WPIAL recruiting

[raleighpanther]

Some have moaned because Pitt didn't corral all of the top WPIAL players this recruiting year, and have even said that Narduzzi is doing poorly in western PA.

From my perspective, we're doing just fine here. Every year, the WPIAL seems to have one, or at most two, elite talents, and then about a dozen pretty good players. Given that, the key is to get that elite player, and then a few of the next tier dozen.

Pitt's done that. Two year's ago, Whitehead was by far the best in the WPIAL, and in the whole state. Last year, it was Hamlin. This year it is Ford (don't tell me about some half assed ranking, Wade is not the same impact player that Ford is.)

Pitt is 3-for-3 on the top players, and it has a great shot at getting Raines in next years class. If that happens, and we get a few other in that next tier, I'll take it. That would make it 4 years in a row.

The guys we missed on were good, but not great. Jeter and Adams are nice players, but Pitt can match their skill level with recruits from elsewhere. The DT we got this year from DC (Twyman) looks to be better than Jeter, and the transfer Carter has more potential than either of them. Missing on Ford would've hurt, but the talent of all the others was matchable, and beyond. The Florida pipeline is getting stronger, and the talent there is sick.

Its nice to get a few WPIAL guys for sentimental reasons, but getting the cream at the top is what's really important, not the quantity.

 

[Pitt1992]

Wpial kids don't want to stay in PA,it's just the reality,a few top kids do but the majority want out

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Wpial kids don't want to stay in PA,it's just the reality,a few top kids do but the majority want out

Why? Why is that true here and not so much other places?

 

[Piranha]

Why? Why is that true here and not so much other places?

A lot of kids from FL leave to play out of state. That is more bizarre considering most of general population leaves northern states to head to FL, rather than the other way around. It is a lot easier to sell 80 degrees and girls in bikinis rather than 30 degrees and girls in parkas.

 

[sherepower]

Some have moaned because Pitt didn't corral all of the top WPIAL players this recruiting year, and have even said that Narduzzi is doing poorly in western PA.

From my perspective, we're doing just fine here. Every year, the WPIAL seems to have one, or at most two, elite talents, and then about a dozen pretty good players. Given that, the key is to get that elite player, and then a few of the next tier dozen.

Pitt's done that. Two year's ago, Whitehead was by far the best in the WPIAL, and in the whole state. Last year, it was Hamlin. This year it is Ford (don't tell me about some half assed ranking, Wade is not the same impact player that Ford is.)

Pitt is 3-for-3 on the top players, and it has a great shot at getting Raines in next years class. If that happens, and we get a few other in that next tier, I'll take it. That would make it 4 years in a row.

The guys we missed on were good, but not great. Jeter and Adams are nice players, but Pitt can match their skill level with recruits from elsewhere. The DT we got this year from DC (Twyman) looks to be better than Jeter, and the transfer Carter has more potential than either of them. Missing on Ford would've hurt, but the talent of all the others was matchable, and beyond. The Florida pipeline is getting stronger, and the talent there is sick.

Its nice to get a few WPIAL guys for sentimental reasons, but getting the cream at the top is what's really important, not the quantity.

I agree Pitt needs to expand our recruiting territory. Which seems they have done. However, Pitt needs to do much better than last year locally in order to compete for ACC titles. Getting one out of nine national recruits from your backyard needs improvement.

Lets be honest. Over the last 15 years. Most of our best players have been from Western Pa and areas near by. To say otherwise is simply not true

 

[sherepower]

A lot of kids from FL leave to play out of state. That is more bizarre considering most of general population leaves northern states to head to FL, rather than the other way around. It is a lot easier to sell 80 degrees and girls in bikinis rather than 30 degrees and girls in parkas.

On the flip side. There is no comparison between kids who grew up in Pa to kids who grew up in Ohio. As far as loyalties is concerned.

Kids in Ohio pray for a OSU offer and once it comes... they jump on it cat quick. No such pride from Pa kids.

