PACK YOUR BAGS! WE'RE MOVING!

I feel like I got the call from the big club.  Anson, over at Cardiac Hill, asked me to come aboard and contribute what I can to a great Pitt blog they run.  I happily accepted.  I will be shutting down the blog to go full bore over there.  Come over and check us out. http://www.cardiachill.com/

PASSING NOTES ON...PITT

It’s time to act like a middle school kid in love and pass some notes on our own Pitt Panthers with the season upon us. Pitt has been in camp for a couple of weeks now and the starting lineup is starting to take shape.  Some questions have been answered and other issues still leave me feeling queasy like when you first ask out a girl growing up (and in my case the stomach punch that would usually follow her response of, “no”).  Let’s dive right into things and start with what figures to be the strength of this team and that is the defense.

 

DEFENSE

The defense returns several starters and on top of that a few that gained valuable experience last season.  The defensive line brings back all-everything defensive tackle and team leader, Aaron Donald.  The senior’s motor is expected to be running at all times this season and he figures to have a great year.  He is one player I am not worried about with the move to the faster and stronger ACC conference. He will get his and then some.  Unfortunately, despite Donald’s status on the team and in the conference, I do believe the defensive line will be the weakest part of this unit. 

With the suspension of KK Mosley-Smith, the front four lost a valuable person and besides Donald, the starters appear to be Bryan Murphy and David Durham at ends and finally Tyrone Ezell at nose tackle.  Ezell has been a player that appears to have the tools, but really needs to step up in order to free up Donald to make plays.  He must play better than he has in the past couple of years.  He is the key to how the defensive line will handle the step up in competition.  Also mixing in, figure to Shakir Soto (a true freshman), Devin Cook, LaQuentin Smith, Jack Lippert and finally Ejuan Price on the ends.  Price is making a move at camp to possibly start and will see a ton of playing time rotating into games. His pass rushing is not in question, but he is a little undersized.  Helping out Donald and Ezell should be Darryl Render and Tyrique Jarrett.  Keep an eye on this unit, as we’ll find out real soon against Florida State if they can come up big or be the weak link.

The linebackers are an interesting unit and have a ton of (excuse the terrible NBA draft language here) upside. The coaches have said they are looking for the top 6 best and mix and match.  I think they found seven, but the top six seem to be Shane Gordon inside backed up by Mike Caprara and on the outside will be a combination of Todd Thomas, Bam Bradley, Anthony Gonzalez, and Nicholas Grigsby. Gordon is the only one that has absolutely locked up a starting spot and while Gonzalez should start at one outside linebacker spot, Bradley is trying to hold off the recently reinstated Thomas.  I expect Thomas to eventually take over the spot, but all six are going to play.  Also pushing his way onto the field appears to be true freshman, Matt Galambos.  He will play special teams and probably see a few snaps here with the defense.

As good as the linebackers should be this season, the defensive backs have only gotten deeper with the freshmen from Clairton stepping up big to combine with the returning secondary to make up a talented and well-stocked defensive backfield.  The starters will be Jason Hendricks and Ray Vinopal at safety and K’Wuan Williams and Lafayette Pitts at the corners. Beyond that, the back-up corners are a developing story.  Last year’s impressive freshman (and still a freshman thanks to a medical redshirt), Jahmahl Pardner is still recovering from a knee injury, but is creeping closer to 100%, while the Clairton Bears’ alum Titus Howard is also making waves. Trenton Coles is also competing for time with Howard to really make Clairton fans puff out their chests.  It doesn’t stop there, as Terrish Webb is also pressing for time at safety along with Cullen Christian.  It all combines for a very talented secondary that I believe will be the backbone of the Panthers’ defense.

Overall, the new defensive coordinator, Matt House (last year’s defensive backs coach), will run a base 4-3 unit, but I think you are going to see a ton of mixing and matching.  There has been a lot of talk about being aggressive and with a good amount of blitzing mixed in during games.  We shall see, as talk is one thing and actually seeing it on the field is another.  As mentioned, this unit has the potential to be very good, but they need the defensive line to be strong as a whole and not allow double teams of Donald in order to be a force.

 

OFFENSE

Let’s turn our attention to the other side of the ball and look at head coach Paul Chryst’s speciality…the offense.  We’ll begin at the top where senior Tom Savage was recently named the starting quarterback.  As mentioned on this blog previously, while some “experts” feel Pitt losing a 3 year starter at this position is a negative, I just feel like Savage will bring improved play to the position.  He brings a huge frame, rocket arm, and dare I say it…an actual deep ball to the offense.  The real question will be his decision making and the ability to NOT take back breaking sacks.  Can he do that?  We can only wait and see and he’ll get a chance right off the bat with the Seminoles’ fast defense on Labor Day. Backing up Savage will be Chad Voytik, who fans are itching to see.  I think Voytik will get some playing time, but the unit is Savage’s to command.

Now we move onto the position that has some excited, some scared and some looking as curious as a kid trying to get a peek into the adult bookstore growing up…running back.  With the soap opera that was the Rushel Shell situation that lead to his departure, Pitt finds itself in flux at this spot.  Isaac Bennett is hurt right now.  The coaching staff is saying he will be fine, but I’m reminded of an injury like Lucas Nix, where it just seemed linger with the staff continuously saying, “he’s coming along and we’ll see where he is tomorrow.” They could really use Bennett, but until then it looks like true freshmen James Conner and Rachid Ibrahim could form a thunder and lightning combo with Malcolm Crockett mixing in where possible.  No matter what happens with Bennett, Conner will give Pitt a big and bruising back option.  He wasn’t highly recruited, but Conner is impressing in camp.  The Panthers won’t use a fullback all that much, but when they do, true freshman Jaymar Parrish will pave the path for the most part it appears. Needless to say, this is an area of concern when you counting that heavily on true freshmen.

