Pitt’s first big official visit weekend is over, and head coach Pat Narduzzi has landed some commitments.  He sent up five “Pat Signals” between Saturday afternoon and Sunday night.  That’s about one commit every six hours, which is not too shabby.

Four of the five commits have revealed themselves so far.  All are three-stars.  One is from Florida.  One is from Georgia.  One is from Ohio, and One is from New Jersey.  None of this should come as a surprise.  Pitt has clearly worked to diversify itself out of Pennsylvania and into the South.  When the right coaches are in place, New Jersey has always been a fertile recruiting ground, and Ohio has traditionally been a Pitt recruiting stronghold (although oddly enough last year’s class did not contain a single Ohio native).

As for landing three-three stars, well, that should not be a surprise either.  Since 2016 82% of Pat Narduzzi’s recruting classes have been three-star players.  Like it or not, these are Pitt’s bread-and-butter.

Lets talk through the four commits that we know about.   Follow link to access their Rivals profile.

  •  Bangally Kamara
    • 6’2″ / 193
    • 5.5 Rivals Rating
    • Akron, OH
    • Listed at safety but recruited to play linebacker
    • 43rd ranked player in Ohio
    • Chose Pitt over:  PENN STATE, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Syracuse, Rutgers, Purdue, Maryland, Kentucky, Iowa State, Indiana
    • For a players ranked in the lowest tier of three-star recruits, this guy sure got a lot of interest from a lot of big-time programs.  His film shows silky-smooth athleticism and an explosive burst pretty much whenever he wants to turn it on.  He also looks pretty disciplined out there.  There are a couple of highlights of him staying home and really stuffing the run.  Narduzzi and that staff have shown the ability to help guys like this put on 20+ lbs without losing much speed or athleticism.  If they can do this with Karma he’ll have a great chance of over-indexing against his 5.5 Rivals rating.    Kamara completey snubbed Penn State about one month ago, and the tool-bag that wrote the article about it didn’t even put Pitt in his consideration set.  Yea Kamara may not be a four-star but the Duzz stole a sure thing out from under Franklin and that is A-OK with me.
    • HUDL Video
  • Solomon DeShields
    • 6’1″ / 210
    • 5.7 Rivals Rating
    • Millville, NJ
    • Athlete
    • 15th ranked player in NJ, 41st ranked Athlete in the country
    • Chose Pitt over:  Auburn, Iowa State, Kentucky, Oregon, Rutgers, VA Tech, WEST VIRGINIA
    • I’ll tell you what, it sure is nice to beat out West Virginia.  DeShields is listed as an athlete, but it sounds like Pitt likes him at linebacker.  He is big, strong, fast and physical.  His highlight reel appears to be something of a man-among-boys situation, but there is no denying his motor and his speed.  He’s got hands to boot.   To my relatively untrained eye, it appears DeShields could use a bit more discipline, but if Pitt can coach him up, he could make a heck of a Money linebacker.
    • HUDL Video
  •  Emmanuel Belgrave
    • 6’3″ / 225
    • 5.6
    • Miami, FL
    • Defensive End
    • Unranked in Florida
    • Chose Pitt over:  Nebraska, Rutgers, Wake Forest
    • Lean, but has long arms and fluid athleticism.  Gets off the ball fast and stays low, which is probably why coach Partridge likes him.  This is another guy that will probably have to spend a year or two at the training table, but if Pitt can get him to to 250 lbs, and he can develop his pass-rush skills, watch out.
    • HUDL Video
  • Tee Denson
    • 6’1″ / 175
    • 5.5
    • Atlanta, GA
    • Cornerback
    • 134th ranked player in Georgia
    • Chose Pitt over:  Boston College, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota, Rutgers, 23 other schools.
    • Good height but great length, Denson is another long-armed prospect.  He’s Pitt’s second commit from the state of Georgia this season.  If you count the PWO 2019 Running Back signed earlier this year, Denson will be Pitt’s third Georgia player, which means we are getting pretty close to pipeline status.  Denson’s film doesn’t have many pass coverage highlights, but what did jump out at me was his willingness to tackle and his ability to track down a ballcarrier in the open field.  You have to wonder if Denson wouldn’t make a good safety with a little extra weight.

Hail to Pitt

Michaelangelo Monteleone

Michaelangelo holds a degree in Travel Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. He was a former staff writer for InPittsburgh Newsweekly, and currently resides near Atlanta, Georgia. He has been a Pitt fan since 1997 after he witnessed Pitt upset #22 Miami on Thursday night at Pitt Stadium.

191 thoughts on “Five Pat Signals”

  1. off topic …. but John McGonigal was just hired by the PG to be the beat writer for Pitt FB and BB, replacing Pitt alum who is now PG Steeler beat writer. McGonical comes from the Centre Daily Times, and yes, is another PSU alum …. so now, once again, the beat writers covering Pitt for the 2 local papers are Dairy School grads

    In addition, both papers are full of PSU alums on their staff. Would love to knw if anyone from Pitt News or any other Pitt alum applied

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    2. Back to this topic Bill….. and we wonder why Narduzzi keeps a lid on his practices. psu people are completely untrustworthy. Well I mean to everyone except state penn.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Considering these players offers, I get a strong feeling they may be a bit undervalued? Another thought, if they had whittle down their favorites to a final list………. wouldn’t you think they were all commit-able offers?