 

[jimmoyer]

Getting Florida and other out of state players is great from a talent and football perspective. However, the value of getting local and other Pa kids to play for Pitt has a bigger impact on the fan base. Local kids and others from the 200 mile radius of Pgh will most definetly have a greater impact on selling tickets and filling Heinz Field. Getting the best balance is always going to make the most sense and of course, winning games, conference titles and National Championships is the ultimate goal.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

A lot of kids from FL leave to play out of state. That is more bizarre considering most of general population leaves northern states to head to FL, rather than the other way around. It is a lot easier to sell 80 degrees and girls in bikinis rather than 30 degrees and girls in parkas.

Ya think that's it? How many WPIAL kids leave to go to enjoy the sunshine?

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Why? Why is that true here and not so much other places?

I've read that's becoming the case more and more all over the country. No chance I'll be able to find the story but as others have said kids want to get away.

 

[sherepower]

Ya think that's it? How many WPIAL kids leave to go to enjoy the sunshine?[/QUOTE
.
Most of the time the big 3 Florida schools get who they want out of that state. Once they are full. That's when you see a lot of the Florida kids leave.

 

[steel_curtain]

A lot of kids from FL leave to play out of state. That is more bizarre considering most of general population leaves northern states to head to FL, rather than the other way around. It is a lot easier to sell 80 degrees and girls in bikinis rather than 30 degrees and girls in parkas.

-Of the Top 20 recruits in the State of Florida in 2017, a total of 6 of them stayed in State. In 2016, that number was 9 out of 20. Now Florida generally has about 50 four and five star players, but their top players are getting cherry picked from other teams.

 

[Piranha]

Getting Florida and other out of state players is great from a talent and football perspective. However, the value of getting local and other Pa kids to play for Pitt has a bigger impact on the fan base. Local kids and others from the 200 mile radius of Pgh will most definetly have a greater impact on selling tickets and filling Heinz Field. Getting the best balance is always going to make the most sense and of course, winning games, conference titles and National Championships is the ultimate goal.

We have landed a lot of local kids over the past 30 years. The best attendance we ever had was when we had an out of town superstar named Fitzgerald, a good team, and a good home schedule. Donald was the best DL in college, and the attendance bump was minimal at best.

 

[Piranha]

Ya think that's it? How many WPIAL kids leave to go to enjoy the sunshine?

FL schools do not have to recruit the WPIAL. Their state and region have plenty of talent. Pinky Johnson is the last big local recruit, and the OL from SV is a good ball player for UCF.

 

[raleighpanther]

Back to my starting point: I'd rather get 5 local kids with the #1 player included, than to get 8-10 local kids and not get the guy with true game changing potential.

 

[Piranha]

http://triblive.com/sports/hssports/football/11871642-74/pitt-nbsp-career

Not a lot of superstars at the college level.

 

[4Mark_Marty]

http://triblive.com/sports/hssports/football/11871642-74/pitt-nbsp-career

Not a lot of superstars at the college level.

We need 5-6 pros and 40-45 very solid ACC players on the two deep every season to compete semi regularly for the Coastal title, which is our goal. I don't care where they hail from.

 

[PittIsIt17]

We don't "need" WPIAL talent to win big. We need talent, period. I don't care if our entire team came from Alaska.

 

[Chomp_Panther66]

Two guys Id really like to get are Kenny White and Jake Kradel. Which is why I'm surprised neither of them hold a Pitt offer. Kradel looks better than Zubovic on film to me, although not as big. Zubovic is still a nice player with a good upside and I would like to get him too but Kradel is very athletic and bends very nicely for being 6'4 275. If they could grab Danielson to go along with those two, then that would be a nice linemen haul from the WPIAL.

 

[SVPanther]

Why? Why is that true here and not so much other places?

For the same reason CMU and Pitt grads GTFO. WPA is dead. Props to all the efforts and saddens me personally. There is just no future there. We all know it.

