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From the Desk of Chris Dokish
Pitt Showing More Love To Stull?
I talked to Billy Stull’s dad again recently and he says that his son is still interested in Pitt and will go to Pitt’s camp in late June. He also said that last week Pitt asked for more tape of the QB. Many think Stull’s stock will rise during the upcoming season. While he doesn’t have eye popping skills, he has a decent arm, great touch, and is quick on his feet. He is the kind whose talents grow on you the more you see him. it will be interesting to see who Pitt offers at QB.
They have offered Greg Boone but no other quarterback thus far and Boone may not even end up at QB. It is a down year at the position in PA, OH, and all over the northeast. But next year, PA will have two potential superstars at the position in Jeremy Ricker and Pat Devlin, plus OH will also be loaded at the position with Miles Schlichter, Art’s nephew, leading the way. In Florida, there is a superstar QB lurking by the name of Dexter Davidson. He puts up staggering numbers for North Broward Prep HS, partly because he is a great talent, and partly because he runs a hurry up run and shoot offense. Why would I mention a great talent from Florida when those superstar players almost always stay in the south? Maybe it’s because Davidson is learning to play the position from his unofficial QB coach whose son plays on the junior varsity team. And who is this helpful man? Some guy named Dan Marino.
Look for some more basketball articles from me in the coming weeks. It is hard to track down these kids because, unlike football players, they have no off season. They are even more busy in the summer. But future articles, if I can track them down, will include Tyrell Biggs, Theo Davis, Antonio Pena, Jessie Sapp, Lavence Fields, Saiquon Stone, Mike Davis, Trey Hampton, Noel Wilmore, Vernon Goodridge, and Nathan Skinner, plus sophomores Paul Harris and Kevin Durant. Plus, I am going back to West Newton on Saturday where Ben McCauley lives so I may drop in on his family to see what’s up with Ben. Also, while I am not promising anything, I am going to try to attend the four day ABCD camp next month in Trenton, which is about 30 minutes from my house. Every top player in the northeast will be there as will Jamie and Slice.
To see game film on Stull, click here.
From the Desk of Jim Snyder
How many scholarships will Pitt give out?
If the answer to this question were all that easy I would have much better luck picking powerball winners.
We talked to a “birdie” recently who told us that Pitt has nine (9) seniors on this years team who will use up their eligibility this fall. In theory this means Pitt will have only 9 scholarships to give out and two of them have already been accounted for in LaRod Stephens and John Brown. In theory that would mean Pitt could only take seven more players.
History tells us (and the Pitt staff), however, that there will be some attrition. Academic problems, injuries and transfers are a way of life in major college football program. In addition the staff may not offer scholarships to fifth-year players who cannot make the two-deep chart.
The “birdie” tells the Pantherlair that the working number at the UPMC complex is 15-16, which is in line with a previous War Rooms. This means Pitt is likely to bring in a small class in the fall of 2005.
We believe the following is a list of players that will be in their last year of eligibility.
Rob Petitti - OL
Justin Belarski – OL
Matt Maiers – OL
Vince Crochunis – DL
Jake Holthaus – DL
Dan Stephens – DL
Princell Brockenbrough – WR
Keith Hill – DE
Tyrone Gillard – DB
Pitt will be thin at wide receiver this fall
In case you missed on the Between Fifth & Forbes Board wide receiver Terrell Allen has ligament damage in his wrist, which required surgery. We spoke to a couple of our “birdies” at the University of Pittsburgh. One said he is will miss the upcoming season. Another said some have not give up hope that he might rehab it to enable him to play some this year. The consensus, however, is that he will take a medical redshirt this year and have three years of eligibility remaining.
This leaves Pitt very thin at the wide receiver position. Greg Lee will man one side. If Princell Brockenbrough bounces back from his off-season knee surgery there would be two solid candidates. The three incoming freshmen certainly have a great opportunity to break into the two-deep chart and see playing time this fall.
Terrell Allen had also developed into a legitimate big play threat returning kickoffs. He will also be missed on special teams.
SEC Meetings in Destin, Florida
The SEC had their annual spring meeting in Destin, Florida this past week. The conference distributed approximately $103,000,000 to their twelve members. This is money the conference received for selling television rights to football and basketball games.
During the Big East reorganization rumors flew on the West Virginia site about the possibility of joining the SEC. The speculation was that Vanderbilt might be forced out. You can forget about that happening. Vanderbilt made the NCAA tournaments in basketball, baseball, tennis, golf and lacrosse. With the exception of football their athletic department is firing on all cylinders right now. Vanderbilt is secure in the SEC. West Virginia will remain in the Big East Conference.
The top 50 prospects in PA and Nike info
This week the Pantherlair published our top 50 football prospects in the state of Pennsylvania. We will update this list later this summer. If you have not had an opportunity please check it out.