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    1. its what the recruit reports

      and the offers can be pulled like Weavers from Michigan when he didnt hear anything after 7 months and then they called him

      need to look at official visits to make sure interest is really there

      but at least these kids are getting better offers this year from other P-5 schools as opposed to Pitt being their only P-5 offer

      the elite schools will have no problem pulling your offer if they find a 4 star stud to replace you

      and if any of these kids have blow out senior years, there’s a good chance the recruit will get some serious looks from elite schools and will go on official visits

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  3. BTW wwb, I could give a crap about the PG. The little 3 lbs shih tzu retrieved (we were watching) the Sunday Trib yesterday morning. The Sunday morning paper use to weigh 10 lbs back in the day. There’s nothing in those papers anymore. How’s that for a Pittsburgh Dad impersonation?

    Liked by 1 person

  4. All solid 3 stars. Like you said, that’s Pitt’s bread & butter recruit. deal with it.

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  5. Prediction: Pitt gets two locals to commit this weekend Hays and Rawlings. I hope I didn’t jinx it for coach Narduzzi.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. that would make me very happy …. both have very attractive offer sheets

      Hayes BTW is the first legit recruit city player in recent memory (Westinghouse HS)

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  6. The Dairy has had a bit of a struggle lately with a couple of flips against them. Maybe the new reporter will shed some light on that, but i doubt it. I would imagine there will be a blitz on our dudes like they did a few years ago with Givens and the tight end, whose name currently escapes me. McQueary’s little brother? Maybe its just the red hair. He was local / north.

    Tex responded for me Ike from the last thread. Officials are a good barometer and when combined with stars and offers, give a better idea of what type of player you might be getting.

    jrn – probably right with the timing of the psn article, upcoming visit and the tweets.

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  10. They were talking about Bell’s two star brain. Personally, I think his brain was very over-rated.

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  11. MM – nice article.

    But I kind of disagree somewhat with two statements. One is that Ohio has never seemed like a recruiting stronghold to me. I couldn’t tell you the numbers, but I’ve been disappointed for years in our ability to lure talent from there. Oh yeah, there were those couple recent 4-star Ohio guys who never played a down for us…

    The other thing is Pitt’s proclivity for getting 200 pound linebackers. Seems to me we’ve had several who never got over 210. I guess they just didn’t grow as the Pitt coaches had projected…

    Small gripes…

    As I posted before, a Shady McCoy type play-maker — granted they don’t come along that often — is what this team needs right now to go from a good team to an excellent team…

    Go Pitt.

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  12. Ike is right that the PG is a shell of the paper it once was. But I still read it and am outraged that they stooped so low as to hire a Nitter to cover Pitt. I will never trust it now.

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    1. this isn’t the first time they had a Nitter cover it. But DiPaola of the Trib has been on the Pitt beat for several years and he is a Nitter also. The staff of both papers are full of Nits

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    2. We cancelled the PG a couple of months ago. I miss the crossword puzzles but not the sports page or the op-ed page…

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 2 people

  15. Major, I cancelled the PG while Paterno was still there
    …told the guy on the phone that all the psuX coverage was making me sick.

    PSN has a photo of Hunter Sellers wearing a Pitt uniform downing a handful of Skittles…what?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Dayon Hayes has a lockdown on all the fries for this class

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  17. So far I’m kind of impressed with this well organized recruiting efforts and the”gets” so far. Yes, 3 stars but their other offers speak volumes. This is hard for me to say but good for Duzz!

    Spoke to a Nitter big giver at church Sunday. He says it’s all been downhill since they blew a 12 point lead to Ohio State. More defections upcoming. Faith in Franklinstein at an all time low!

    Liked by 5 people

    2. Yep Dan. I went to that game. Classic chokenstein. The Dairy is quite an odd place. As much as the fans act cult like, the administration is fearful of another sandusky type scenario and does not always pull in the same direction as the athletic department.

      The funny thing about the osu games is that the upset in Dairy actually saved his job a few years ago and the last two cave-ins may be the beginning of the end for him. Full circle if you will. I think people and recruits are seeing through him. He wants to be like Hurban, but he executes like fickel did.

      Now fickel is starting to get his legs under him. The osu job was too big for him and the cincy job is a confidence maker. I expect him to be moving up soon.

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    1. You want to talk about serious hand wringing Nitter turmoil? Wait until September when they’ll have to deal with the reality that Pitt has beat them in their own backyard for bragging rights while the rivalry goes back into dormancy for who knows how long.

      Liked by 3 people

    1. We are now recruiting against the upper echelon on the big 10 west. Wisconsin, Michigan State, Nebraska. Also beat out Minnesota’s PJ Fleck who is considered and up and comer. Not that the Gohpher’s can hold a candle to Pitt in any department really.

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  21. jimmie one finger couldn’t coach his way out of a wet paper bag because his bag is full of crap.

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  22. Concur @ not the strongest offers. Looks fast so that is a positive. Plays both sides of ball. Could be a wr too, but doesn’t high point the ball.

    Also, he is continuing to take visits and I don’t like that at all. You can’t be half committed, so this is not a good sign. What about Enzo?