 

[sonofabit]

A far reaching idea places the blame on the family institution. Many cases of parents not being loyal to each other or loyal to the almighty dollar rather than their children. Add the ease at which kids can stay connected to home through phone technologies and it makes leaving a whole lot easier.

 

[Saboteur]

The level of talent in the multi County WPIAL is not really that high. It's geography is.
Living off the WPIAL is a ticket to mediocrity.
I don't care how many players Pitt gets from the WPIAL.
I care that Pitt gets quality players. We have had our share of head cases. Shell was one when he was here.
I think we dodged a bullet with Jeter. Might look bad on paper....but I'm not into his attitude.
And attitude is the first adjustment PN had to make.

 

[PantherO]

I will take the Florida kids for now. Pitt needs to start winning consistently again and they also need to hang on to a coach for more than 2-3 years, then they should get some more top wpial kids.

 

[88Pitt88]

We got the best player the last few years like the RP said. I am happy with that. I think after watching and evaluating some of these 4 star WPIAL players when the competition went up, they looked vastly overated. The Adams and Thorpe kids from CC looked slow and weak against St. Joes Prep. Wade looked average against a really good Bishop Guilfoyle team. Jeter looked pretty good in his game and probably was our biggest miss. Anyway, that said, I will take the best player from the WPIAL and fill in around him with some out of staters. Looks like with Partridge, we will have some more from Florida!

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

For the same reason CMU and Pitt grads GTFO. WPA is dead. Props to all the efforts and saddens me personally. There is just no future there. We all know it.

Explain? Meaning what, there is no oxygen here in the future to live? No jobs? What? That is a broadbrushed generality that means and says nothing.

 

[McCool]

For the same reason CMU and Pitt grads GTFO. WPA is dead. Props to all the efforts and saddens me personally. There is just no future there. We all know it.

Dude, get your head out of the silicon and come back for a visit. tons of Pitt, CMU, and other millennials roaming lawrenceville, shady side, and carson street on saturday nights. they have good jobs, and aren't paying a half mil for a fixer upper dump in northern cali.

 

[GT74]

The perception of being able to get people from your backyard is powerful within the area, but not nationally. OSU could get anyone in Ohio, but now recruit more nationally. Pitt is not a 'national power', so the perception of being able to get local stars has more influence to its fans in most cases. A point to consider though is the size of the fanbase. Pitt's fanbase is more localized, so getting the local stars adds to the interest and promotes to those who want to 'follow' its local heroes. Pitt needs all the interest it can get, hopefully adding at least small increases in attendance and overall support. Some new fans are added each time a local signs with Pitt. And, those may go to games, but at least adds to the overall interest in following Pitt.

 

[pittdan77]

Pitt's perception has suffered locally thanks to thirty years of really crummy football and a terrible program. That takes a little while to overcome.

The world has gotten a lot smaller since Pitt was living fat off of the WPIAL and winning. Florida, New Jersey, DC, Detroit, and Ohio are places Pitt needs to pick talent out of to succeed. Yes, you want to get top local talent but you don't want to depend on it.

 

[SVPanther]

Point is, the 'burg we all love continues to get older and population has never recovered since the massive hit in the 80's. Indeed the region is a shell of its former self. Compare when I proudly worked at Circle W in late 70's early 80' when we hosted third largest corporate HQ in the U.S. High Schools in the region close or consolidate. Low wage service economy jobs are not the base for sustained development. I wish (and hope against logic) it were otherwise. Just my .02.

Dude, get your head out of the silicon and come back for a visit. tons of Pitt, CMU, and other millennials roaming lawrenceville, shady side, and carson street on saturday nights. they have good jobs, and aren't paying a half mil for a fixer upper dump in northern cali.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

For the same reason CMU and Pitt grads GTFO. WPA is dead. Props to all the efforts and saddens me personally. There is just no future there. We all know it.

Yeah no future. I guess that's why Google chose to locate here and UPMC grows by leaps and bounds. You truly get the award for biggest idiot anonymous poster.