We’ll go from one position that is unsettled to one that became clear early in camp and has really held steady.  Wide receiver could be something really great for Pitt.  We all know about senior Devin Street, who has been impressing with his leadership and on-field work since the season ended in Birmingham last year.  The player starting along side Street will be yet another Clairton Bear who looks to be as good as advertised…TYLER BOYD!  Boyd came to Pitt as one of the prizes of last year’s recruiting class and he has not disappointed.  Backing up those two will be Kevin Weatherspoon (oh hey look…another Clairton Bear) and Chris Wuestner. Boyd’s performance will be key to freeing up Street this season.

I mentioned in the running backs section that Pitt will play a lot without a fullback and that is because they will use a hybrid of tight end and H-back.  Pitt is not deep here, but man is the talent level very high. Three players will split this spot and there will be a lot of times when two of them will be on the field at the same time.  JP Holtz comes of a nice freshman campaign and he’ll be joined by transfer and matchup nightmare Manasseh Garner (get used to that name).  Finally, the position will be rounded out by man-child true freshman, Scott Orndoff.  The tight ends/H-back could be very good for the Panthers and create all kinds of problems for linebackers and safeties that are either too small or too slow for these three.

When Paul Chryst came aboard, he made no secret about building the offensive line back up to glory.  If you read this blog, you know that I was very excited about this. That being said, it is still a work in progress.  I think there is no doubt that they will be much deeper and talented than in years past, they do have a lot to improve on and it starts at the anchor at left tackle.  That spot will be manned by the talented Adam Bisnowaty.  Biz is good, but he is only a red-shirt freshman. The other tackle is a little bit of a surprise where the physically gifted TJ Clemmings has held off super-freshman Dorian Johnson for the right tackle spot. The first tackle off the bench could very well be Juantez Hollins, who is back from suspension.  If they can do that, red-shirting Johnson is a possibility and would be very helpful. The guards will be a big strength for this unit with last year’s TACKLES manning the positions.  Matt Rotheram and Cory King move from outside to the interior and in case you don’t watch football…that’s a good thing. Backing them up will be Ryan Schielper, who also has had his share of starts while at Pitt. Unfortunately, the center position is still an ongoing battle between underdog Artie Rowell and Gabe Roberts.  Rowell is giving Roberts everything he can handle and a starter probably will be named in the next few days.  Rowell is more consistent, but Roberts is physically imposing, which the coaching staff likes.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Since we are have looked at the offense and defense, I guess there is nothing else, so onto the season!  Oh wait, that’s right, there is that little special teams thing lurking.  Kevin Harper will no longer drive Pitt fans nuts as he has moved on and despite already having a couple of walk-ons, true freshman Chris Blewitt apparently has held the job since he stepped on the field.  According to practice reports, Blewitt has not missed often and his leg strength is NOT something that is being questioned.  Returning to punt will be senior Matt Yoklik.  True freshman Ryan Winslow seems to have some talent, but Yoklik should hang onto the job throughout the season.  As far as kick returners go, the Panthers will not be lacking with talent and excitement.  Most are looking forward to watching Boyd handle some of those duties, but a starting receiver does need a break here and there, so Pitt will have an opportunity to showcase others.

 

OVERALL OUTLOOK

So there you have it.  If you read the whole thing, you can see that my main concerns are the offensive and defensive line.  My fear is that Pitt fans will see what happens against Florida State and head to the nearest bridge, which Pittsburgh has many.  I hope they do not do that.  I’m not really interested in whether they pull the upset or bolt onto the national scene with a stunner on Labor Day.  I am more interested to see Pitt show they can play on that level and then improve throughout the year.  They are young in a lot of areas, but this will take a little time this year.  Make no mistake, the ACC is a different kind of speed that Pitt will not be used to this year.  The schedule is much harder than past years and that will affect them.  If you are hoping for 10-2 or 11-1, check your ego at the door.  If you think they will be 2-10 or 3-9, you probably also think the Pirates will collapse and fail to make it to .500 still this season. I think it is somewhere in the middle.  I could see some bad breaks and a 5-7 season and I could see them catching a few breaks, improving and finishing 7-5 and a bowl game.  I’ll stay in the middle and say 6-6 with a bowl game. If you are upset with 6-6 with THIS schedule and THIS youth…you need to take a step back and REALLY think about Pitt’s schedule and how it compares to a Big East schedule.

THINGS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW

OK, so everyone take a deep, deep breath and step back from the ledge.  Todd Thomas has returned to the Pitt Panthers as you all know.  He will have to work his way back up the depth chart, but with Mike Caprara moving back to middle linebacker, the path has been cleared.  Bam Bradley does have a chance to make a statement while Thomas works his way back, but reports are that Thomas will still have the edge.  Thomas does have to wait a few more days before putting on the full pads, due to NCAA rules of having a few practices in shorts before strapping everything on.

I’m starting to put together the preview of the team itself and should do so at some point this weekend or early next week.  The team has another scrimmage coming up and the depth chart should be clearer at that time. Center Artie Rowell and defensive end Ejuan Price are making moves and the next scrimmage could be huge in them seeing the field and possibly starting at some point this year.

In addition to the above, the expected happened the other day and Senior Tom Savage has been named the starter at QB over Chad Voytik.  I still expect Voytik to play some this year, but the team is Savage’s to run. It should be interesting to see what Paul Chryst magic can be spread on Savage this season, as the skills are there…it’s just a matter of seeing it on the field.  I don’t expect all-conference or anything like that, but I do see an upgrade at QB for Pitt this year with Savage replacing Tino.

