Welcome Rafael Lopes
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Adding him, Perriman, and Rowell coming back...
looking like a top 25 offense...
looking like a top 25 offense...
I am giving Narduzzi & Co the benefit of the doubt until I see on the field performance. I am sure this recruit is a nice player; but do we really need a short-ish (5-9) slot receiver vs a taller one or a player at some other position?
If he proves to be an immediate starter and a productive one taking pressure and double coverage off of Tyler Boyd then he will be a good get. Otherwise, not so much, IMHO.
If he proves to be an immediate starter and a productive one taking pressure and double coverage off of Tyler Boyd then he will be a good get. Otherwise, not so much, IMHO.
Are you an idiot???
We get a first team all juco and you complain?? Did you graduate from ped state??
Antonio brown is the same height
We get a first team all juco and you complain?? Did you graduate from ped state??
Antonio brown is the same height
Have to agree. This kid looks like a very good kid to take a "chance" on - nice change of direction ability, and while he's not tall, he's not skinny either. Also, Quadree Henderson, who is an incoming recruit targeted for the slot receiver position, is listed as 5'8" and 170#.
I like quickness in the slot guy and that seems to be what this staff wants and what the previous staff wanted. A little taller would be nice - just as I'm sure the Steeler's would like it if Antonio Brown was 6'-2"...
Go Pitt.
Ask WVU how Mario Alford worked out...He was an inch shorter at 5'-8". Alford, started all 13 games and led the Big 12 and team in receiving TDs. We do not have a true slot guy with explosion and Lopez might be a perfect fit, much like Alford with White. The other receiver's on the roster are physical guys who have a chance to impact,but none have Lopez like speed and elusiveness. This was a nice pick up IMO.
I love it even if he doesn't work out. No risk pick up for immediate help.
What you should be is encouraged about the type of offense we will obviously be running. Under Chryst we rarely even put a slot receiver on the field. . This signing is proof that the staff wants to run a more multiple offense than PC ran. Obviously Duzzi wants to emulate the MSU offense, which was a nice blend of pro-style with some spread features. Magarrett Kimgs was the slot guy for MSU last year and he was a real weapon. No bigger/taller than this guy. I think it's pretty obvious that Narduzzi and Chaney intend to emulate the MSU offense heavily. That's a good thing for us as fans and a good fit for our personnel.
Placing a lot of speed and /or elusiveness in both slots puts a huge amount of pressure on the defense. If you cover all four receives up, you are either man to man against safeties, or you have a 7 on 5 situation or 7 on 6 at best, in the box. In Pitt's case, one of the offensive 7 is JC, good luck with that.
Taking him makes sense with the talent PN was left, but:
1. Antonio Brown is not 5'9
2. There is a reason he is (completely) available as a 2015 recruit in May of 2015.
3. He was not a 1st team all JUCO. He was a First Team CCCFCA All-American, which is to say he was a California Community College "All-American". It is like the ACC calling their All-Freshmans "All-Americans". Of the 14 players, on offense, only 3 others have offers from D1 schools.
I definitely think a lot of people are overstating this kid's likely impact. I hope I am wrong and that it comes in and lights it up right away. However, what I am really hoping is that he finds a way to contribute in some way.
I am still in favor of making this offer because the staff would've had time to evaluate him and they decided they could use him. However, people talking about this deal like we just landed Jerry Rice is really dumb.
I am still in favor of making this offer because the staff would've had time to evaluate him and they decided they could use him. However, people talking about this deal like we just landed Jerry Rice is really dumb.
Who knows if this guy can play or not. What I like is the symbolism of it. The coaches obviously thought we needed a slot receiver badly with Jones gone, which tells me they plan to utilize the slot, which is another sign that they intend to emulate the MSU offense. That's a good thing. They do some very creative things out of the pro set there and get a lot of players touches in a lot of different ways. They use their slot guy, Kings in a variety of ways even while having a deep talented receiving corps and a superstar outside WR in Tony Lippett. Kings is an exciting player and they like to make use of his talents. Last year our passing game was Voytik to Boyd. This year it stands to be a lot more diverse than that. Slot guys, backs, TEs will all be more involved.
Pretty much agree with all of this. Well stated. I will add that he is available for a reason. That being said, if you told me those stats were against Fort Cherry and West Green I'd still be impressed by the production.
I'm glad they added someone there with a little experience for this year.
Near nothing after boyd experience wise on a 19-19 team.
Near nothing after boyd experience wise on a 19-19 team.
TO: DC_Area_Panther, Teh The, MajorMajors,
I TRUST in Coach Pat but DC has a good point to verify these Transfers can contribute right away. What will be interesting to watch is to see Coach Pat & Staff can adapt these Players as fast as KSU's Bill Synder does every year for KSU!
I have mixed observations on these transfers, it is a sign Coach Pat & Staff feels Pitt really need help right away and younger recruits can't provide as fast as he may want, for the next year? At the same time, the Transfers are very talented and will help Pitt right away in case of key injuries and produce results this very year.
I also might add, the Wideout and Slot Positions are perfect for Jordan Whitehead to contribute to on Offense as when I posted last year, what the Aliquippa Coaches felt Jordan can be very valuable playing Offense on key downs as well as Defense!
We shall see?
I TRUST in Coach Pat but DC has a good point to verify these Transfers can contribute right away. What will be interesting to watch is to see Coach Pat & Staff can adapt these Players as fast as KSU's Bill Synder does every year for KSU!
I have mixed observations on these transfers, it is a sign Coach Pat & Staff feels Pitt really need help right away and younger recruits can't provide as fast as he may want, for the next year? At the same time, the Transfers are very talented and will help Pitt right away in case of key injuries and produce results this very year.