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  23. ike — was checking out some video on the Lair on Ryan “Skippy” Murphy. Looks like he can do a lot more than shoot threes. Has a pull up jumper and a step-back jumper and some ability to drive to the hoop.

    But he’s only rated a two-star, so not expecting too much… 😊👍

    Go Pitt.

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    1. John (M&M) yes I saw that on Murphy. Looks like a really good ball handler as well. He should be a big help moving forward.

      Huff the Third: Sellers offer list is pretty good imo. He’s a little on the taller side 6’0″ and maybe still growing. He does sound a little unsure of his commitment though.

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  24. speaking of PJ Fleck …. see the attached link on now his salary is constructed. There was some discussion here a few days as to how coaches are compensated, and found this interesting. He is paid 2.5 times his base salary for “recognition of your efforts on behalf of the University for media, fundraising, community involvement, endorsements, apparel, and shoes.”

    https://www.thedailygopher.com/2017/1/26/14399670/pj-fleck-minnesota-contract-buyout-base-salary-memorandum-understanding

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    1. in other words …. it’s much more important to raise and maintain the money flow than it is to win games

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    2. Right now Pitt draws about 40k each year. When the domers or Nitters play at home, avg attendance goes to 45k. Pitt plays seven games at home this year so that helps and is smart. Don’t know why it doesn’t happen more

      Even if Pitt became a consistent 10 game winner, attendance probably would barely go over 50k. Assuming a normal slate of teams…no Nitters.

      So from a strict revenue standpoint, consistently winning ten games is an extra $4 million in revenue each year from game day.

      The revenue opportunities with schools with small fan bases are always non stadium related. Unless of course that stadium was used for more than 6 times per year.

      Low base plus incentives is the way to go. It’s all about making more revenues.

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    3. Why doesn’t Pitt publish this level of detail. They hide everything from the public to avoid scrutiny and accountability. And then they wonder why fans don’t donate. It’s based on trust. Without transparency, there is no trust.

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  26. I like the commits so far. I like the kids that they got on campus and the variety of states they are from.

    PN needs to keep it going. I good record this year will certainly go a long way in finishing this class.

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  27. Hunter Sellers had 13 P-5 offers. 7 from Big 10 teams plus 4 ACC and one from the SEC. I don’t know where his offer sheet is weak is coming from?

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  28. WWB’s argument that it is better to maximize revenue flow than to win games is an argument for a tougher OOC schedule. Bring in Oklahoma, Nebraska, UCLA and similar schools every so often and the game attendance, parking and food service revenue will increase. Give Pitt more national stature and money to recruit with, and at some point they should be able to win some of these games. We can see that many of the 3* recruits Pitt is getting are being recruited by these same schools. An average attendance of 50K is probably the best that can be expected under any circumstance, and greater attendance should result in getting some additional 4* recruits as well.

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    1. it’s not my argument … but apparently it’s what is important to the Univ of Minnesota because of the allocation of compensation in Fleck’s agreement.

      But as I have been saying … I have no issue with a tough OOC, as long as people here judging the coach takes it into account. Too often, I see it being completely ignored.

      Liked by 2 people

  29. unless its the nitters, domers or hoopies, I dont see Heinz selling out
    if Pitt plays the huskers, maybe 50k show
    Pitt plays Temple or Cincy and 45k show
    some extra revenue but is it a good tradeoff

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  30. I am enjoying the back and forth regarding the attendance. One thought I might add: The fan base in general could be shrinking because they are no longer are or never became a fan of the game. I have been to quite a few Steeler games but will not waste my time sitting in a stadium watching another professional game or evening watching a Sunday game and on TV-….l ost interest! Number of kids participating in football at the lower levels continues to shrink dramatically in Western Pennsylvaniaso the appetite for college sports and are area continues to wane. I do not see us drawling large crowds with the exception of 4 or 5 schools who bring a a lot of people with them…..all the more reason to build a stadium taylored to our needs. I wear a size 12 shoe cause it fits. Relatively speaking, our University is trying to put a size 8 or 9 into a size 14…that’s chest the reality of the situation.

    As far as who we play in the 00C… People lineup on both sides that argument… I see at both ways. I go to a lot of games but would never go home to watch them play a MAC team….. How would one feel if we lost?!… But I can see the argument playing an easier scheduled to get more wins to be more marketable to recruits…it’s all about the perception of the victories… Most of our generation was raised on “taking on the best !” That had been Pitts MO for many many years-at least back in the good old days and sometimes not so good PITTbFootball

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Bernie, wouldn’t you go to a MAC game, if only for the pleasure of the POV/Last Row tailgate?

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  31. Funny thing is wwb. People do in fact recognize the tough OOC schedule then gloss over it with glazed eyes like it never happened. It’s quite remarkable to me.

    Navy is a lot like UCF, they are not the proverbial cupcake as some MAC team may be. Yet it’s a good possibility they could draw a bigger crowd? BUT! They could be really good some years, certainly not an automatic win every season.

    VoR, I would much rather PITT plays the tough OOC opponents who are in PITT’s recruiting territories. I know the schools you mention do travel well but they are not going to sell out Heinz Field. Plus PITT could lose the game as well. It’s a lose lose situation. Like Tennessee coming up. Heather needs to lose them today.

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  33. That’s a great comment Bernie.

    Hey BigB, here’s the plan. Lighten up the ooc schedule, win 10/11 or 12 games per year, recruit better and THEN bring on the Big Boys. I’m tired of the Panther chasing his own tail.

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  34. Sounds like a plan Ike…during my PITT years 70-73 I saw in person many great teams and individual put a hurtin on PITT but I loved the college game and thought it was cool to see So Cal, UCLA and Oklahoma come to town ass WUPPIN or not….but we need to win more..a change of pace to maybe change our fortunes and get more competitive in recruiting and on the field…I yield to HUFF the 1/3’s way of thinking at least on a temporary basis….

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  35. Pitt plays rivals and that wont stop (except the Nitter)
    So what if those rivals are better than Pitt. Thats Pitt’s fault.
    Fans like rivalry games…they dont care what the records are…its based on pure hate

    So throw those out for the too tough OOC argument

    In most years, UCF would be garbage but Narduzzi sullied Pitt’s integrity with those blatant fake player cramps to slow down the O. Heather needs to have a clause in his contract to prevent this.

    Why did Pitt play Okie St? And get blown out at home with sleeping fans. Thats on Narduzzi. Bonus money for Narduzzi if fans can stay awake.

    Why is Pitt planning to play Whisky and the Vols?

    Makes no sense

    But if Pitt is going to play those national powers it had better not get blown out and Narduzzi has a habit of getting blown out on national TV.

    I just dont trust a Narduzzi led team to keep fans awake, be competitive against a national power and not resort to low class field tactics.

    Its all about revenue and the brand. Pitt’s brand is very much Narduzzi.

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    1. in 2014, Pitt played one ranked team, gave up 56 points and 612 yards. That very same year, Wisconsin won 11 games but lost in the B10 championship 59-0

      These days, when you are an above average team and have to play a real good team, you often have your butt handed to you. This past year, Mich gave up 63 to OSU, Bama gave up 44 to Clemson, and OSU gave up 49 to Purdue … the same Purdue which lost its bowl game 63-14

      quit living in your myopic world

      Liked by 1 person

      1. recruits see how you play against certain teams (take Penn State vs tOSU)
        they see blow out losses and remember them
        they also see sleeping fans and fake cramps

        But I remember those things under Walt and Wanny…no I dont

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    2. TX — that’s funny. I mean the Pitt’s brand being Narduzzi thing…

      Pitt just doesn’t have a brand, which is a big part of the problem. Pitt’s brand has generally been it’s notable players— Fitz, Shady, Boyd, Donald…

      Duzz’s biggest problem has been the lack of a guy like this – one of those guys would immediately take this team up a level…

      Go Pitt.

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  36. BigB, FWIW the Steelers are the only NFL team I will watch, and only because they are local. People find this hard to believe but I haven’t watched a Super Bowl in 5 years. No interest. Same goes for NBA although I did watch the last quarter a few final games when I lived in Cleveland a few years back

    Now this is the same guy who will g be up at 5 am to watch the first 2 rounds of the British Open …. so go figure

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    1. ^^^ Answer Bill…….. you’re retired. We do what we feel like.

      Fran…. I’ve been moving towards your Dads remark, waking up at the crack of noon idea.

      Liked by 1 person

  37. I haven’t watched an NBA game it 35 years, ever since they were allowed to pick up the basketball and run down the court with it. << Not even a minute of it.

    I also have lost a little interest in the NFL. The theatrics I see are a big turn off to me. Millionaires behaving like juvenile delinquents. << on and off the field.

    Give me college football any day of the week. BUT, this portal BS has me concerned. They may have to change the name of we have a “commitment” to hey, he wants to play for us for awhile. Tell that to his teammates. << BTW, whatever happened to loyalty and teammates.

    Liked by 1 person

  38. Lotsa points scored in all levels of football these days…most people did not like this years SuperBowl only because of the low scoring-hell, I guess they never saw a great defensive game…schedules are made years in advance and I doubt Heather has had much experience with D1 scheduling..BTW a road game to Knoxville would be great(don’t tell me it’s in the Burgh!!!) good points on both sides..for now we play who is on our schedule…looking back..if we would have one the 3 bowl games (knowing Navy kicked our ass aided by Duzz who would not change pitchers) and won 2 outta 3 while playing Clemson a little better (like not letting them run off tackle for a 70+ yd TD on the 1st freakin’ play) after being crowned the 2018 Coastal Champs today’s outlook and conversation would be entirely different…I think we would all agree on that…we seem like we are getting closer yet so damn far………

    Liked by 1 person

  39. wwb…golf is one of my favorites to watch..amazing athletes with that club and ball…not the side-show that the participants have turned much of professional sport into s-that’s my opinion…
    Hope to meet you this year..are you coming to Duke ?.

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    1. thinking about it. Maybe the reason I admire golf so much is because I’m so bad at it

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  40. When I think back on Pitt football, I think about those games with USC, UCLA, ND of course, and other national programs because it translated to Pitt being a national program. Those games create the memories. I don’t really have warm and fuzzy feelings about beating schools like Kent ST and Bowling Green. In fact, I think that more national harm can come from losing to a MAC team than to a national power. There are always going to be trap games like UCF because of the future scheduling, but Pitt needs to ease back into a big time schedule with just a few big program games sprinkled in. If they could hit a 50k average attendance with a 7 game home schedule, the revenue would take a big jump (and of course bring back the Golden Panthers!).