Lastly, there is one concern that hopefully will be sorted out and that is at running back.  Expected starter Isaac Bennett has been sidelined with an injury that Chryst says is not serious, but with the lack of depth behind Bennett, this is a concern until he gets back on the field.  In the meantime, big freshman, James Conner has impressed, but you would rather not put everything in a true freshman’s hands come Labor Day.

Stay tuned for the Pitt preview coming at some point within the next week.

MY HEAD HURTS

So Todd Thomas quit the team yesterday....no wait, he's back.  Confused?  So am I.  I won't have much on this one or the team until sometime next week as I'll be on a recruiting mission in Florida.  OK, so I won't actually be on a recruiting trip, but will be pulling off Godfather duties and won't be back until Monday.  Hopefully this will all be resolved when I get back, but Pitt appears to have dodged a bullet, because even though they are deep at linebacker, they need Todd Thomas.

GETTING CLOSER...

Training camp starts very soon for the 2013 Pitt Panthers (August 6^th to be exact) and the ACC era will finally be upon us.  Yup…just in time for the NCAA to have enormous changes to throw everything upside down again with several lawsuits!  We’ll keep this on the informative and fun side though and concentrate on what I believe are some very key issues facing this season’s Panthers and some recruiting updates. 

Just a quick primer for you and the first is the defensive side of the ball.  I know, I know…they have 9 starters returning, including a good amount of playmakers and depth, but there is one position that scares me and that is middle linebacker. It is not that senior and great comeback story Dan Mason has left the team, but more that the starter Shane Gordon is a question mark right now.  The word is that he is healthy and ready to go.  He is an important part of this defense and not only is solid in the middle, but a big hitter and game changer as well.  The problem is that he’s coming off of a neck injury.  He did not play in the bowl game (though to be fair, he was probably tired of being in Birmingham) and did not participate in spring ball either.

I have faith in his back up, but there is cause for concern.  Red-shirt freshman, Mike Caprara is inexperienced and undersized.  That is not a good combination for middle linebacker.  It is reported that he has great instincts and I think he can play at this level and do well, but just not right now. Gordon must remain healthy for this defense to reach its potential.  If he can, I don’t believe the defense will be bothered by the better athletes the ACC will bring week in and week out.  Then again, I thought we would be getting ready for year three of the high octane offense, so my opinion can be thought of by many as…well…shit.

I have read a few previews of Pitt and it absolutely kills me that they consider the team weaker from last year and the QB change being a reason why.  Ummm, let me speak for all Pitt fans when I say…HUH?  If you have read this blog, you know that I was a Tino guy (well, as much as someone can be a Tino guy), but if you think they are taking a step back with either red-shirt freshman Chad Voytik or fifth-year senior Tom Savage, you just are not correct.  I keep thinking of the part in Billy Madison every time I see a preview mention the loss of Sunseri as a weakness coming into the year.  I anticipate them to be better at QB this year.

Offensive line is the last thing I want to talk about.  I do anticipate them to be better than previous teams.  Pitt has long been plagued by poor offensive lines, which I think was one of the problems during the Tino years.  They are losing three starters from last year’s line and that could be a problem, but there are a few reasons why I don’t believe it will be a bad thing:

1.      Tackle is where you put your best offensive linemen usually.  Pitt’s two starting tackles last season are BOTH moving inside to guard.  That is a major plus as Cory King & Matt Rotheram move to left & right guard respectively.

2.      Size, size, size, size, size!  Look, I’m 5’3 (on a good day…okay, a really good day), so maybe it is just my height that makes me look at Pitt’s best 8 offensive linemen and be excited, but the shortest lineman is 6’5 and the lightest is around 300 pounds, give or take a 16 ounce steak (the line is also thought to be athletic big men too).  As JR would say, that is a mass of humanity on the offensive line.

3.      Arguably two of the most talented linemen in a good while will (more than likely) start or get playing time in red-shirt freshman, Adam Bisnowaty & true freshman Dorian Johnson.

4.      Going into training camp, Juantez Hollins was tabbed to be Pitt’s starting left tackle.  This season, he is slated (as of this writing) to be the SECOND TACKLE OFF THE BENCH.

I know everyone is worried about running back and that is with good reason.  I won’t try and dive into that one, as training camp is needed badly to sort out the depth chart there.  If the offensive line can come together, all other aspects will be improved greatly.  Regardless, I look forward to the reports from training camp.  The best happen at Pittsburgh.rivals.com from Chris Peak.

With that out of the way, Pitt has picked up a few more recruits since the last post.  Two of them I am very excited about.  Sometimes there is a recruit that I can’t understand why he doesn’t have more offers and for some reason or another, he just doesn’t.  I can’t (for the life of me) get why North Allegheny’s Elijah Zeise did not have more offers.  Luckily for Pitt, he did not and picked Pitt.  Sometimes a player can just play.  The 6’2, 185 pound Zeise seems to be able to do just that.  While the Quad-A playoffs were in full swing last season, it seemed with every twitter update on Friday nights, I would see another Zeise deep ball moment during NA’s games.  I like when a kid just performs.  It reminds me of when I was watching Penn Hills and Gateway play a few years ago with all the big-time players and one player kept making plays.  He didn’t get a lot of big offers and wound up at Pitt….his name: Aaron Donald.  I am not comparing the two…I’m just saying if a kid keeps making plays…it usually means he can perform at the next level.  Time will tell, but there is not a lot to NOT like about Zeise.

Finally, Pitt recently picked up the go-ahead from Upper St. Clair’s Rori Blair.  Seriously, google that name and tell me you don’t like this kid and what it could become. If you don’t like his story, you also probably hate puppies and America. In short, he was slated to be a top recruit after his junior year, but in April of 2012, suffered a stroke, which almost cost him his life.  He had a long road back, but has been finally cleared and granted a final year of eligibility in the WPIAL.  He held offers from WVU and Kent State, but has always been partial to Pitt.  He still has a ways to go, but you have to like this story and if Blair is fully recovered, this could be a steal for the Panthers.

