Very impressed with the recruiting so far

[President Stache]

We definitely have far more buzz than anytime since Wanny, and pulling out the best players in the state and adding 4 star talent outside the state is really outstanding.

Obviously getting Paris Ford is huge, he was the number one priority, and not having him flip is worth a lot. Reeves, Twyman, the big OL guys, and adding those great grad transfers are also outstanding, Clark and Browne both 5 star guys you wont see on our rankings.

Last year was slightly better I think, but this year keeps us as a strong team with a strong core group for years to come. No Pitt basketball thing happening under Narduzzi's watch.

 

[Cap pitt]

Anything on Munford?

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Anything on Mumford?

And sons?

 

[sappycrease]

Eh, definitely not impressed with the close this NSD. To get over the 8-4 hump I think Coach Duz is going to have to be better on the recruiting trail.

With that being said, recruiting classes/ranks aren't decided and judged until these boys put on the pads and play an ACC schedule. Really hoping Narduzzi can coach his first two classes up to have PITT consistently fighting for the Coastal. H2P

 

[Tony Zimmermans Dennys Adversary]

And sons?

Nothing new there. Still a shitty hipster band.

 

[Panthergrowl13]

Solid Class

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[Jpripper88]

I think the recruiting has been fine, but nowhere near "impressive". Basically exactly average for P5 and the ACC. We need to do a better job if we are going to compete for Championships. I think HCPN can get us there, but there will need to be an uptick in recruiting.

 

[Cap pitt]

You guys are idiots, this is a really good class, a lot of need was addressed in this, trolls, and Pitt classes will get better with wins

 

[Piranha]

I think the recruiting has been fine, but nowhere near "impressive". Basically exactly average for P5 and the ACC. We need to do a better job if we are going to compete for Championships. I think HCPN can get us there, but there will need to be an uptick in recruiting.

His first 2 classes were ranked about 30th, depending on which site you refer to. Pitt is not Bama, and never will be. You need to set a realistic bar for this program.

 

[NCanton Panther]

I'm going to be lazy and just ask herein instead of going to try and look it up. Don't know if I missed it or not so what is the status of AJ Davis? Did he commit anywhere already or was he one of the ones that was going to do it later today/this evening?

There was even someone who was waiting til their mom's BD on Friday. I was thinking that was Twyman but that's obviously not the case. Is that Debose?

 

[OnCampusStadiumPitt]

1:30 today

I'm going to be lazy and just ask herein instead of going to try and look it up. Don't know if I missed it or not so what is the status of AJ Davis? Did he commit anywhere already or was he one of the ones that was going to do it later today/this evening?

There was even someone who was waiting til their mom's BD on Friday. I was thinking that was Twyman but that's obviously not the case. Is that Debose?

 

[Piranha]

I'm going to be lazy and just ask herein instead of going to try and look it up. Don't know if I missed it or not so what is the status of AJ Davis? Did he commit anywhere already or was he one of the ones that was going to do it later today/this evening?

There was even someone who was waiting til their mom's BD on Friday. I was thinking that was Twyman but that's obviously not the case. Is that Debose?

Davis announcing about 1:15 and DeBose announcing on Fri.

 

[sappycrease]

I don't think anyone expects us to recruit like Bama - but are what Maryland and Tech doing out of the question? UMD went 2-6 down the stretch and they're pushing for a top ten class. I don't put it on Narduzzi's ability to sell specifically, but it would be nice to see the new OC be a legit ace recruiter. Do we have an ace recruiter on the staff now? Just a thought...

 

[Piranha]

I don't think anyone expects us to recruit like Bama - but are what Maryland and Tech doing out of the question? UMD went 2-6 down the stretch and they're pushing for a top ten class. I don't put it on Narduzzi's ability to sell specifically, but it would be nice to see the new OC be a legit ace recruiter. Do we have an ace recruiter on the staff now? Just a thought...