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    1. I expect 55,000 or more at the Virginia game. That’s if the weather cooperates.

      People bitch about the Ohio start time but does she get credit for the night start on National TV?

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      1. I’m not sure the students will be back in school for the VA game. If not I would not expect to see more than 40,000. And I’m counting on VA to bring in close to 5000 to get to the 40K mark.

        Liked by 1 person

          1. Thanks Fran. Great way to start off the semester I would say! I’ll bump up to 56,000. You guys and gals know me….

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        2. Tough call jrn. Virginia is predicted to win the Coastal. Then again. We have the new ACC channel? Labor Day and all…. I’ll stick with my prediction though.

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  41. BigB, after your red-shirt comment and now this. Are you cheatin on me? 🙂 LOL No problem though, I still got Upitt.

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  42. as people have brought up, who knew Ok St would be the top passing team in the nation and UCF a Top 10 team when they were scheduled. Now Pitt plays Tennessee in 21 and 22 …. who knows how good they will be other than the fact they will be better than Akron and Kent St.

    Heck, who knew PSU would be a Top 10 team in the of the past 3 years? They weren’t even ranked in 2014-15.

    I have no issue playing these teams …. as long as there is perspective

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    1. Be prepared for blow outs then
      Pitt isnt good enough now to be scheduling those teams
      Pitt had to schedule national teams in the 70’s because they were an independent and needed respect
      Conferences werent that big of a thing 50 years ago
      And theres this thing called the BCS now where SOS matters very little
      Pitt will get no respect if they get blown out

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  43. Uncle Ike, after 11 months retirement I still wake up at 5:30 am…
    I haven’t slept in to the crack of noon since my teenage years…half a century ago.

    Liked by 1 person

  44. Back to recruiting…I’m happy with the commits we have thus far. Of course, a couple of higher ranked players would certainly be welcomed. There doesn’t seem to be any discussion about a QB recruit. According to Rivals, PN offered 13 QBs for the 2020 class. Eight (8) of them have committed elsewhere which leaves 5 (2Pro and 3 Dual) with no commitment yet. I think most of us are happy to have landed Beville last year, but I think 1 per year is prudent.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yeah decent start to recruiting. I like Beatty and Collins as recruiters. They are already paying dividends. Partridge is solid too.

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  45. A quick study suggests the following:

    Tennessee –

    2019 – Recruiting Rank 12 #of 5 stars = 1 #of 4 stars = 12
    2018 – Recruiting Rank 20 # of 4 stars = 10
    2017 – Recruiting Rank 15 # of 4 stars = 9
    2016 – Recruiting Rank 15 #5stars = 1 # 4 stars = 10

    Tennessee on stars alone, clearly out recruits Pitt. It won’t be a surprise to be a two digit underdog both here and at their joint. One game will be a sellout and one will look half empty. You all decide which is which. One team recruits nationally. One team has no business recruiting in Tennessee. I will pick Pitt to win those games as I always do, but shake my head at the AD, when it doesn’t work out well. There are no moral victories, just more losses.

    Same example with Dairy College, but worse. Their recruiting got better each year and as such, their on field performance got better. Who wouldn’t expect them to be ranked when playing a super soft OOC schedule and a super soft big10 east division except for OSU and MSU, at that time until Mich recently started to turn it around. Dairy had a plan for success after coming off of sanctions and limited recruits. They tied in their 2013 recruit class (ranked 43) with 1, 5 star and 4, 4 stars, and paired it to an easier schedule. They followed that in 2014 with a 24 ranking – 6, 4 stars and again, an easy schedule. The following year a 15 ranking, 11, 4 stars and an easy schedule. The formula is there. Dairy executed the strategic scam plan and Pitt can’t reveal theirs. It’s a secret. Dairy pulled together. Pitt, pulls apart. I am trying not to mention the AD role.

    Oklahoma state and then i will stop – The cowboys have not finished under .500 since 2005. In fact, over the last 11 years, they have finished in the AP top 20, 7 times, with a top 3 finish at the end of 2011. So, who didn’t know what when that was scheduled? Since 2010 they won 10 or more games, 6 times. Maybe we scheduled them in an effort to expand our recruiting territory? Seems like a blunder by the Pitt AD’s, but you all decide. I am just reporting the facts.

    For me, I take the 3-1 OOC requirement every year until such time as we are on more solid footing. I felt zero pride getting crushed by OSU, Dairy and insert team here. UCF, Ididn’t analyze but I think we all agree that they were the fastest team in college football the last few years and they all played hard, regardless of 2 star or 3 star status. That said, they also had a dynamic QB. Let’s see how that works with a different qb this year. Also, they have been ranked between 50-60 the last four years or so with recruiting and always got a 4 star or two each year until 2019. Apologies for taking too much space….

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Really good points Huff. I agree on Ok St., whoever scheduled it (and I think it was Pederson) knew what they were getting us into. I for one think we should be playing dairy every year because of the tradition, but if you go down that road then we should be playing WVU every year too…

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      1. I think either WVU OR PedoState every year would be good. Navy or ND being one of the other 4 OOC would be perfect.

        For personal reasons, I’d like to have Maryland on the schedule or Towson.

        Players might like playing UCLA or USC or maybe San Diego State(do they play football?)