We’ll take a short break so I can go down to SEC country to pull off Godfather duties for a high school friend of mine, but I’ll keep up to date and hopefully have small updates throughout training camp leading up to the Florida State game on 9/2.

RECRUITING HEATS UP

OK, so will everyone take a step away from the ledge now?  Today, Pitt picked up its 12^th commit today with TE Brian O’Neill from Delaware.  After an epic panic attack by the Pitt fan base (I know, I know…that never happens) about the number of commits Pitt had (1 at the time), the Panthers picked up 11 pledges to suit up for Pitt football over the last week.  So, we move on to a whole new stage of panic by Pitt fans…the quality of the recruits.

Before we get to that, there are two recruits who really caught my eye.  The first one is obvious.  That would be the much sought after offensive lineman from Bethal Park High School in the south hills of Pittsburgh, Mike Grimm.  Grimm is simply a beast and with Connor Hayes gives Pitt two big offensive line recruits to go along with who Paul Chryst and company brought in last year.  If you have read this blog from the beginning, you know that I am an offensive line guy.  I was raised with the Steelers imposing their will on other teams and wearing them down over the course of a game and that is a style of football that will work in any conference with any opponent if you are good at it. It does so much for your team.  You can control the game, wear down an opposing team, frustrate them, put pressure on their offense, hide weaknesses in your own defense by keeping them off the field and fresh, etc.  The list goes on and on, so I love the mass of humanity (pardon the WWE phrase) that Pitt is building up front on offense.

The second recruit that I am thrilled about is Staunton, VA’s Mike Herndon.  He’s being picked up as a defensive lineman and I think he will thrive.  He’s 6’4, 323 pounds and is…A MIDDLE LINEBACKER IN HIGH SCHOOL! Did you get that?  Yea, so he’s pretty nimble and has some instincts to go along with his size.

Now, onto the quality of recruits…one thing I heard more than once was people bitching about the type of offers these kids were getting in addition to the Pitt offer.  Most of the kids were not exactly holding offers from the big boys of college football.  Who cares?  If it’s not one thing, it’s another with Pitt’s fan base. It is only June…what…do you think that the Michigan’s, Ohio State’s, and others are done handing out scholarship offers??  No!  Just because Pitt offered them first, doesn’t mean others weren’t going to follow.  There were a number of high school kids that were offered by Pitt first for this recruiting class and then blew up on the national radar with offers. 

The next thing I will say about this is that Paul Chryst comes from a coaching staff that was never in the top 20 for recruiting classes and was widely successful.  As a matter of fact, teams are consistently proving recruiting services wrong these days. Sure it is frustrating to lose out on some of the bigger recruits.  No one likes that, but for every Larry Fitzgerald success story, there is also a Darelle Revis and Antonio Bryant (lower recruited players who not only went on to great Pitt careers, but were great right away as true freshmen).  It happens all the time.

So, before you totally freak out, please go to Pitt Blather and look at this terrific rundown on how Wisconsin recruited and then remind yourself that when Paul Chryst was there, the Badgers turned in a record of 70-21. I’m not saying that it will definitely happen at Pitt as well, but maybe we can give HCPC a few years before saying his style of recruiting does not work.

HYNOSKI NOTES

It has been a while since I put up a blog and I have been meaning to do it for a while. It has been difficult since the Pens are in the playoffs, the Pirates are above .500 and I have one of those job things too that keep getting in the way.  Today it is muggy outside and threatening rain, so I was just laying on the couch watching the Buccos and the unthinkable is happening…Jose Tabata is 3 for 3 and a triple shy of the cycle…and that inspired me to get off my ass.  I mean if Tabata can do it once in a blue moon…I can get on the computer and throw up a blog at the same rate!  A lot has happened since my last blog with Pitt football and to cover it all, we’re bringing back the Hynoskis…they are short notes, that get the job done and move the ball forward…if you still don’t get it…then why are you reading this?  You are supposed to be Pitt fans and should know who Henry Hynoski is!

·        Spring ball is over and there was not a ton of movement up and down the starting ladder, but there also were several players held out that will compete for time.  I like where this team is at, and I believe they are a better team than last year (except at running back).  This does NOT mean they will have a better record, as I strongly think there will be a slight adjustment period in the ACC and overall the schedule is a lot tougher.  One thing to watch going into the season is when OT and true freshman Dorian Johnson comes to campus.  It looks like he will have to beat out TJ Clemmings to get the nod.  The big question is the o-line, but I think when you take two starting tackles and move them inside, that aspect will be better.  That is what Pitt did with Matt Rotheram and Cory King. It all depends on health and Dorian Johnson.  I’m not really worried about Gabe Roberts or Adam Bisnowaty, but I do think they could struggle right off the bat with a fast Florida State defense.

·        There were several issues with this team at the end of spring ball and immediately after and the one piece of good news is that Pitt no longer has to think about getting down to 85 scholarships, as they stand there right now.  It started with Terrell Jackson and Rushel Shell transferring.  They were followed by Deaysean Rippy leaving as well.  No matter how you are trying to fool yourself, Shell leaving will hurt.  He may not be the most mature person out there (see his twitter account right after he left), but make no mistake…he’s a stud and would have helped.  Jackson and Rippy were fighting for back up time and had some good players in front of them…especially Rippy.  He was behind Anthony Gonzalez and Bam Bradley…both of whom are expected to be exciting players.