Rivals is also in the process of ranking players. It is a time consuming process and many people are involved in putting them together. You will start to see a slow roll out over the next few weeks.
Data has also now been downloaded into the database from the Nike Camps at Miami, Columbus, Baton Rouge, Charlottesville, College Station, and San Diego. This is data for almost 1,800 athletes. Next week data from Atlanta will be downloaded. The following week the info from University Park, PA will enter the system.
Why not look at the Southside?
Approximately a week ago we spoke to one of our “birdies” about the property near Trees Pool (the old Terrace Village property). Was their anything new to report on the soccer fields and track facilities?
We were told that Pitt has made what they think is a fair offer to buy the property but that it is still entangled in red tape. The lawyers and the bureaucrats have the matter at a standstill.
Yesterday Jeff Long hinted that Pitt might have to look at the Southside. To be honest with you the very first time I visited the UPMC complex it occurred to me that Pitt might want to look at expanding the project. Putting a tack, soccer field and baseball field on the Southside might not be ideal but it is a big improvement over no facility at all. Since that time office buildings, retail space and apartments have been built adjacent to the UPMC complex. Now I am a little worried that the opportunity might be getting away from Pitt.
Pitt already runs a bus shuttle service to the UPMC complex. This service might have to be expanded if they go this direction.
Rutgers has a similar situation. Many of the athletic facilities are on one side of the Raritan River while many of the classrooms are on the other side. Busses are a way of life for students and faculty.
The University of Tennessee has taken the exact opposite approach. Most of the athletic facilities are very, very close to the main administration building. Former Pitt punter Andy Lee could hit some of them on a good day. The classrooms are a little more spread out. It is almost like the sports facilities are the main focus of the campus and everything else is an after thought.
In my ideal world portions of South Oakland or the Upper Hill District would be leveled for playing fields. Both areas have plenty of sub-standard housing. History tells me, however, that this is almost impossible to achieve politically.
Jeff Long might be wise to take a second look at the Southside.
Note to Pantherlair.com Fans: The staff at Pantherlair.com works diligently to bring you the best information on University of Pittsburgh football and basketball recruiting (in addition to game coverage). Thousands of Panther fans visit our site on a daily basis. We have received a tremendous amount of e-mail thanking us for our efforts. If you like our site, please feel free to tell other fans about it. “Spread the word” and let’s add to our online family of Panther fans.
From the Desk of Chris Dokish
Pitt Showing More Love To Stull?
I talked to Billy Stull’s dad again recently and he says that his son is still interested in Pitt and will go to Pitt’s camp in late June. He also said that last week Pitt asked for more tape of the QB. Many think Stull’s stock will rise during the upcoming season. While he doesn’t have eye popping skills, he has a decent arm, great touch, and is quick on his feet. He is the kind whose talents grow on you the more you see him. it will be interesting to see who Pitt offers at QB.
They have offered Greg Boone but no other quarterback thus far and Boone may not even end up at QB. It is a down year at the position in PA, OH, and all over the northeast. But next year, PA will have two potential superstars at the position in Jeremy Ricker and Pat Devlin, plus OH will also be loaded at the position with Miles Schlichter, Art’s nephew, leading the way. In Florida, there is a superstar QB lurking by the name of Dexter Davidson. He puts up staggering numbers for North Broward Prep HS, partly because he is a great talent, and partly because he runs a hurry up run and shoot offense. Why would I mention a great talent from Florida when those superstar players almost always stay in the south? Maybe it’s because Davidson is learning to play the position from his unofficial QB coach whose son plays on the junior varsity team. And who is this helpful man? Some guy named Dan Marino.
Look for some more basketball articles from me in the coming weeks. It is hard to track down these kids because, unlike football players, they have no off season. They are even more busy in the summer. But future articles, if I can track them down, will include Tyrell Biggs, Theo Davis, Antonio Pena, Jessie Sapp, Lavence Fields, Saiquon Stone, Mike Davis, Trey Hampton, Noel Wilmore, Vernon Goodridge, and Nathan Skinner, plus sophomores Paul Harris and Kevin Durant. Plus, I am going back to West Newton on Saturday where Ben McCauley lives so I may drop in on his family to see what’s up with Ben. Also, while I am not promising anything, I am going to try to attend the four day ABCD camp next month in Trenton, which is about 30 minutes from my house. Every top player in the northeast will be there as will Jamie and Slice.
To see game film on Stull, click here.
From the Desk of Jim Snyder
How many scholarships will Pitt give out?
If the answer to this question were all that easy I would have much better luck picking powerball winners.
We talked to a “birdie” recently who told us that Pitt has nine (9) seniors on this years team who will use up their eligibility this fall. In theory this means Pitt will have only 9 scholarships to give out and two of them have already been accounted for in LaRod Stephens and John Brown. In theory that would mean Pitt could only take seven more players.