The Top 5-10 are at a different level, but then who is to say the #30 class isn't going to end up better than the #20 class? Not much difference there.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Yea. The people in this thread are idiots yet this is at least twice you've referred to him as Mumford.

 

[revampedpanthers]

I think the recruiting has been fine, but nowhere near "impressive". Basically exactly average for P5 and the ACC. We need to do a better job if we are going to compete for Championships. I think HCPN can get us there, but there will need to be an uptick in recruiting.

Agree I wouldn't call it impressive, its better than it was under PC and Walt but not as good as it was under DW, at least not his first 3 years.
But you can win the acc with classes like this you just have to hit on a higher percentage of kids than the average. Example if the % of all conference players are the following
5* %50
4* %35
3% 25
2* %10
Then Pitt needs to hit on %65 of 5 star guys,%45 of 4 stars and %35 of 3 stars.(I am just using made up figures not saying %25 of 3 stars end up being all conference players) Do that and you are going to have top 10 to 20 talent instead of 30 to 40.

The other key is you have to get better or at least equal QB play to the top teams. Pitt isn't going to put a team on the field with superior talent to FSU or Clemson, if they hit on a higher percentage as mentioned before they can be close but it won't be enough if fsu or clemson get superior QB play. To be near the top Pitt has to get 5 star type QB play.
Then the other factor is of course coaching. No coach is going to completely outclass other top coaches to the point of being able to make up the difference between a FSU roster and Akron's. But PN might be able to do enough to make up the difference between top 25 talent and top 10 talent, especially if he gets better QB play than his opponent.

 

[raleighpanther]

The ranking is what it is. Obviously having the top class in the country would be better. But PN looks for guys who have a football player mentality who have size, speed and athletic ability that he thinks he and his staff can coach and turn into great college players.

He has good track record of doing so at Michigan State, a team that consistently out performed their recruiting class rankings once those guys matured. This is far more important to know than GENERAL info about how teams do with recruiting classes ranked at a certain place in the ranking order.

 

[raleighpanther]

Agree I wouldn't call it impressive, its better than it was under PC and Walt but not as good as it was under DW, at least not his first 3 years.
But you can win the acc with classes like this you just have to hit on a higher percentage of kids than the average. Example if the % of all conference players are the following
5* %50
4* %35
3% 25
2* %10
Then Pitt needs to hit on %65 of 5 star guys,%45 of 4 stars and %35 of 3 stars.(I am just using made up figures not saying %25 of 3 stars end up being all conference players) Do that and you are going to have top 10 to 20 talent instead of 30 to 40.

The other key is you have to get better or at least equal QB play to the top teams. Pitt isn't going to put a team on the field with superior talent to FSU or Clemson, if they hit on a higher percentage as mentioned before they can be close but it won't be enough if fsu or clemson get superior QB play. To be near the top Pitt has to get 5 star type QB play.
Then the other factor is of course coaching. No coach is going to completely outclass other top coaches to the point of being able to make up the difference between a FSU roster and Akron's. But PN might be able to do enough to make up the difference between top 25 talent and top 10 talent, especially if he gets better QB play than his opponent.

Wow, the percentage you choose in your example bear no resemblance to reality. There are only a small handful of 5 star kids in the entire country. Most ACC have zero five star guys. 4 star guys are also a small group, and a typical school will have a few in each class. Most schools are predominately comprised of 3 star guys. Success for the non-Alabamas of the world likes in getting the right 3 star guys.

 

[sappycrease]

I'm just trying to be honest. If you're okay with 8-4 and playing Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl then our current class fits perfectly. But when teams in our own division are taking us to the woodshed in recruiting then we aren't going to sniff the ACC championship game. Our rating average is currently a 3 star recruit. We aren't going to win championships with that level of recruiting. Sorry to be a downer on NSD but I was expecting a lot more out of Narduzzi's recruiting this cycle.