 

[GT74]

For the same reason CMU and Pitt grads GTFO. WPA is dead. Props to all the efforts and saddens me personally. There is just no future there. We all know it.

Ru kidding? Many publications prove you wrong. Pittsburgh was ranked #1 city to relocate, and I believe top 5 for young people seeking jobs. Both of my daughters graduated from Pitt, got jobs easily, bought houses there, and love the city. Maybe you haven't been here lately.

 

[Las Panteras]

-Of the Top 20 recruits in the State of Florida in 2017, a total of 6 of them stayed in State. In 2016, that number was 9 out of 20. Now Florida generally has about 50 four and five star players, but their top players are getting cherry picked from other teams.

really?? cherry picked?

i would argue that FSU has "recruited over" the top 20 in Florida, as they now recruit pretty much nationally. Akers from Misissippi and Kandouh from Maryland come to mind.

as for "cherry picked".....i would think Florida kids going to programs that recruit nationally is far far different than schools coming in and cherry picking.

leatherwood, Jeudy, Moses...Wade...all went to Bama or OSU.

 

[steel_curtain]

really?? cherry picked?

i would argue that FSU has "recruited over" the top 20 in Florida, as they now recruit pretty much nationally. Akers from Misissippi and Kandouh from Maryland come to mind.

as for "cherry picked".....i would think Florida kids going to programs that recruit nationally is far far different than schools coming in and cherry picking.

leatherwood, Jeudy, Moses...Wade...all went to Bama or OSU.

-In the last 4 recruiting cycles including 2018, the state of Florida has kept a total of 7 out 23 Five Star players to date. If Bama, LSU, Georgia, Ohio State, Ole Miss, etc.. are pulling 5 star kids out of Florida, they are getting cherry picked. This would be the same as Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, etc.. taking the best players out of PA. Considering Florida State did lose to Louisville 63-20 and has lost 6 games the last 2 years, they could of used some of these players.

 

[TheNoise88]

We stink most years and locals see that day to day (and our internal stupid keystone kop antics) more than kids from elsewhere. Local media who went to Penn State or Syracuse or WVU or Michigan state jump on the losses or bad news and ridicule Pitt mercilessly. And pump up their own. Or just ignore us. Plus, local high school coaches are Little Paternos. They demand we kiss their ass, we're supposed to give scholarships to their bench warmers, but then they tell their star players to go to Ohio State or PSU.

You need to try to get the best local players just because it's closer and cheaper to continue working these guys (like patiently going to their off season hoops or soccer games you wish they weren't risking themselves to play). But given the disadvantages we face locally we shouldn't COUNT on them. I'm surprised we get any locally at all tbh.

The answer and conundrum of this is the same as our other problems. You have to win to impress the locals. But you can't win without great players. You need to spend big to win (best coaches, national recruiting, under table juice to big name national players). But Pitt doesn't sell tix (cuz we stink), won't spend the seed money itself (or let boosters have influence) needed so we don't have the money to win. So we don't win. And we don't impress the locals.

 

[GT74]

Stink most years? Pitt may be mediocre many years, but they do not stink. Do you consider 7 or 8 wins stinking? I sure don't. When a team is competitive even against good teams, and wins a few here and there, they do not stink. And, I don't think locals feel Pitt stinks. Now, they do consider some of the elite schools better options, but Pitt has gotten at least a few top locals consistently. That negative attitude permeates a portion of our fanbase that hinders the support the program needs.

 

[SVPanther]

Ru kidding? Many publications prove you wrong. Pittsburgh was ranked #1 city to relocate, and I believe top 5 for young people seeking jobs. Both of my daughters graduated from Pitt, got jobs easily, bought houses there, and love the city. Maybe you haven't been here lately.

Near bottom in job growth
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...-fares-poorly-in-national-ranking-of-job.html

 

[GT74]

Near bottom in job growth
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...-fares-poorly-in-national-ranking-of-job.html

Good find. But, I'll take the word of the many publications that have come out with Pittsburgh being the best or one of the best places to live. WSJ? (or one of them) has it the most livable city 4 of last 6 years.