·        Right now, if you are a math major…or just can add and subtract, you are thinking we still have a couple of players to go before getting down to 85 and you are right.  The next issue could not have been worse.  You never want your favorite college football program linked with a drug bust and that is what Pitt found themselves with when Safety Eric Williams, Tight End Drew Carswell, & DL K.K. Mosley-Smith were all given citations during a drug raid in Oakland.  Since then, Williams and Carswell have been kicked off the team and Mosley-Smith is suspended indefinitely. Many Pitt fans are glad to see Carswell gone, but Pitt went from thin to supermodel thin at his position and Williams was to compete for a starting safety spot.  Hopefully Mosley-Smith will be back soon.  He’ll have to keep his head on straight, as Paul Chryst has shown that this is HIS team and HIS rules.

·        Can we get some good news please?  Yes…I’m glad you asked.  Since Pitt and Syracuse (and later Louisville) moved to the ACC, we have dealt with the whispers that Pitt simply moved to what the Big East was 20 years ago and soon it would also see teams migrating to other conferences.  I won’t lie. I was sweating that these were facts.  I was reading too much Clay Travis and believing what he was saying.  Then…the gods smiled on the ACC.  In addition to sticking to their $52 million exit fee, the conference also agreedto a Grant of Media Rights deal!  This is huge news.  Basically, what it means is that if an ACC team leaves, they must fork over the $52 million for the exit fee AND they would also owe the conference any dollars they will receive for their NEW media deal in whatever conference they decide is nicer and that goes all the way until 2027.  Sooooo, basically no one is going anywhere for a while.  Since the new ACC media deal runs through 2026-2027, the league should remain in place as you see it now until at least 2025…unless they want to fork over LOADS of money.  It also opens the door to an ACC Network, which could bring Pitt approximately $5 million more per year. 

·        Pitt did have a commitment leave.  Chandler Kincade decided to open his recruitment back up.  The Blackhawk QB probably has heard whispers about AJ Ford and Keller  Chryst (Paul’s nephew) and decided to look around more.  NOW…with the recent news of freshman Tra’von Chapman being suspended…the two parties could reunite down the line, as Pitt may look to bring in more than one QB and Kincade does still like Pitt.  He’s just looking out for himself and in reading all the articles and interviews, he seems to be handling the situation very well.

·        After Kincade left, Pitt picked up a new commit and received a pledge from Offensive Lineman, Connor Hayes.  Hayes is 6’4 and 270 pounds and has a mean streak.  He’ll fit right in.  He is also only 16 years old, so those stats will probably only climb.  Many are happy with this addition to the Pitt family, but there are also a lot of worries with the lack of players committed to next year’s recruiting class.  Now signing day isn’t until February of 2014, but let’s not let rationalization get in the way…this is Pitt we are talking about, so naturally we should all go crazy about this topic. From reports though, Pitt’s fan base may back totally off the ledge very soon (OK, so maybe not totally, it is the Pitt fan base after all).  Big time prospect Mike Grimm (of Bethal Park) has been spending a lot of time on the South Side facilities and was there again this weekend. Also on the positive news front, LB prospect Chase Winovich (of Thomas Jefferson) should be making his choice soon.  He is down to Ohio State, Michigan, and Pitt, but from the comments I have seen, Pitt looks to be in good shape.  I won’t hold my breath…I remember Robert Foster…but these two look good and would cause a lot of excitement if they decided to say, “Pitt is It!”

That will do it for today.  I’ll try and keep up a little better, but I do tend to take a few weeks off at a time until August when the team gets back to practicing.

PANIC!!!!!

So, I was watching the US-Mexico game last night and stopped following twitter at halftime and just put my phone away.  Thank God I did that.  When I checked in the morning, it seems the rumors started right around that time. As I am sure you have heard by now, starting Sophomore running back to be, Rushel Shell is strongly considering transferring from Pitt to another school.  Some are reporting it is a done deal and there are enough of those reports to say it is almost certain at this point. Speculations are that there are several factors on and off the field. Those are just reports and we may never know the full story, but it seems that Shell is considering a few schools and one is (PLEASE PUT DOWN ALL SHARP OBJECTS NOW)…Arizona State and Todd Graham.

I was on the message boards and social media today and the reactions of the Pitt fan base were about as you would expect.  It ranged from harmless jokes to the usual jagoffs bashing Shell, and of course you had the delusional portion of the fan base that claimed that Shell is no good anyways, so who cares.  I think the jokes are fine as long as they remain harmless and everyone is entitled to their own opinion about his skills, but if you are bashing the kid (and he is a kid) with vulgarity, you probably have your own issues.  Not only do you not know his situation Shell is in, but you also make Pitt look bad.  If you don’t believe me, go look at Shai McKenzie’s twitter.  McKenzie is a top PA recruit for next year and considering Pitt.  Look…for selfish reasons, I want him to commit to Pitt badly.  It would be nice to see a fellow Prexie playing for the Panthers on Saturday, but besides that, he is a top NATIONAL recruit and would help out at Pitt ASAP at Shell’s position.

This advice should really apply to just about every situation involving these kids. Brace yourself…there will be more players.  As a matter of fact, it was just reported that DT Terrell Jackson has asked for his release and there are rumors about LB Deaysean Rippy too.  Try and keep in mind that social media goes everywhere when these reports come out.  Also, attempt to tell yourself that it needs to happen anyways…Pitt is several players over the scholarship limit right now and a few players were going to leave anyways.  Like I said, harmless jokes are okay (the one I saw today of Shell’s head on Graham’s body on the ASU airplane was pretty funny), but try and keep it clean. We all (including myself) have tweets we wish we didn’t put out there, but some of the ones I saw today were just plain dumb and vulgar.

Enough bad news for today.  Let’s look at some of the good quick notes from spring practice that have been reported:

·        We all remember that Juantez Hollins was to be the starting left tackle last year before a suspension, so he does have some talent and he is back this year.  As of this moment, it appears that former defensive end, TJ Clemmings has the edge on Hollins and this is before the big man, Dorian Johnson comes into camp this summer. So, it appears that there will be a real competition for right tackle and that is a good thing, considering how thin the offensive line was supposed to be.

·        While Pitt may be losing a few weapons, transfer Manasseh Garner appears to be a match up nightmare for opposing teams.  The 6’2, 220 pound H-Back has been used in the slot, backfield, and tight end positions so far and is impressing the coaching staff.

·        With Dan Mason having off the field issues and Shane Gordon out with a neck injury still and the defensive line as thin as it is, some freshmen are getting some good looks and the reports are positive. Freshman Shakir Soto has a motor that doesn’t stop and red-shirt Freshman Mike Caprara may be small for middle linebacker, but reports are he is making up for it with knowledge and a nose for the ball.

·        Tom Savage and Chad Voytik are staging a nice little battle for QB and it appears that Savage has the edge.  Both sound like they will give Pitt a passing game, no matter who is in the game.

 

I’m sure I’ll send another report as the transfers shake out and spring ball comes to an end.

FINALLY, A DC HAS COME TO PITT!!!

Today Pitt announced their new Defensive Coordinator…FINALLY…and also brought aboard two new coaches as well.  In true Panther fan form, Pitt fans took to social media to pretty much bash the announcements left and right.  If there is another fan base that jumps off  a bridge quicker than Pitt’s, please let me know, because I do believe they have the market cornered.

We’ll start with the DC.  Matt House was promoted from defensive backs coach to the coordinator position.  House is young and has never held this big of a job, but he was a pretty strong recruiter and considering the year the DBs just had, did a great job on the coaching side of things as well. House has promised that he will mix up the defenses with forms of both the 3-4 and 4-3 and he also states the defense will be very aggressive (maybe my brother will finally stop texting me during games that they need to blitz more).  House’s resume has been pretty well known, but in case you don’t remember, he has experience at Michigan State, North Carolina, Buffalo, and also a couple of years in the NFL. Most people will point out that when he was the interim co-DC for the Ole Miss game, things did not go really according to plan.  Oh, how quickly we forget that Pitt played that game with their third string middle linebacker, Pitt’s offense gave them VERY little time off the field (especially at the start of the second half), and finally that Ole Miss is a team that was getting better and better throughout the year.  Why focus on that though, when it is so much fun having Pitt fans be…well…Pitt fans. 

Also coming to the Pitt coaching staff is veteran coach John Palermo to coach the defensive ends and linebackers.  He comes from Tennessee and the Redskins before that, but the thing that stuck out was that Palermo spent 15 years at Wisconsin on Barry Alvarez staffs. If he was good enough for Barry Alvarez to keep for a decade and a half, why on earth would he be a bad hire for the Panthers? With House’s promotion, the defensive coaches are somewhat young, so why not bring in someone with some years under their belt?

Lastly, is the hire that I think will turn out to be a very good one for Pitt. The rumors surfaced about this a few weeks ago and I am glad they are true. Former Panthers’ DB Hank Poteat returns to his alma mater as a GA and will handle the cornerbacks.  Poteat spent a decade in the NFL and recently was the defensive backs coach at Kentucky Christian University.  Poteat played under some great coaches as a pro in Bill Cowher and Bill Belichick.  He also is from Harrisburg, PA and those ties cannot hurt him on the recruiting trail.  Poteat brings in young energy and the staff has a lot of youth on their side, which I think helps in the recruiting aspects.

Overall, I like these hires and I know that is not a popular opinion right now, but some of the tweets today were just so Pitt fans if you will.  Really, the only problem I have with the whole process is how long it took, but other than that, I cannot complain.  I think each coach serves a purpose and I’m excited to see how these additions can improve Pitt.  It says a lot that when Dave Huxtable left Pitt as the DC, there was not even a ripple among the potential recruits. 

LOI DAY

Today was signing day for college football and for the first time in a good while, there were no unfortunate surprises at the deadline. Paul Chryst and his staff locked up this year’s class  pretty quick and all recruits signed by 10:15AM, with the exception of a kid from Hawaii, who had to wait until afternoon due to the time difference between there and the east coast. That tells me that this group of players is very excited to come to the University of Pittsburgh.

Overall the Panthers welcomed 27 members in this class, 23 of which signed today. 4 players have been enrolled at Pitt since January.  There are a lot of write ups about this class.  Of course, the always reliable Chris Peak has some great information at his paid site.  If you are looking for a free review of the class, check out Chris Dokish, as he always has solid information as well.

There really was only one real big question mark coming into today and that was Clairton’s Tyler Boyd.  Boyd flirted with WVU and Tennessee, before deciding to stay put and giving a big relief to the twitter universe at the same time. The twitter following of the Boyd announcement before, during, and after would be comical…if I wasn’t busy being one of the nervous fans following it.  Including Boyd, below is a roundup of the players that officially became part of Chryst’s first full class (last year was part those we do not speak of’s class):

Tra’von Chapman – QB; James Conner – RB; Jaymar Parrish – RB; Tyler Boyd – WR; Zach Challingsworth – WR; Reggie Green – WR; Jester Weah – WR; Devon Edwards – TE; Tony Harper – TE; Scott Orndoff – TE; Carson Baker – OL; Dorian Johnson – OL; Jaryd Jones-Smith – OL; Alex Officer – OL; Aaron Reese – OL; Tyrique Jarrett – DL; Luke Maclean – DL; Justin Moody – DL; Shakir Soto – DL; Jeremiah Taleni – DL; Matt Galambos – LB; Zach Poker – LB; Titus Howard – DB; Rachid Ibrahim – DB; Terrish Webb – DB; Chris Blewitt – K; Ryan Winslow – P

By all accounts it is a solid staff. It does not have a ton of star power, but there are a lot of quality players and I do like what the staff brought into the program.  Let’s have some fun and make a few predictions, which if I am right, I will gloat over and become an insufferable piece of shit.  If I am wrong, I will destroy this post and deny I ever made such predictions….enjoy:

The stars – This should be obvious, but in case you don’t follow recruiting at all the stars of the class are Dorian Johnson and Tyler Boyd.