 

[OnCampusStadiumPitt]

So you are an expert on recruiting and after evaluating this class + Clark and Browne you are not happy!

I'm just trying to be honest. If you're okay with 8-4 and playing Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl then our current class fits perfectly. But when teams in our own division are taking us to the woodshed in recruiting then we aren't going to sniff the ACC championship game. Our rating average is currently a 3 star recruit. We aren't going to win championships with that level of recruiting. Sorry to be a downer on NSD but I was expecting a lot more out of Narduzzi's recruiting this cycle.

 

[bobfree]

I don't think anyone expects us to recruit like Bama - but are what Maryland and Tech doing out of the question? UMD went 2-6 down the stretch and they're pushing for a top ten class. I don't put it on Narduzzi's ability to sell specifically, but it would be nice to see the new OC be a legit ace recruiter. Do we have an ace recruiter on the staff now? Just a thought...

This.:...

Last years class was really good.

This was a step back and we lost a lot of head to head battles with tech and didn't close well. Need some tweaks on staff.

 

[sappycrease]

Sorry to ruffle any feathers in this thread. It's just been frustrating watching all these teams in our own backyard cashing in on NSD with strong classes. Let's get this OC hired and out on the trail so we can finally get started on the '18 class. H2P.

 

[BScott78]

Let's be honest, you aren't winning an ACC with this class. At least the odds are against it. But it is better than last year, and the years before. At least the players signed this year has offers from big power 5 schools, unlike the last few years. So the trend is in the direction. But if you take off the Pitt shades, it is not a class that will win us the ACC. It ranks about 7th in ACC, so it isn't an upper echelon class in the ACC, let alone the country

 

[revampedpanthers]

Wow, the percentage you choose in your example bear no resemblance to reality. There are only a small handful of 5 star kids in the entire country. Most ACC have zero five star guys. 4 star guys are also a small group, and a typical school will have a few in each class. Most schools are predominately comprised of 3 star guys. Success for the non-Alabamas of the world likes in getting the right 3 star guys.

AS I SAID in the post the numbers were simply a example. And I wasn't saying that the %50 of the ACC guys are 5* I was saying that if %50 of 5 star recruits end up being all conference performers and %35 of 4* and %25 of 3 stars then with Pitt's current recruiting level they need to hit at a higher percentage than the average to be at the top. So if FSU is getting all 4 and 5 star players and %50 of their 5* guys are ending up on the acc 1st team and %35 of their 4 * end up ACC first team(the numbers are too high but just using a example) then Pitt is going to have to hit on %50 for 4 stars and %35 on 3 stars. Basically its simple math. If the percentages are better on average for higher ranked kids then Pitt needs to equal those percentages with lower ranked kids. If Pitt hits on a higher percentage of kids than average their talent level will be similar to higher ranked classes. Augment that with very good coaching and QB play and Pitt can win ACC championships with classes just like these last two. But their is no arguing that if they don't they won't compete against teams like FSU and Clemson who bring in top 10 classes.

 

[sherepower]

This staff the last 2 years is comparable to a couple of Wanny type classes. However, and this is a BIG however. Wanny and staff was hand cuffed very badly playing in the Big East conference.

In my opinion coach Narduzzi needs to either tweak the staff a bit or hire another coach with the 10th opening up soon. A Charlie Partridge type coach or someone of that ilk. With certain ties to a certain area to booster recruiting. I feel this is a must

 

[Jeffburgh]

Interestingly, according the ESPN rankings, Mich State is 31 and Pitt is 32.

Pitt's class is 6th in the ACC.

Of course FSU and Clemson are 1 & 2.

But, the Coastal runs from 3 to 10.

Pitt is behind NC, Miami, VT, ahead of Va, Duke & GT.

Proctor and Garbutt were VTs first and third rated gets.