 

[H2Pittisit]

-You realize those websites want to sell subscriptions, right? The most popular teams are going to get most of the 4 and 5 star players and the same teams are always ranked in the top 25 recruiting rankings. Always. Ill guarantee Texas A&M and Tennessee will be pushing Top 10 classes again next year regardless of who they sign and continue to be average on the field at best. Rinse, Repeat. I guarantee Notre Dame has a bunch of players listed with 4.4 speed and they will continue to suck on the field and look slow in college. Rinse, Repeat.

-The Biggest gripe I have with these services, is they flat out lie about players speed and size. You cant friggin lie about someones speed when they run track. You just cant do it.

-The second biggest gripe I have is players get upgraded and downgraded based off offers and where they commit to. That is sad.

-As for Wade, Im not a Wade fan. He's good, not great, and Ive stuck with that opinion for over a year on this board If Pitt's secondary wasnt such a disgrace last year he wouldnt of got anywhere near the attention he got on this board. Heck, almost any 2 and 3 star player would of been better than what we had last year. All the talent we had were freshmen.

-You see all the teams knocking down Raines door right now? That's the player I want in 2018 in Pennsylvania. If you sign him, congrats, you then can brag about having the Top 2 players in PA in 2018 to go along with Parsons. I really couldnt care about Zach Kuntz and Phil Jucovic right now. Get Raines, then come back and flex because he isnt rated on bullshit potential, bullshit speed, and bullshit athletic ability.

Steel have you received any offers from Ohio State or Alabama this offseason to help their recruiting? Someone needs to point Nick Saban to the Pitt free board, so he can figure things out!

 

[revampedpanthers]

Pitt needs to do better in WPA. We have done pretty well outside the state. Need to find a way to get 2 or 3 of the higher rated kids to stay home, we are currently hitting with 1 or two of the top 5 need that to be 3 or 4. I think that will happen with a few more season's of PN, especially if he can continue to win 8 or 9 games a season. I think WPA kids have seen the coaching TO and don't trust PN to be here.

DW recruited well at least in part because kids believed he wouldn't leave and he could get them to the NFL. He followed Walt who was here 8 years. The turnover with DW to haymaker to fraud to PC and now PN has left a bad taste in the mouths of local kids. Think about this current juniors and seniors have seen Pitt have 5 HC's since they were in middle school. When DW was recruiting those kids were in grade school the last time Pitt had a different coach other than WH.

 

[joeydavid]

Pitt has done well landing the best of the WPIAL who have become higher end college players ; there just hasn't been that many who lived up to their high school rating.

Pitt needs to do better in WPA. We have done pretty well outside the state. Need to find a way to get 2 or 3 of the higher rated kids to stay home, we are currently hitting with 1 or two of the top 5 need that to be 3 or 4. I think that will happen with a few more season's of PN, especially if he can continue to win 8 or 9 games a season. I think WPA kids have seen the coaching TO and don't trust PN to be here.

DW recruited well at least in part because kids believed he wouldn't leave and he could get them to the NFL. He followed Walt who was here 8 years. The turnover with DW to haymaker to fraud to PC and now PN has left a bad taste in the mouths of local kids. Think about this current juniors and seniors have seen Pitt have 5 HC's since they were in middle school. When DW was recruiting those kids were in grade school the last time Pitt had a different coach other than WH.

 

[BurghGuy68]

Two guys Id really like to get are Kenny White and Jake Kradel. Which is why I'm surprised neither of them hold a Pitt offer. Kradel looks better than Zubovic on film to me, although not as big. Zubovic is still a nice player with a good upside and I would like to get him too but Kradel is very athletic and bends very nicely for being 6'4 275. If they could grab Danielson to go along with those two, then that would be a nice linemen haul from the WPIAL.

Agree with this...I think Kradel gets offered next week on his Junior Day visit. And Kenny White has grades issues.

The big 4 local ones I want are: Raines, Danielson, White and Kradel.