Players with the best chance for playing time next season – I will say Orndoff, Soto, Jarrett, Boyd, and Johnson. 3 of those players enrolled early, allowing them to be a little ahead of the rest of the class when they come in June.

Sleeper picks – My sleepers in this class are going to come from my side of the state and I’ll say that Jones-Smith, Galambos, & Moody will all surpass what is expected of them.

Worth the wait player – This player will wait a few years before contributing, but step on and contribute a lot. Tra’von Chapman is the pick here. I believe he will redshirt and I also think he’ll sit and wait his turn for a year or two after that, but once he’s ready, I think Panther fans will love him.

Fan Favorite – The player that fans will love for their playing style and commitment to Pitt is a tie.  I am choosing Zach Challingsworth and James Conner.

I hope you enjoyed the write up.  Only time will tell with this class, but I really do like it overall.  There are a couple of reaches, but you will have that with every class. 

Two other notes to pass along to you:

1.      Paul Chryst was asked about a defensive coordinator and his response was simply that they plan to announce one.  Whoa….I’m glad he wasn’t vague about it or anything.

2.      It was announced today that the spring game will be on Friday, April 12^th at Bethal Park’s stadium (HI MIKE GRIMM!).

I probably will only blog sparingly until Spring Practice, but check back occasionally for updates. HAIL TO PITT!

PASSING A FEW NOTES

While Pitt still looks for a new defensive coordinator, I thought I would jot down a couple of notes as letter of intent day draws closer.

Today Pitt received a big commit from just south of me in Philadelphia.  West Catholic offensive lineman Jaryd Jones-Smith said Pitt was his school of choice and gave the Panthers 5 offensive linemen in this recruiting class. Jones-Smith continues with Paul Chryst’s philosophy of gathering BIG offensive linemen.  The 5 recruits average 6’5 and 297 pounds!  They haven’t even had one day of a college strength program yet! 

This news came just a few days after the ACC announced Pitt’s home and away opponents.  I had been planning on getting Panther season tickets back for a while and luckily I was first in line and snapped up a pair of good seats. When the teams were announced, Pitt sold 1,000 new season tickets in the first 90 minutes.  One look at next year’s home schedule and one can see why fans lined up.  In addition to Villanova, New Mexico, and Notre Dame, Heinz Field will also host Virginia, North Carolina, Miami and Florida State!  It sure is an easier sell than the last decade of Big East opponents.

As mentioned before, letter of intent day is around the corner and the Panthers still have 4 spots left for high school seniors.  Pitt seems to be closing in on a top 25 recruiting class.

RECAP OF OLE MISS

So, my Saturday ended up 2-3.  Pitt lost to Rutgers in yet another lack luster effort (especially in the first half) in basketball.  That was followed by the 38-17 BBVA Bowl loss to Ole Miss.  The first win was when Clairton receiver (and super prospect) Tyler Boyd took some of the Robert Foster sting (or Robert Frost according to the NBC reporter doing the announcement) away when he picked Pitt as his college destination.  Unfortunately Jaleel Hytchye did not follow suit and committed to Kentucky in the evening. Finally…when I woke up this morning, the NHL announced they would finally drop the puck.  I can’t wait for the Penguins to start.  I do still hate the owners.  2 out of 5 is not bad, but man it would have been nice to get one more thing to go my way.

I will not dwell on the loss to Ole Miss that much, but a few things that should be noted were first, Jason Hendricks of Pitt is a beast!  Seriously…was there a tackle he was not in on yesterday??  Second, it is a shame that it took Shayne Hale 4 years to make an impact, but he had another great game yesterday.   Those were two players who showed up in a big way and the loss should not overshadow those two player’s efforts.

If you note the preview for this game, I selected Ole Miss to beat Pitt yesterday.  About an hour before kickoff, that feeling was intensified and I went into full blown, “I just hope they don’t get embarrassed mode.”  Pitt announced Ray Graham, Shane Gordon, and Drew Carswell would sit out due to injury.  Graham is simply put…a game changer and someone who would have been able to help the Panthers combat the Ole Miss speed.  Carswell made Pitt even thinner at tight end than they already were.  Finally, let’s hope Shane Gordon can get healthy for next season.  Gordon is a very good middle linebacker and despite the great effort of fifth year senior Joe Trebitz, the Panthers needed more out of that position.

Without those three, it was just a lost cause yesterday. Yesterday made me very anxious for next season though and I wish it was starting right now.  I have been a defender of Tino Sunseri and he should be praised for putting up with a whole lot of shit over the last 3 years while holding down the QB position.  That being said, it is VERY obvious that the Panthers need a lot more out of that position on the field. They should get it next season, as three very talented players will compete for the starting position. Then…there is the offensive line.  I can NOT wait! With Juantez Hollins coming back from a year long suspension, Adam Bisnowaty coming off a red shirt and getting lots of praise, and super freshman Dorian Johnson all ready to beef Pitt up at tackle, it allows Cory King and Matt Rotheram to move inside.  Pitt should be lots better on the line and that is great news for Rushel Shell.  Shell ran hard yesterday, but sometimes he would take the handoff and be met head on by multiple defenders.

