Top WPIAL Recruits 2025

[NCPitt]

You think Narduzzi likes coaching collegiate professional football?

I believe what comes from his mouth rather than what you make up.

"I'm still having fun. Obviously, the fun parts - obviously game day, being around our kids every day. There's parts of it you don't like, but its part of the game...It goes with college football 2024. You're going to have those things you don't necessarily like ... You adjust to it and I think that's what we're going to do at Pittsburgh, is adjust to it... You know I'm having fun coaching football and I love being at the University of Pittsburgh. We will make it fun."

It continues to amaze me that you assume everyone in the world shares your skewed world view.

 

[NCPitt]

You took my post to be saying that *literally* nobody from the south goes to Syracuse?

You’re trying too hard to make your “point.”

When that many players come north, the substance of your point is disproved.

 

[thebadby2]

Facts don't lie.

But liars do.

 

[NCPitt]

Of course, in your typical fashion, you're deliberately ignoring this small but critical part of the post you've been railing about:

The best kids in FL

OK. That should be inherently obvious and it was essentially covered in another of my points. Power schools are power schools because they have a strong local recruiting base. Not many power players go to a non-power school no matter where it is located. USF and UCF don't get many of the best of Florida either.

 

[NCPitt]

But liars do.

That seems to be true here. Or they are just uninformed due to their tunnel vision.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Woooooooo Wee! The Closer has his best stuff today, baby.

That slider is NaSsSsSsTy!

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

I believe what comes from his mouth rather than what you make up.

"I'm still having fun. Obviously, the fun parts - obviously game day, being around our kids every day. There's parts of it you don't like, but its part of the game...It goes with college football 2024. You're going to have those things you don't necessarily like ... You adjust to it and I think that's what we're going to do at Pittsburgh, is adjust to it... You know I'm having fun coaching football and I love being at the University of Pittsburgh. We will make it fun."

It continues to amaze me that you assume everyone in the world shares your skewed world view.

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So no coach or player ever said anything to the media that might be contrary to the actual truth on how they feel?

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

OK. That should be inherently obvious and it was essentially covered in another of my points. Power schools are power schools because they have a strong local recruiting base. Not many power players go to a non-power school no matter where it is located. USF and UCF don't get many of the best of Florida either.

And that is kind of the underlying point of this entire thread. We still will get players. But we will be closer to the USF's and Temple's than Florida's and Penn State's.

 

[pafootballguy]

Get the eff out of here. Are you serious?

Bob Palko - Director of High School Relations

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

And that is kind of the underlying point of this entire thread. We still will get players. But we will be closer to the USF's and Temple's than Florida's and Penn State's.

Correct. And that makes sense to most, but not to the defender of the modified truth and a few of his ilk.

Recruiting is mostly about the law of averages. You need more good players to win. As a %, higher star ratings lead to better players. As a %, most of Pitt's higher star players are going to have to come from the WPIAL.

 

[cashisking884]

When that many players come north, the substance of your point is disproved.

You don’t have to do this.

 

[cashisking884]

Correct. And that makes sense to most, but not to the defender of the modified truth and a few of his ilk.

Recruiting is mostly about the law of averages. You need more good players to win. As a %, higher star ratings lead to better players. As a %, most of Pitt's higher star players are going to have to come from the WPIAL.

This is true.

But what high ranked kids are in the WPIAL?

I looked up the recruiting ranking on 247 of the players listed in the original post.

None of them have much of a ranking.

You aren’t really playing for anything meaningful if those are your highest ranked recruits.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

This is true.

But what high ranked kids are in the WPIAL?

I looked up the recruiting ranking on 247 of the players listed in the original post.

None of them have much of a ranking.

You aren’t really playing for anything meaningful if those are your highest ranked recruits.

If I just go by national composite rankings (some of their 247 rankings are even higher)...


O'hara - 337 (4*)
Burnett - 344 (4*)
Tatsch - 331 (4*)
Hayes - 361 (4*)
Thomas - Doesn't have a national composite ranking, yet.


I only see one guy we recruited last year who had a higher ranking than these four guys. Same thing in 2023.

So we're talking about guys who would be our 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th highest recruits in a multi-year (two as of now; we'll see what 2025 holds) span. And that's just the 2025 WPIAL players. That number obviously increases if I add other years to the mix.

 

[forbesfield]

A few of those guys will end up much higher after the camp circuit is done. Tatsch is too low.

 

[NCPitt]

So no coach or player ever said anything to the media that might be contrary to the actual truth on how they feel?

They likely have. But no "fan" who makes stuff up in contradiction to what is publicly available can assumed to be right. Do you agree?

Btw, I believe him ... or he would retire. He's made enough money to last his and his heirs lifetimes.

 

[NCPitt]

And that is kind of the underlying point of this entire thread. We still will get players. But we will be closer to the USF's and Temple's than Florida's and Penn State's.

My position here for many years is that Pitt - because it is Pitt and not due to the coach at any point in time - is at a recruiting disadvantage to the power schools. Anyone who assumes that we can change coaches and suddenly recruit significantly better is in a fantasy world. That includes the top players in the WPIAL. They are like other power players all over the country in that they want to attend power schools. We will rarely beat OSU, PSU, Michigan, or Notre Dame if they want a player.

 

[NCPitt]

You don’t have to do this.

You don't have to be here.

 

[NCPitt]

If I just go by national composite rankings (some of their 247 rankings are even higher)...


O'hara - 337 (4*)
Burnett - 344 (4*)
Tatsch - 331 (4*)
Hayes - 361 (4*)
Thomas - Doesn't have a national composite ranking, yet.


I only see one guy we recruited last year who had a higher ranking than these four guys. Same thing in 2023.

So we're talking about guys who would be our 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th highest recruits in a multi-year (two as of now; we'll see what 2025 holds) span. And that's just the 2025 WPIAL players. That number obviously increases if I add other years to the mix.

Why would they want to come to Pitt? Seriously, if you were a parent of these kids and a power school wants you, how would you convince him to come to Pitt?

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

They likely have. But no "fan" who makes stuff up in contradiction to what is publicly available can assumed to be right. Do you agree?

Btw, I believe him ... or he would retire. He's made enough money to last his and his heirs lifetimes.

We shall see. I predict he retires after this year. He has been one of the more outspoken coaches against this stuff. Not necessarily paying the guys, but how they are getting paid, the portal, the tampering and the fact he has said what even the college football media seems to refuse to acknowledge, is no way in hell could these kids gain eligibility and degrees for the amount they transfer. Of course we have also learned that in the world today grades are given not earned.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Why would they want to come to Pitt? Seriously, if you were a parent of these kids and a power school wants you, how would you convince him to come to Pitt?

Me personally? I would use treat bags.

Look... you can make really cool football ones with salty snacks inside.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

Why would they want to come to Pitt? Seriously, if you were a parent of these kids and a power school wants you, how would you convince him to come to Pitt?

I hate this. Why has Pitt had more HOFers than almost any school, including 2 sure fire in waiting? This is a weak strawman. Why then do kids go to any school outside of the top 12??

 

[thebadby2]

Woooooooo Wee! The Closer has his best stuff today, baby.

That slider is NaSsSsSsTy!

I believe The Closer has been taken yard.
The best kids in FL

 

[h2p_5150]

You can't win like this. No program succeeds while striking out in their home turf. You need to get talent from all over but you are at a massive disadvantage when every local blue chipper goes elsewhere. There's a reason the team wasn't good last year and won't be good next year.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

My position here for many years is that Pitt - because it is Pitt and not due to the coach at any point in time - is at a recruiting disadvantage to the power schools. Anyone who assumes that we can change coaches and suddenly recruit significantly better is in a fantasy world. That includes the top players in the WPIAL. They are like other power players all over the country in that they want to attend power schools. We will rarely beat OSU, PSU, Michigan, or Notre Dame if they want a player.

Okay, but what I think you're not understanding is that being at a disadvantage doesn't have to mean losing out on EVERY player those other schools want.

The #6 player in the country committed to Missouri.

#7 to Nebraska.

#13 to Colorado.

#19 to South Carolina

https://247sports.com/Season/2024-Football/RecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool

And so forth and so on. I mean, do we all have to act like recruiting just began yesterday? Obviously we have gotten hundreds of local recruits who other big time schools have wanted. We just got three of them in 2021. Can we invite common sense into the discussion and not act like we're speaking in fairytales?

 

[TempleBAPittMPA]

The best kids in FL don’t necessary go to a FL school anymore. But they also aren’t going to Syracuse.

Fran Brown may very well change that.

 

[thebadby2]

Fran Brown may very well change that.

Not without a really big bag. Plus he's a Jersey/east coast guy. UGA recruits itself to the elite southern players.

He's in well over his head at Cuse. That place is a dead end and he has never even been a coordinator let alone a head coach.

 

[thebadby2]

You don’t have to do this.

Nobody puts The Closer in the corner.

 

[cashisking884]

If I just go by national composite rankings (some of their 247 rankings are even higher)...


O'hara - 337 (4*)
Burnett - 344 (4*)
Tatsch - 331 (4*)
Hayes - 361 (4*)
Thomas - Doesn't have a national composite ranking, yet.


I only see one guy we recruited last year who had a higher ranking than these four guys. Same thing in 2023.

So we're talking about guys who would be our 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th highest recruits in a multi-year (two as of now; we'll see what 2025 holds) span. And that's just the 2025 WPIAL players. That number obviously increases if I add other years to the mix.

All of those guys have an average recruit ranking of like 90.

Georgia had 17 kids in its class with a 93+ ranking.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

All of those guys have an average recruit ranking of like 90.

Georgia had 17 kids in its class with a 93+ ranking.

I'm not saying they're going to put us on the short-list for national championship contenders. I'm just saying a 3-9 team could probably use those guys, as opposed to low 3-stars with offers from Rutgers, Boston College, and Uconn.

 

[NCPitt]

We shall see. I predict he retires after this year. He has been one of the more outspoken coaches against this stuff. Not necessarily paying the guys, but how they are getting paid, the portal, the tampering and the fact he has said what even the college football media seems to refuse to acknowledge, is no way in hell could these kids gain eligibility and degrees for the amount they transfer. Of course we have also learned that in the world today grades are given not earned.

I note that you didn't answer the question. I guess you defer to a random person's made-up statement of Narduzzi's beliefs is more credible to you than Narduzzi's own words.

Seems to be a strange position to take.

 

[NCPitt]

I hate this. Why has Pitt had more HOFers than almost any school, including 2 sure fire in waiting? This is a weak strawman. Why then do kids go to any school outside of the top 12??

You seem to refuse to answer questions. I'm talking about present-day Pitt, not Pitt's history.

The most recent recruits with HOF performances were not top recruits, e.g., Aaron Donald.

 

[NCPitt]

I believe The Closer has been taken yard.
The best kids in FL

Only if you want to ignore my point, as you usually do.

 

[WillyDavis33]

Bob Palko - Director of High School Relations

You really need to get a life! Wow what a douche!

 

[NCPitt]

Okay, but what I think you're not understanding is that being at a disadvantage doesn't have to mean losing out on EVERY player those other schools want.

The #6 player in the country committed to Missouri.

#7 to Nebraska.

#13 to Colorado.

#19 to South Carolina

https://247sports.com/Season/2024-Football/RecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool

And so forth and so on. I mean, do we all have to act like recruiting just began yesterday? Obviously we have gotten hundreds of local recruits who other big time schools have wanted. We just got three of them in 2021. Can we invite common sense into the discussion and not act like we're speaking in fairytales?

A fairytale is a belief that Pitt will outrecruit power schools for any player they really want on a regular basis. I guess you believe that winning 3 of these recruits a year will make Pitt a contender. Fairytale.

 

[NCPitt]

Nobody puts The Closer in the corner.

I really hope you don't think a nickname will deter me.

 

[thebadby2]

Only if you want to ignore my point, as you usually do.

Why don’t you state your “point” as succinctly as you’re capable of doing. Because last time I checked, you disagreed with a post that stated that the best Florida prospects don’t go to northern schools, and to support your refutation you cited the fact that Cuse, WVU, Temple etc all have numerous FL kids on their rosters. Which is apropos of nothing, because those are players that the big southern and northern programs didn’t want. They simply took their best offers. Far from the “best” FL prospects. Schools like Pitt, Cuse, BC etc get the scraps.

 

[thebadby2]

I really hope you don't think a nickname will deter me.

From what?

It’s a funny nickname given to you by a half wit poster who thought you scored, when you actually missed by a mile.

Would you prefer we call you The Defender?

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

I believe The Closer has been taken yard.
The best kids in FL

The nickname pertains to his ability to get threads closed down or completely derail them with contrarian nonsense. This is precisely his A game.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

A fairytale is a belief that Pitt will outrecruit power schools for any player they really want on a regular basis. I guess you believe that winning 3 of these recruits a year will make Pitt a contender. Fairytale.

Again, it won't make Pitt a national contender (save for once in a blue moon); it will simply make them better. And landing local players who Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame, etc. have wanted is not some novel concept; it is something we have done for literal decades. It's just that we have gotten exceptionally bad at it as of late.

What is difficult to understand about this? Unfurrow your brow and step out of your contrarian, fact-contorting rage for just one second and repeat after me:

"Oh, I get it now. Sorry for being a dumbass."

And then it's no big deal.

 

[NCPitt]

Why don’t you state your “point” as succinctly as you’re capable of doing. Because last time I checked, you disagreed with a post that stated that the best Florida prospects don’t go to northern schools, and to support your refutation you cited the fact that Cuse, WVU, Temple etc all have numerous FL kids on their rosters. Which is apropos of nothing, because those are players that the big southern and northern programs didn’t want. They simply took their best offers. Far from the “best” FL prospects. Schools like Pitt, Cuse, BC etc get the scraps.

You apparently didn't check replies to you own posts. You must have a short attention span.

OK. That should be inherently obvious and it was essentially covered in another of my points. Power schools are power schools because they have a strong local recruiting base. Not many power players go to a non-power school no matter where it is located. USF and UCF don't get many of the best of Florida either.