill or whoever, but for now the only player this whole thing is about is No. 3.
5) And yes...Jordan Addison.
So yesterday afternoon, Chris and I kind of caught wind something was up. People around the program were starting to sound concerned that Addison may be leaving. But we kept hearing that it wasn't 'done' meaning Pitt players, coaches, family and boosters were trying to change his mind. Those efforts still may be going on actually, though I'm not overly confident that will change what already appears to be in motion. The overwhelming thing I've heard is that 'Jordan seems set' on this, but not necessarily everyone around him felt the same.
Addison had been working out in California with a group of guys when Pitt broke for spring break during spring ball. One included was USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who is from Addison's area and they obviously know each other.
We're seeing some national media try to play up, "Well Pitt will have a new QB, OC, and WR Coach" and to an extent, I think that's something in his head. But again, he will have a new QB, OC, and WR Coach at USC or wherever. So we can all kind of guess the true motivation here, whether some will be willing to admit it or not.
We know the deadline for being in the portal and playing next season is tomorrow May 1st, so basically we're all sort of watching closely to see what happens today.
Understandably, the Pitt staff isn't real happy. This program isn't predicated on winning with top 10 recruiting classes, but rather developing players, which they've done a nice job of of late. So to lose a guy they've molded for two years is pretty disheartening to them, let alone in a scenario that doesn't quite feel right given that there is likely a predetermined destination for if and when he enters the transfer portal.
So what we know is this.
Jordan Addison seems ready to transfer. There are efforts being made to not let that happen. I'm not really overly confident that it can change what has happened in the last 12 hours now that the cat is out of the bag so to speak.
I have my opinions on the whole thing. I'm all for players making NIL money, I'm all for player movement as well, but I do think there kind of needs to be some sort of middle ground between players making money and programs with deep pockets buying players from other programs. Let's not be naive to think paying players beyond the scope of what was deemed legal hasn't been going on forever, but this situation is a new thing altogether, and really given the current rules there's no way to regulate it. There is nothing to prevent Konata Mumpfield scoring 20 touchdowns this season and a school offering him a giant NIL deal next offseason. So the NCAA sort of made a plan to open all of this up, but I don't think they realized this would all happen so fast. The spirit of the NIL was for guys being able to endorse a restaurant in a commercial or sell some autographs to make some extra cash, not for boosters to pay All-Americans a million dollars to transfer.
Last edited:
