Recruiting reality

[Sean Miller Fan]

Narduzzi's early verbals are similar to Chryst's. Inotherwords, very few and usually the best school to offer, sometimes by a wide margin.

I think the reality is most kids are waiting for bigger offers. When they dont come or they are slow played, they start considering schools like Pitt.

 

[sappycrease]

You'll probably get bashed for this but I do tend to agree (lately). I thought after the way we finished on the recruiting trail leading up to signing day would have kept us hot going into the summer but it hasn't really. I think this season will really determine the recruiting going forward. Another successful season (I'm feeling 9 wins) gets serious momentum going forward. But I will point out that HCPN has made a living on finding the underrated recruits and making them stars. We'll be fine, just gotta trust coach. H2P

 

[Swervin27]

I don't understand this momentum thing that pitt fans keep bringing up.. You expect a kid to choose his college choice due to some insubstantial factor as "momentum" from the year before?? That doesn't make sense at all. Why would a recruit in the class of '16 effect the decision of a '17 recruit? Recruiting momentum as some sort of determining factor is non-sensical.

 

[TD_istheman]

We have to show for a few years in a row that we can win, and also the school cannot continue to shoot itself in the foot, that's been our history.

 

[bwh05]

I can't really argue with the OP other than Ford. However, I do believe this staff will prove much better at evaluating talent than the previous staff so they get more slack from me.

 

[vegasgreed]

I can't really argue with the OP other than Ford. However, I do believe this staff will prove much better at evaluating talent than the previous staff so they get more slack from me.

Agree with the OP. Last staff was about offensive players, so far this staff is about the defensive players. If this current staff can reel in some high quality offensive players, good things will come in the future.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

It only matters where you finish the race at. HCPN closed out the last class well and I expect the same this year.

 

[Las Panteras]

You can argue that Chris Clark is part of the current recruiting cycle as he will be eligible for the 17 season

Thus Ford and Clark (star rankings anyway) may help the perception of lower ranked guys coming on board.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

It only matters where you finish the race at. HCPN closed out the last class well and I expect the same this year.

True. And I do expect another good class. Narduzzi is similar to Chryst in that he isnt getting many big-time early verbals but that is mostly due to the recruiting game (kids waiting for OSU, Mich, and Bama to offer). Where they differ is that Narduzzi is better at staying on these kids and building relationships over the course of a year or more so when those offers dont come.....or if they are offered by schools a rung down like PSU, VT, Md, etc, they choose Pitt.

I have confidence in Narduzzi but the whole early verbal thing probably isnt something Pitt is ever going to be good at.

 

[JoseLind13]

I don't know... if I were a 4 of 5 star kid and it's June prior to my HS senior season, I would probably not declare and take time to make the campus visits, even if 99.9% sure that I wanted to go to someplace. I wouldn't read too much into it.

 

[President Stache]

Like Paris Ford???

You people just are pessimist.

Most every school has the same thing. Some love the school and some dont. After a decade of horrendous football moves obviously many kids dont have Pitt in their minds like Alabama or Florida St. We just need to keep moving forward. No school gets a kid super early unless it is their dream school or someone is just offering lots of money.

 

[Jeffburgh]

They are almost exactly where they were last year at this time.

This is not saying that things will work out the same, but ...

At the end of June last year they had Big Mac, Brandon Ford, Ffrench, Garner Moss, Pine and Flowers.

The player who is most contentious now is Bright, who was similar offer wise to Ffrench and Garner..

Nunn and Loe are similar to Pine and Moss.

He is not the talent, but Pickett at least had actual Major offers in BC and, well, Temple. Big Mac hadn't even started a game at QB yet.

Flowers was the top player, and Paris Ford is clearly more well regarded than he was.

Meanwhile, 11 players, including the overwhelming bulk of the more highly regarded kids all committed after November - Weaver, Camp, Hamlin, Mathews, Watts, Reynolds, Hill, Miller, Morgan, Campbell, Williams, Jones ... Gilbert, who was considered a pretty strong Pitt lean, didn't commit until November 28th.

 

[thebadby2]

We have to show for a few years in a row that we can win, and also the school cannot continue to shoot itself in the foot, that's been our history.

And we need to show that we can keep a coach around for a reasonable length of time. The more we win, the harder that will be to do.

I do think that like last year, we will see a solid class by LOI day, and I also think our staff is working a lot harder at recruiting and making more of an impression on prospects than the prior regime did. It will pay off at some point.

 

[steel_curtain]

They are almost exactly where they were last year at this time.

This is not saying that things will work out the same, but ...

At the end of June last year they had Big Mac, Brandon Ford, Ffrench, Garner Moss, Pine and Flowers.

The player who is most contentious now is Bright, who was similar offer wise to Ffrench and Garner..

Nunn and Loe are similar to Pine and Moss.

He is not the talent, but Pickett at least had actual Major offers in BC and, well, Temple. Big Mac hadn't even started a game at QB yet.

Flowers was the top player, and Paris Ford is clearly more well regarded than he was.

Meanwhile, 11 players, including the overwhelming bulk of the more highly regarded kids all committed after November - Weaver, Camp, Hamlin, Mathews, Watts, Reynolds, Hill, Miller, Morgan, Campbell, Williams, Jones ... Gilbert, who was considered a pretty strong Pitt lean, didn't commit until November 28th.

-If you include Chris Clark, this current recruiting class is arguably ahead of last year. Paris Ford is a gamebreaker and Clark was the #1 TE in the country at 6'6 250lbs. Exree Loe also looks like a really nice prospect that should rise in the rankings, his chart numbers back it up. Bright's also interesting, he has nice speed and athletic ability. We have really targeted speed players.

 

[vegasgreed]

this just in, chris clark is not part of this years class.

 

[pittmeister]

News flash: this time last year, the following players were considered MAC level recruits:

Ffrench - Hell, even Rutgers didn't offer him at this time last year. By the end of the year Frankie was calling him.

Ford
Garner
Moss
Coleman

McVittie - Pitt was his best offer before the start of his senior year. He went on to become a 4 star player on one recruiting service. He also received a call from LSU.

Also, guys like Hill, Camp, Watts, weren't even on the radar at this time last year. In fact Hill and Camp were pledged to other schools...

 

[Jpripper88]

You can argue that Chris Clark is part of the current recruiting cycle as he will be eligible for the 17 season

Thus Ford and Clark (star rankings anyway) may help the perception of lower ranked guys coming on board.

I think this is a silly position, no matter where you take it, but will be one where we have a certain group of posters making this argument for both the 2016 and 2017 classes at the same time.

 

[Piranha]

News flash: this time last year, the following players were considered MAC level recruits:

Ffrench - Hell, even Rutgers didn't offer him at this time last year. By the end of the year Frankie was calling him.

Ford
Garner
Moss
Coleman

McVittie - Pitt was his best offer before the start of his senior year. He went on to become a 4 star player on one recruiting service. He also received a call from LSU.

Also, guys like Hill, Camp, Watts, weren't even on the radar at this time last year. In fact Hill and Camp were pledged to other schools...

Exactly - some people on here are just miserable SOB's waiting to complain.

 

[MajTom]

Pitts recruiting is totally different now than it was under HCPC, here is just a few reasons...

- The staff landed a higher class last year than in many years
- We got more high end talent
- We beat schools like PSU for many recruits
- We didn't compete with MAC schools, we competed with P5 schools for all recruits
- High end players "flipped" to PITT
- High end talent transferred to PITT
- The staff are diligently building relationships with players in all year groups
- This staff works transparently
- We are at multiple satellite camps spreading the PITT brand
- Coaches don't back down from any recruits offer sheets
- Every player talks about a changing of the culture at PITT

Pretty much a 180%. This class is forming like last years in a way. It has been quite sometime that PITT scored a hometown 4 star recruit a year early like Paris Ford. We are in the mix for multiple good players including 4 stars Jeter, Hudson, Sibley; I could see a path where they all commit. Also, you have to think that coach will poach a few players after the season when coaches get fired.

We are in good shape and the future looks bright!

 

[MajTom]

Another reality is that our 247 recruiting average is 86.14 while Miss State's is 86.26. Miss State currently has the 9 highest ranked class in the nation.

 

[PhPanther1]

Besides Ford, this class is below the line SO FAR. Last year's class was very good as far as quality and ratings go. I would expect a class like that again, which if you ask me, is MUCH better than the mush Chryst brought in.

I personally don't think 9 wins is going to turn any extra 4/5* heads to Pitt. I don't think an extra 10k in the stands will turn any extra 4/5* heads to Pitt. I think the first and easiest thing he can do to turn heads is get kids into the NFL. You old guys might not like the NFL because you think they're overpaid criminals, but that's what the HS kids dream of being. Don't think TB having his body painted on the Pitt wall and being talked about as a key cog for Cincy doesn't have any effect on Wade. Win totals have to hit 10+ and attendance over 100k for it to get us to the next level in recruiting.

 

[bobfree]

I don't know.

A lot of our top guys/priorities are still on the board.

As I get older I realize more and more it isn't what's going on in June it's what's happening come December as far as recruiting goes.

Pitt is never going to have 25 5 stars.

At this point last year we had no belief we would end up with camp, watts, miller, etc.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

At this point last year we had no belief we would end up with camp, watts, miller, etc.

And that's the difference between Chryst and Narduzzi. Narduzzi takes recruiting seriously and he and his staff are more tenacious (and probably have more of a budget). Chryst was really laid back when it came to recruiting. I think the early verbals will be the same but Narduzzi's hard work pays off in the end.

 

[TD_istheman]

And we need to show that we can keep a coach around for a reasonable length of time. The more we win, the harder that will be to do.

I do think that like last year, we will see a solid class by LOI day, and I also think our staff is working a lot harder at recruiting and making more of an impression on prospects than the prior regime did. It will pay off at some point.

I definitely agree. I forgot that , which is a big part

 

[rutgersdave]

I think you will improve your recruiting dramatically with Pa recruits if you soundly beat Penn State. Penn State is basically being shut out of New Jersey and Maryland with those schools getting new coaches that know how to recruit. Penn State is now successfully poaching 4 star recruits from Virginia and Ohio.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

43 of the 85 players on Scholarship are from The Greater PITTsburgh Area!

I think you will improve your recruiting dramatically with Pa recruits if you soundly beat Penn State. Penn State is basically being shut out of New Jersey and Maryland with those schools getting new coaches that know how to recruit. Penn State is now successfully poaching 4 star recruits from Virginia and Ohio.

 

[sherepower]

I think you will improve your recruiting dramatically with Pa recruits if you soundly beat Penn State. Penn State is basically being shut out of New Jersey and Maryland with those schools getting new coaches that know how to recruit. Penn State is now successfully poaching 4 star recruits from Virginia and Ohio.

That's why i don't want to play Penn st. If we win ( we are supposed too being a 9 point favorite). If we lose it makes us look bad. Its a no win situation playing a mid tier big 10 team. With a terrible stigma attached to it. I would rather play a big 10 team thats pretty good. Like Iowa last year. Who beat us on 57 yard last sec field goal.

 

[sherepower]

How's Rutgers recruiting going under your new coach. Last i saw....out of 30 guys you got committed last year and verbaled this year. Only 2 or 3 had a good offer sheet. Seems your coach is beating out the Old Dominions and Sun Belt teams for recruits. Believe me its not a jab at Rutgers. Just wondering how your fans feel about your new coach so far

 

[rutgersdave]

How's Rutgers recruiting going under your new coach. Last i saw....out of 30 guys you got committed last year and verbaled this year. Only 2 or 3 had a good offer sheet. Seems your coach is beating out the Old Dominions and Sun Belt teams for recruits. Believe me its not a jab at Rutgers. Just wondering how your fans feel about your new coach so far

Last year was another terrible recruiting year with Flood who was fired because of his recruiting and coaching. Our team this year might perform badly due to the bad recruiting from the last 4 years under Flood. Fans are confidence that Ash can actually coach and recruit.

This year so far we are ranked 24 on rival. I think we end in the 30's which is better than the 50's we had with Flood. The problem is that all the Big Ten teams are getting much better due to Ohio State and Michigan, about 9 of them in the top 30 so far this year. We have most of the top NJ recruits this year so far and they all have great offers. We just needed a coach that could recruit like Ash. As I mentioned Penn State has only 1 NJ recruit which is maybe the 5th best OL in NJ. Everyone on our board is confidence of Ash recruiting ability. Go look at our recruiting commit list. We have 2 top 5 NJ recruit so far when Flood could only get 1 top 10 NJ recruit in the last 4 years. The difference is night and day. Penn State, Rutgers and Pitt Are after Hansard and it will be close.

I'm been on this board for some time and the Pitt fans knew when they had the wrong coach and are happy with Their current coach. Almost 95% consensus by Rutgers fans believe in Ash when 80% wanted Flood fired the last 2 years. Fans know.