I also might add, the Wideout and Slot Positions are perfect for Jordan Whitehead to contribute to on Offense as when I posted last year, what the Aliquippa Coaches felt Jordan can be very valuable playing Offense on key downs as well as Defense!
We shall see?
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I missed the folks comparing Lopes to Jerry Rice. But if you take a look at our roster, about all of our WRs are 6-2, and other than TB, not what you'd consider quick. They are definitely more long-stridders, not fast-twitch guys. The only other "quick" guy we have is the incoming frosh Henderson, who is listed as 5-8 and 170#, and supposed to be very quick.
So like it or not, Mr. Lopes serves a need and as a bonus, he has shown the ability to plant the foot, a weapon that we only see TB use consistently on the current roster.
Go Pitt.
Agreed. Part of the reason is the mindless drones (who are absolutely no different than the "sheep Nitters" they make fun of) regurgitating a false "JUCO All-American" tag, which they think puts him on plane with Kevin White and our Tyler Boyd.
I will just be happy if he can be a contributor at all in 2016.
I get that people want to pick apart the credibility of a poster to make their point, but c'mon... Antonio Brown at 5'10" and 186 lbs is pretty darn close physical comparison to this kid at 5'9 and 193 lbs.
He didn't say he was going to perform like Brown, but that it's a more than fair size reference to compare him to someone that everyone on the board knows.
He didn't say he was going to perform like Brown, but that it's a more than fair size reference to compare him to someone that everyone on the board knows.
That was the smallest (no pun inteded) issue with the post. However, Brown was combine measured at 5'10.2 and 4.48 in the 40. Lopes "swears he is 5'9" but the only measured results we have are from high school when he measured at 5'8.5" and ran a 4.74 40. So, sure, 1.5 inches isn't a huge difference, but it is still wrong and at some point the difference matters. Maybe that is at 6' vs 5'10.5 or 5'8 vs 5'6.5.
The point is, the post contained 3 things: 1. Calling the guy an idiot and insinuating he must be a "ped state" grad (which I guess he means to be an insult?) because he questioned the fit/ability; 2. Saying Lopes is a "first team all juco"; 3. Saying he is the same height as Antonio Brown. #1 shows (again) Teh Teh to be very slow witted and juvenile. #2 & 3 were wrong. I will happily point out where people are wrong after they call someone else an "idiot". Sorry if that rubs you the wrong way.
And before the sunshine pumpers get up in arms, I still think taking Lopes makes sense. If he doesn't work out, just push him out after 2016. That opinion is completely separate from calling out a poster who is a terrible representation of what Pitt fans should be and correcting false narratives.
At the VERY least. we have a good kick returner.
But, I think he will be a good slot option. I except 20 pass receptions from the slot only from a Paul Chryst let team, interesting to see what this offense will look like.
Dr von,
I don't recall Jerry Rice's collegiate career. Where did he play, how many stars did he have as a recruit, and did Pitt offer him?
Not saying that Lopes is Jerry Rice in the NFL, but he could be Jerry Rice in High School...
He played at Mississippi valley state, and had quarterback Henry Tuten throwing to him. They were on ESPN quite frequently and I remember watching them often and thinking what a great receiver he is. He was lightly recruited out of high school
Are you also making the broader point that recruiting is WILDLY imprecise? Because if you are making that point I wholeheartedly agree. For all any of us knows this kid may be better than Tyler Boyd...or he may not be quite as good as Zach Challingsworth.
That's my point.
Are we comparing the 1980 recruitment of a cow town (town and team was so small/bad he even played DT) MS kid to a kid who came from a FL HS in the highest classification and had two ACC signees in his same class?
The kid has gone completely unoffered for 2 straight sessions and lack of exposure has nothing to do with it. This is 100% a case of hopefully our coaches saw something that everyone (and a lot of people saw him) else missed and he can help us. Jerry Rice on the other hand played in an era where recruiting was either word of mouth or completely local. Only one coach even came to town to see him. Lopes played with two ACC signees (one of which had 20+ offers), at a school in the largest classification in one of the 3 or 4 biggest football states in the country, attended camps and combines, posted personalized highlights to recruiting sites, and then went to community college to get another year of exposure.
Can we not be fine with the offer, but also be honest and genuine with the circumstances? These are EXACTLY the things you (interestingly it is the exact same cast of characters) folks make fun of PSU and WVU posters about. This kid picked Pitt because we were the only option. We likely took him because the other option was just giving the scholarship to a walk on, who is already in the program. Can we not just admit those things and still hope for the best for Lopes and Pitt?
I didn't make the initial comparison to Jerry Rice, and I don't think Lopes is the next Jerry Rice. What I pointed out is that nobody projected that Jerry Rice was going to become "Jerry Rice". Lopes will become Lopes. We won't know what that means until 3 or 4 years form now. That's all I'm saying….
You said he could have been Jerry Rice in HS, which I explained isn't really comparable. Jerry Rice wasn't seen because of his circumstance and the time period/technology. One coach saw him and that coach locked him up. That isn't even remotely the case for Lopes. Lopes was seen and seen and seen and passed over and passed over and passed over. He had an abundance of opportunities, but nothing materialized. His existence was not "overlooked" just (hopefully) his ability. Hopefully Pitt reaps the benefits, but there is no doubt he was seen and passed on, not unseen. So, it isn't a case of "recruiting rankings" or "stars" but of tons of coaching staffs seeing him and passing on him.
Folks lying about AA honors or stretching to compare his HS/recruiting situation to Rice or bringing up star NFL WRs just makes us look like foolish homers.
RAL has a great attitude but it has to be backed up by his practices, film study, and playing.....we shall see?
Yep. Hopefully it works out for both parties. If not? Push him out and sign up the next one after the 2016 season.
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