 

[Piranha]

I'm just trying to be honest. If you're okay with 8-4 and playing Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl then our current class fits perfectly. But when teams in our own division are taking us to the woodshed in recruiting then we aren't going to sniff the ACC championship game. Our rating average is currently a 3 star recruit. We aren't going to win championships with that level of recruiting. Sorry to be a downer on NSD but I was expecting a lot more out of Narduzzi's recruiting this cycle.

If you want to get better Bowl invites, then u can blame the fans. Bowls are all about making $. They will take a 7-5 team that brings lots of fans over a 9-3 team that doesn't.

 

[GT74]

I think it was a solid class. I think a few will end up in the NFL, and a few others will be all-conference. Pitt lost out on a few, but all teams do. I like the influx of Fla. recruits to replace the locals that went elsewhere, and I think some needs were filled. For those complaining, we all want the 4 and 5*s that are out there, but the reality is that the Alabamas, Ohio States, NDs, and PSUs of the world will still get their share, so player development and coaching become a priority for others. Maybe Duzz can follow that Mich St pattern of increased winning which breeds better recruiting which breeds more winning. Then more fans will be satisfied.

 

[pittguy81]

I'm just trying to be honest. If you're okay with 8-4 and playing Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl then our current class fits perfectly. But when teams in our own division are taking us to the woodshed in recruiting then we aren't going to sniff the ACC championship game. Our rating average is currently a 3 star recruit. We aren't going to win championships with that level of recruiting. Sorry to be a downer on NSD but I was expecting a lot more out of Narduzzi's recruiting this cycle.

Our 3 stars beat Clemson and PSU...and lost 4 games by a total of 18 points.

 

[revampedpanthers]

I'm just trying to be honest. If you're okay with 8-4 and playing Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl then our current class fits perfectly. But when teams in our own division are taking us to the woodshed in recruiting then we aren't going to sniff the ACC championship game. Our rating average is currently a 3 star recruit. We aren't going to win championships with that level of recruiting. Sorry to be a downer on NSD but I was expecting a lot more out of Narduzzi's recruiting this cycle.

Chances are you are correct, but there are lots of teams that win above their recruiting level. WVU wasn't recruiting any better when they were winning 11 or 12 games a year under RRod they were simply doing a better job than most others at finding the right 3 star players. I could pick all 2 star recruits that end up in the NFL from this years draft and have a team more talented than Alabama. The trick is doing it when they are 18. Look at the superbowl teams original HS rankings. Tons of 3star and 2 star guys. The percentages say that 4 and 5 star guys will end up being very good college players more often than 2 and 3 star guys but there are a lot more 2 and 3 star players.

So if you have 20 5 star guys chances are you will get 10 very good players out of those 20. This is alabama lots of 5 star guys go there and never play(Foster).
Now a team with 20 3 star guys might typically get 4 very good players out of those 20. This is most P5 schools. But some coaches do a better than average job at finding talent and in that case maybe the coach finds 7 very good players instead of 4. Take that 7 and repeat it 3 times and you have 21 good players which is a full team of starters. You are likely never going to have the depth that a alabama has but 1st team vs 1st team will be very close. THE KEY IS PN NEEDS TO FIND THE BETTER 3 STAR PLAYERS.

 

[OnCampusStadiumPitt]

Facts can't be entered in

Our 3 stars beat Clemson and PSU...and lost 4 games by a total of 18 points.

 

[VAPITTALUM]

I don't think anyone expects us to recruit like Bama - but are what Maryland and Tech doing out of the question? UMD went 2-6 down the stretch and they're pushing for a top ten class. I don't put it on Narduzzi's ability to sell specifically, but it would be nice to see the new OC be a legit ace recruiter. Do we have an ace recruiter on the staff now? Just a thought...

PITT and VT have the same average star ranking for their class. VT just had more scholarships available. Maryland has some solid players, but they are also bringing in 30 recruits; so 35% of the overall scholarships will be given to this incoming class.

 

[sherepower]

Our 3 stars beat Clemson and PSU...and lost 4 games by a total of 18 points.