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      1. If you haven’t noticed, Pitt has been the easily winnable P5 game for the better programs like ok st, penn st and tennessee. Dairy didn’t schedule pitt because of the rivalry or political pressure. They scheduled them for the easy win, a home field advantage at both stadiums, and minimum expense to get 4 wins over the 4 game schedule. Unfortunately, we beat them once out of three so far and foiled their plans.. Important to beat them this year as they will have a new qb at the helm, which is worth points every game.

        Liked by 1 person

  48. Some Hot News from Panther Lair, recent PSU decommit OLman Aaloin Parks 6′ 5″ 294 lbs a 4 star is making an official visit to Pitt this week. How sweet it would be if he were to commit to Pitt in the not too distant future.

    Liked by 3 people

  49. hey Huff, FWIW, Tennessee went 5-7 last year but averaged well over 90k per home game. High was 100k plus vs Florida, low was 86,753 vs Charlotte. Last year OOC was WVU, East Tennessee, UTEP and Charlotte. The Hoopies spanked them in the opener on a neutral field but they easily won the other 3.

    It has an OCS and is not located near a pro team,

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    1. Not to mention the beaucoup backing $$$ those old southern schools have. Oh, and their willingness to cheat their asses off. << Which of course doesn’t imply only southern schools cheat.

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    2. It also has an extremely loyal and dedicated fan base. So that’s three things Tennessee has that Pitt doesn’t…

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  50. To my dear retired friends. First step is to quit going to bed at 9:00 at night. Second and here is my secret, since you don’t have to get up anymore the next morning, get up in the middle of the night when tossing and turning throw an ativan down your gullet and roam around the house until you are tired again. Boom, it 8:30 AM every-time.

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    1. I go to bed around midnight almost every night … but no matter if I go at 11:30 or 12:30, I get up between 5 and 5:30

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    1. Not sure I’m getting this one BbigBb? Are you saying it’s redneck bliss? I repeat myself here.

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  53. Aaloin Parks and Ffrench… pardon me Iiek/Iike….now those last 2 are visually confusing…

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  54. Ike, I gave so many Ativan Intramuscular injections working at Westetn Psych that I used IMativan as my AOL account name.

    Liked by 1 person

  56. Moon’s Donovan Johnson is now a man without a school after his ineligibility ruling. I wonder if Pitt could get him to reclassify. They have 2 bb scholarships available

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      1. Do we really even want that guy? He’ll probably transfer to Kentucky after his freshman year.

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            1. That was all on Pitt, who F things up a lot when it comes to athletics.

              The Johnson family said they are cool with Capel. Stallings was the problem.

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  57. With (8) recruits “committed” verbally to Pitt, I looked at their Rivals ratings –

    (1) has a 5.7 rating (highest for a 3)
    (5) have a 5.5 rating (lowest for a 3    )
    The other two are rated at 5.6

    SMH – recruiting has not improved at this point. This is projected to be a small class with an estimated total of 13. That means five more spots left to fill.

    Does anyone believe we will land (2) OL, (1) QB, (1) DT and (1) TE that are 4* recruits? These are the positions of need remaining in my opinion.

    Be honest…

    Having to login daily now –

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  60. Erie is correct; there are only about a dozen seniors on Pitt’s FB roster (which is not necessarily a bad thing by the way). Contributing to that is the fact that nobody (or maybe 1 or 2) transferred out this past season (again, not necessarily a bad thing)

    However, that may change this coming year whether some will voluntarily or involuntarily transfer (just speculation)

    People here made a big deal of Pitt’s recent class being ranked 50th, but few mentioned that the class had just 19 commits. So it likely that this year’s ranking will still be low

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    1. that class has 15% of recruited rated 5.7 stars and above
      thats an absolutely horrible %
      prior years Narduzzi was either at 30% or 50% (the prior year)
      and 50% is the target

      so far this class only has 1 out of 8. Yes the offers if legit look much better than last year but Pitt really should have landed a 4 star and another 2 5.7’s

      Pitt is being left behind in this division
      3-4 years from now, Pitt will struggle to win 5 games.

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    2. People on here make a big deal about the class being ranked #50.. because it is a big deal. Also, while it is true the class was, in part, so low due to the number of kids, it is also true that when adjusted for average rating Pitt still lands at #48. That puts them behind such schools as Iowa State, Wisconsin, Va Tech, NC Sate, Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota, UNC, Ga Tech. Much better, huh?

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  61. The trend has been level to downward for some time now.

    This is what it is 95% 3 stars with the occasional 4 and 2 star guys.

    Also trending towards defensive players.

    The trend to out of state players continues to grow.

    The dearth of marquis players continues, primarily due to the decline of the WPIAL. and Narduzzi’s inability to close on the few that remain.

    One more reason to adjust the OOC. Catch 22, the better players won’t come until we win more games, we won’t win more games till the better players come. Unless the schedule is adjusted.

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    1. I beg to differ, ike.

      The fact that Fran is going to heaven has been well known for some time and is not news… 😊

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  63. I agree John but I put that out there in case there are people who haven’t met the good man. We already knew he raises a little hell every now and again. << like Saturdays in the fall. Had the pleasure of his company in our humble home a few months ago. Bernie and Fran stopped by. Both are great guys as you are John. I’m fortunate to have new friends like you all.