History tells us (and the Pitt staff), however, that there will be some attrition. Academic problems, injuries and transfers are a way of life in major college football program. In addition the staff may not offer scholarships to fifth-year players who cannot make the two-deep chart.
The “birdie” tells the Pantherlair that the working number at the UPMC complex is 15-16, which is in line with a previous War Rooms. This means Pitt is likely to bring in a small class in the fall of 2005.
We believe the following is a list of players that will be in their last year of eligibility.
Rob Petitti - OL
Justin Belarski – OL
Matt Maiers – OL
Vince Crochunis – DL
Jake Holthaus – DL
Dan Stephens – DL
Princell Brockenbrough – WR
Keith Hill – DE
Tyrone Gillard – DB
Pitt will be thin at wide receiver this fall
In case you missed on the Between Fifth & Forbes Board wide receiver Terrell Allen has ligament damage in his wrist, which required surgery. We spoke to a couple of our “birdies” at the University of Pittsburgh. One said he is will miss the upcoming season. Another said some have not give up hope that he might rehab it to enable him to play some this year. The consensus, however, is that he will take a medical redshirt this year and have three years of eligibility remaining.
This leaves Pitt very thin at the wide receiver position. Greg Lee will man one side. If Princell Brockenbrough bounces back from his off-season knee surgery there would be two solid candidates. The three incoming freshmen certainly have a great opportunity to break into the two-deep chart and see playing time this fall.
Terrell Allen had also developed into a legitimate big play threat returning kickoffs. He will also be missed on special teams.
SEC Meetings in Destin, Florida
The SEC had their annual spring meeting in Destin, Florida this past week. The conference distributed approximately $103,000,000 to their twelve members. This is money the conference received for selling television rights to football and basketball games.
During the Big East reorganization rumors flew on the West Virginia site about the possibility of joining the SEC. The speculation was that Vanderbilt might be forced out. You can forget about that happening. Vanderbilt made the NCAA tournaments in basketball, baseball, tennis, golf and lacrosse. With the exception of football their athletic department is firing on all cylinders right now. Vanderbilt is secure in the SEC. West Virginia will remain in the Big East Conference.
The top 50 prospects in PA and Nike info
This week the Pantherlair published our top 50 football prospects in the state of Pennsylvania. We will update this list later this summer. If you have not had an opportunity please check it out.
Rivals is also in the process of ranking players. It is a time consuming process and many people are involved in putting them together. You will start to see a slow roll out over the next few weeks.
Data has also now been downloaded into the database from the Nike Camps at Miami, Columbus, Baton Rouge, Charlottesville, College Station, and San Diego. This is data for almost 1,800 athletes. Next week data from Atlanta will be downloaded. The following week the info from University Park, PA will enter the system.
Why not look at the Southside?
Approximately a week ago we spoke to one of our “birdies” about the property near Trees Pool (the old Terrace Village property). Was their anything new to report on the soccer fields and track facilities?
We were told that Pitt has made what they think is a fair offer to buy the property but that it is still entangled in red tape. The lawyers and the bureaucrats have the matter at a standstill.
Yesterday Jeff Long hinted that Pitt might have to look at the Southside. To be honest with you the very first time I visited the UPMC complex it occurred to me that Pitt might want to look at expanding the project. Putting a tack, soccer field and baseball field on the Southside might not be ideal but it is a big improvement over no facility at all. Since that time office buildings, retail space and apartments have been built adjacent to the UPMC complex. Now I am a little worried that the opportunity might be getting away from Pitt.
Pitt already runs a bus shuttle service to the UPMC complex. This service might have to be expanded if they go this direction.
Rutgers has a similar situation. Many of the athletic facilities are on one side of the Raritan River while many of the classrooms are on the other side. Busses are a way of life for students and faculty.
The University of Tennessee has taken the exact opposite approach. Most of the athletic facilities are very, very close to the main administration building. Former Pitt punter Andy Lee could hit some of them on a good day. The classrooms are a little more spread out. It is almost like the sports facilities are the main focus of the campus and everything else is an after thought.
In my ideal world portions of South Oakland or the Upper Hill District would be leveled for playing fields. Both areas have plenty of sub-standard housing. History tells me, however, that this is almost impossible to achieve politically.
Jeff Long might be wise to take a second look at the Southside.
Note to Pantherlair.com Fans: The staff at Pantherlair.com works diligently to bring you the best information on University of Pittsburgh football and basketball recruiting (in addition to game coverage). Thousands of Panther fans visit our site on a daily basis. We have received a tremendous amount of e-mail thanking us for our efforts. If you like our site, please feel free to tell other fans about it. “Spread the word” and let’s add to our online family of Panther fans.