Agreed......... however, we also lost our offensive coordinator (who was a magician) directly responsible for most of our wins. Hopefully, we hire someone just as good. If not?

Next year can be very ugly if our defense doesn't improve dramatically

 

[sappycrease]

Our 3 stars beat Clemson and PSU...and lost 4 games by a total of 18 points.

Hey I hear ya man - two of our biggest wins of the season. But is that all you want out of a season? Beat two good teams on your schedule but still lose 5 games? Not me. I think you missed my point above. I don't want to be 8-4, I want to win the division and have a fighter's chance at the ACC.

All I'm saying is that if we ever want to be more than an 8-4 team Narduzzi (and staff) have to recruit better. We need an ace recruiter to lead the way on the higher rated players we go after.

 

[Pittx9]

If you want to get better Bowl invites, then u can blame the fans. Bowls are all about making $. They will take a 7-5 team that brings lots of fans over a 9-3 team that doesn't.

In that case we'll be fine. Pitt travels to bowls better than most ACC schools, at least lately. I think they'll continue to as long as we have narduzzi and/or a administration that shows they're attempting to build something. And also if we don't go to Birmingham Alabama 3 years in a row.

As for recruiting, all we can do is see what happens. Narduzzi built a defense at MSU with recruits like this that fit into his system. Sprinkle in some whiteheads, Hamlins, and fords on that defense and I think we'll be good enough. These past two 8-5 seasons were with far worse talent than he's brought in in his recruiting classes.

 

[Piranha]

Agreed......... however, we also lost our offensive coordinator (who was a magician) directly responsible for most of our wins. Hopefully, we hire someone just as good. If not?

Next year can be very ugly if our defense doesn't improve dramatically

He was not a magician. There were 9 guys starting who could someday play in the NFL. He had a lot of talent to work with.

Biz, O'Neill, DoJo, Bookser
Conner, Nate
Orndorff, Weah, Henderson

 

[sherepower]

He was not a magician. There were 9 guys playing who could someday play in the NFL.

Biz, O'Neill, DoJo, Possibly Bookser
Conner, Nate
Orndorff, Weah, Henderson

Well, obviously with the exact same players under Chaney. The offense was nowhere near as good as this past year. Just the improvement alone from Peterman with less than a year to prepare him. Makes him a magician in my opinion.

As far as the defense. We had 8 starters back from the year before. Yet, they regressed like i have never seen.

 

[raleighpanther]

You know guys, even though they don't show up in this class rankings, the transfers are allowed to take the field for Pitt. Really, they are.
Why some of you guys have blinders on these big time players that PN has brought in, or act like they somehow don't count, is beyond me. And they are all older, more mature, and far more ready to play than the freshman. Witness PN's extremely important recruit of two years ago, Nate Peterman. Without him, our excellent offense for the past two years would've looked nothing like it did.

This year, our starters will include these transfers:

QB: 5 star, #1 overall player in his class
TE: 5 star, #1 TE in his class
DE: 4 star, #6 DE in his class
DT: 4 star, considered a top DT in his class

And PN looks like he's going to do this every year. Smart move. So when you guys look at HS recruits only, and conclude that you can't compete in the ACC with these guys, you are missing a big part of who's actually being brought in and who Pitt's key playmakers will be. Those four very high end recruits will account for nearly 20% of our starting unit this year, and all are at extremely important positions.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

This wasn't a little boat that needed a course correction. Closer to an ocean liner that needs time to turn around. I'd love to see more 4 star kids too but some of them have pretty good offer sheets and I think it's trending in the right direction. Of course results on the field will need to improve to even mani rain good classes nevermind taking another step up. I like where it's headed but only time will tell.

 

[TheOldDirtyPanther]

What I do not understand is folks come here and complain , but say they love Pitt! Either your in or your out, not hard! We have to like who comes here, not the ones who did not!