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  65. pure speculation but Henry Parrish tweeted yesterday that an announcement was coming later this week. He visited Pitt this past weekend. He is a RB from Miami

    Yes, another 5.5 3-star but with an (allegedly) attractive offer sheet ….. including the likes of Miami, FSU, WVU and PSU, and a few other ACC and B10 schools. 247 considers the choices down to Miami, FSU and Pitt, with Miami the favorite while Rivals favors Pitt.

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  66. People on here make a big deal about the class being ranked #50.. because it is a big deal. Also, while it is true the class was, in part, so low due to the number of kids, it is also true that when adjusted for average rating Pitt still lands at #48. That puts them behind such schools as Iowa State, Wisconsin, Va Tech, NC Sate, Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota, UNC, Ga Tech. Much better, huh?

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  67. Harry said this new commit is an elite one. Parrish doesn’t qualify as elite by my definition. Yet his offer sheet is pretty remarkable.

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  68. Let’s hope that Duzz lands some OLineman, another Biz or Dorian Johnson would be nice…I am talking quality….would be nice to land a great receiver but I think PITT will have to show the world it can toss the pelota this year….

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  69. Watson probably set recruiting for receivers back 2-3 years…..then ya gotta factor KP into that equation,…He will have to show us the money -real soon!!!.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Good point, BigB, on the WR recruiting having been set back by our recent performances (and coaches) not to mention TEs!

      Coach Whip, though apparently a decrepit old man, should be able to get the ear of some good ones given what he did for the last good WR and TE he had…

      BTW, speaking of old guys, when talking to Walt at the Pitt golf outing I told him I wished he was still coaching. He said “Me too.”

      I’ll always be a Walt fan…

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  70. B, lets just hope our dearly departed Watson didn’t set KP back 2 or 3 years. I understand he’s having a great off season though.

    I predict PITT gets the 4* O-Lineman who defected state penn to commit this weekend to PITT. I just hope he is disinfected. (jus kidding) There are 3 four star players and some of the best locals visiting. I look for a good haul.

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  71. Once again ….. where are these 4 stars coming from, and why would they come to Pitt?

    a) because of the packed stadiums?
    b) because of the sprawling campus with an OCS?
    c) because of the overwhelming success of the FB program over the past 30 years?
    d) because of the assurance of stability of the coaching staff?
    e) because of the plethora of local 4 stars who want to stay close?

    Yes, we all want 4 stars to attend Pitt but why would they want to attend Pitt? (aside from an illegal payout)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. the sad fact is that for the vast majority of the 4 stars, they have plenty of offers that check at least 3 or 4 of the blocks above, and are closer to their house

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    2. I don’t think we are doing illegal payouts. And if we are we are really bad at them!

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  72. Bill…… apparently they don’t want to attend PITT. So PITT wins a weak Coastal with 3 and 2 * players. Easy peezy.

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  73. Big commit Henry Parrish RB from Miami, FL picks PITT over Miami, Florida St, Michigan, Tennessee, WVU, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Penn St and others

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  74. With those offers…. goes to show you what Rivals knows. A 5.5 three star. Elite? I don’t know but a good pickup any day of the week.

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  75. Where is the beef in this class? Where are four stars?

    A few of these guys will work out. Most won’t. We need a few 4 stars that are more of a sure thing.

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  77. Guys, I am very concerned about our OL recruiting and have been since Duzz took the reins….this has to change soon…I think he has done OK on the D side.

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  78. The POV Crew beats Pittsburgh Sports Now to the latest “Harry Miller Scoop.” No need to follow anything else but the POV……a smorgsbord of all things informative !!!

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    1. Parrish has some shake n bake. Which we sorely need. I don’t know if i’d call him elite though

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      1. Whipple will find a way to get the ball in his hands when he gets to Pitt IMO. Just watch how Whipple gets the ball in V Carter’s hands this coming season for a good tutorial on the possibilities for using Parrish in subsequent years.

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      2. Lots of big time schools think Parrish is elite Mike. Forget about Rivals and the other scouting services. Look at the competition this kid is playing against. Top notch.

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        1. I think we disagree here Ike. Looks like he’s playing against a bunch of 5-10 guys in his game film. Don’t get me wrong I think he’s very good , but I don’t think he’s elite. Just my opinion. I would definitely say he’s worth more than a 5.5 though

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  80. You never know who will make it and will not, but these offer sheets are the next best thing to 4 stars.

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    1. He runs a 4.7 40 and has a 31 vertical. And he’s short and skinny. Those would be elite numbers if he was a six foot 240 pound back.

      His only official visit was Pitt. Typical recruits max out on visits if they are really in demand.

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  82. I don’t know nuttin’, but I continue to be disappointed in the “type” of RB we have been recruiting under the Duzzer.

    I know we gotten some almighty 4-stars, but I have yet to see any elusiveness. Looks like we search for speed, which is good, but no nearly as good as speed + the ability to plant the foot and change direction in a flash.

    We saw this with Shady, Ray, and Dion, and haven’t seen it since. An RB with some elusiveness would be huge in taking this team up a level…

    Fingers crossed! But I’d sure like to see Duzz and Powell change the RB characteristics they go after…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  83. for you clamoring for 4-stars — do some research and get educated. Go to Rivals search data base and use the filters to show state of PA / greater than or equal to 3 stars. You can go back to 2002. Then search any year last decade and compare it to the past few years and realize the NOTICEABLE difference.