The future is bright for Pitt and letter of intent day is about a month away.  I’ll be back with more Panther news as it comes in and will have a write up on letter of intent day.  Let’s Go Pitt!

PASSING NOTES ON OLE MISS

It’s crazy how quickly time flies around the holidays and the BBVA Compass Bowl takes place already on Saturday between the Panthers and The Ole Miss Rebels from the almighty SEC.  The SEC may not be as powerful as some of the past years (seriously, some of the last few years were just insane), but they are still far and away the best conference in college football and it is not close, so this will be a very tough match up for Pitt.  The game will also be a basic away game for Pitt for the 1PM kickoff in Birmingham, AL.  Not only is the location much closer to Ole Miss’ campus than up in Oakland, but the fan base is passionate and they have eaten up a lot of tickets.  It won’t be a real away game, but it will feel very far from a neutral site game.  I can’t speak for the players, but I do think this helps get them ready.  Going to Birmingham for three straight years can get boring and I think a big crowd and some intensity will help.

Confession time…I was very excited when the Rebels were announced as Pitt’s opponent this year.  Not only are they in the SEC conference, but I have always been somewhat drawn to Alabama and Ole Miss, while remaining a Pitt fan.  Alabama speaks for itself…they used to play Penn State when I was a kid and I would love when they would emerge victorious.  Ole Miss is harder to explain.  Maybe it is the uniforms, which I love, or it’s the tradition of The Grove…or the fact that they have some REALLY hot female fans..whatever it is..I kind of like Ole Miss.  If you have not read Clay Travis’ Dixieland Delight, pick it up…it is a great read and paints a great picture of game day in Oxford, MS.

PLEASE NOTE PITT MALE STUDENTS: I ALREADY TRIED TO TELL YOU TO GO DOWN THERE TO MEET SOME OF THESE SOUTHERN BELLES…SO IF YOU ARE NOT…THAT’S YOUR FAULT.

Alright, time to pass some notes on the Rebels.  As an overview, they finished 6-6 and won the Egg Bowl over Mississippi State in the last game to become bowl eligible.  Hugh Freeze is in his first year as head coach and really seems to have excited the fan base and the team itself.  Ole Miss ranks 47^th in passing, 55^th in rushing, 50^th in points for and 67^th in points against.  The Rebels also are not penalized very often, so Pitt will have to CREATE Ole Miss mistakes, because the players are disciplined.

The offense that Ole Miss runs is a spread offense and headed up by Sophomore QB, Bo Wallace.  Wallace is a big boy and has 2,843 yards passing with 19 TDs, 15 picks, and has been sacked 27 times. Wallace will take off from time to time, as he has run for 363 yards and 8 TDs this season, however if the QB runs in the spread, the Rebels do like to bring in Junior Barry Brunetti to take care of that, so you will see two QBs.   The 15 INTs and 27 sacks should have the Pitt defense licking their chops as that is something they have done well in this season.  Aaron Donald and Tyrone Ezell will have to continue their great play if Pitt wants to slow down the offense.

Slowing down the offense will be a tough chore as the Rebels LOVE to run this scheme up tempo…ESPECIALLY after they gain a first down.  If Pitt should pin Ole Miss deep in their own end, look for the Rebels to take a few shots deep, as they also are aggressive when put in that position. When Wallace does something like that, he usually looks for Sophomore WR Donte Moncrief.  Moncrief is a burner and a VERY good receiver, who is coming into his own, so the strong Pitt defensive backs had better bring their best on Saturday if they want to contain him. Moncrief leads the team with 60 receptions for 948 yards and 10 TDs. Complementing Moncrief is Sophomore WR Vince Sanders with 34 catches of his own for 465 yards and 3 TDs.

When Ole Miss keeps the ball on the ground, Junior Jeff Scott leads the way with 828 yards and 6 TDs. Scott is part of a one-two punch that the Rebels use and they will bring in speedy Senior RB, Randall Mackey, who has chipped in with 4 TDs this season.  Don’t forget that I mentioned earlier, Wallace and Brunetti also will tote the rock at times.  Wallace does not look like he can run, but don’t be fooled by his size…just ask LSU.

T he defense is a little undersized and Pitt could take advantage of that on the Ole Miss front seven. I said COULD.  The front seven may be undersized, but they are aggressive and very active.  They are led by Freshman LB Denzel Nkemdiche.  Nkemdiche is of the mold that he can cover and stick his nose into the scrums.  Among the other active players up front are Jason Jones (wearing thefamed #38), Gilbert Pena (one of my favorites while watching some of their games this year), and EJ Epperson, among others.  The defense is a 4-3 style and they enjoy bringing the heat on third downs, so Tino will need to be aware of that.  We don’t want any of those little 29 yard sacks on Saturday.

As mentioned, this will be a tough test for Pitt on Saturday.  Bowl games are VERY difficult to predict, as you never know which team is there to play and play hard, and which are there to take in the sites and party a little too much. The Panthers should have the services back of WR Cam Saddler, which is nice since he is a fifth year senior.  Ole Miss does turn the ball over and take sacks, so Pitt will need to create a few of those and take advantage.  It will be a nice measuring stick to see where Pitt is heading into next season, with a large recruiting class also coming in for Paul Chryst.  I see Ole Miss as the favorite here and I think they will win with the help of their active front seven throughout the game and a slight home field advantage.  Final Score: Ole Miss 27 Pitt 17.  The good news Panther fans is that I have sucked something fierce in predictions this year…so there’s that.

Final note…super prospect Tyler Boyd will announce his decision this weekend as well…supposedly.  Pitt is the favorite, BUT he could postpone the announcement as he is saying he wants to take more visits.  Landing Boyd would really help cushion the Foster news from a few weeks ago.