    I went back and selected 3 random years from the 00s and compared them to this and the past 2 years.

    for 2020 — 1 local 4-star / 6 3-stars
    for 2019 — 2 local 4-stars / 7 3-stars
    for 2018 — 3 local 4-stars / 9 3-stars

    for 2002 — 6 local 4-stars / 5 3-stars
    for 2008 — 2 local 5-stars /. 8 4-stars / 13 3-stars
    for 2013 — 1 local 5-star / 4 4-stars / 9 3-stars

    I welcome you to select any year(s) from last decade and compare it to the last few years

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    1. so we should give king pat a pat on the back for trying.

      Pitt should have been making inroads into surrounding states years ago. It’s not like the decline in PA talent wasn’t known.

      Narduzzi offers a ton of four stars but can’t close. That’s an issue with his sales approach. And the field results he’s gotten scare recruits away.

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  84. Seems like more competition from big name schools than ever for low to mid range three star recruits. Last year our three star recruits didn’t have the same level of offers as this year’s 3 star recruits.

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  86. Switzer plays for the Steelers as of now. Parrish has a nice burst and a hesitation move a bit similar to L Bell.

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  87. Parrish certainly shows the characteristics of planting and changing direction when he has the ball in his hands. Like I said give Whipple some time with him come next season he will find a way to get the ball in his hands. Then we will all be able to a rate him from a no star to a 5 star.

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  88. BTW, just did my duty and called Comcast to request they add the ACC Network. Talked to a nice lady who didn’t seem to have a clue what the ACC Network is… 🤔

    I called this number for Comcast customer service:
    1-800-266-2278.

    (And I hope I’m dead wrong, but I don’t see the latest RB commit displaying a quick change of direction… ☹️)

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I hear you Major, we haven’t seen the shifty, elusive backs since Shady, Ray and Dion. But, I would take a repeat of our RBs from last year in a heartbeat.

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    2. MM, Armstrong Customer Support is 1-877-486-4666 but I don’t think there is a snowball’s chance. I don’t think it carries the Big Ten Network and would be pleasantly surprised if it carries ACCN.

      Just another blow to Pitt athletics …. I’ll guarantee that the majority of cable companies in Virginia, the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia as well as Louisville and upper New York are already committed. But it will be a struggle for us and Boston College

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  89. The ACC was not forward looking enough to get into a network as they were beholden to their small local networks – not very forward looking. Sound familiar?

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  90. Would have been nice if Wanny was invited to today’s unveiling…as he recruited AD.
    Then again, who knows if he’d have accepted.

    Liked by 2 people

  91. Couple thoughts:

    I’m not worried at all about the ACCN procuring a TV contract. It’s called negotiations.

    Can we please stop worrying about this goofy arbitration-al Rival ratings BS. I get it, 4‘s are better than 3 players. Of course that hasn’t actually worked out for PITT the past 5 years. It’s subjective. Let’s concentrate on winning football games.

    I’ll step off the soap box now, at least for a little while.. 🙂

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    1. The bottom line is wins and losses! Recruiting is subjective. Wins and losses are not. Hopefully the new offensive coordinator and wide receiver coaching additions will allow us to do better than 7-7.

      Liked by 2 people

  92. the new commit was Florida’s 8A Offensive Player of the Year with > 2.000 all purpose yards. I assume he’s a 3-star because he is 5’9 and runs a 4.7.

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  93. Pitt football recruiting has a great feel this year. We have a bunch of solid recruits committed and have as much talent on an official visit weekend coming this weekend as we’ve had in a while.

    Liked by 1 person

  94. Parrish looks good. WAY better than Davis or some of the other Pretenders currently on the Team.

    He will press the Carters (FYI… V’Lique and Daniel) for playing time come 2020.

    That’s IF… he doesn’t flip.

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    1. It is amazing that pitt continues to get good running back recruits given the log jam of players we have at the position. It has easily been our best recruited position by far.

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        1. True. Too bad nate peterman hasn’t had a similar NFL career trajectory or maybe the qb recruiting would be better too🤔

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    2. I wouldn’t call any of the RB’s pretenders yet. None have been given a chance to show anything. Wait until the first few games. If the older players got passed by then you are correct.

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      1. What I want to know is how Salahuddini’s knee is doing? Really liked what I saw out of him in limited action and his highlight film

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  95. Speaking of the Carters.

    Last fall, projected V’Lique as being best suited for a move to Running Back.

    Done.

    This fall… based on his High School highlights… projecting incoming Freshman Daniel as a LEGIT Recruit who should see action early on. Not quite an Ollison, but certainly legit.

    That said, there’s a 80s Group that comes to mind that might just have a ring to it.

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  96. yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Ft Pitt Bridge. It was the first computer-designed arch-bowed bridge as well as the first double-decker arch-bowed bridge.

    Back in mid 80s., I brought a girl from Akron to a Steeler game and didn’t say a word about what she was going to experience as we passed thru the tunnel …. and she was wowed. A little over a month later, she sent me packing

    This has nothing to do with Pitt but just thought I would change the subject

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    1. Computer designed in the 1950’s meant Fortran punch cards on a mainframe double checked using a slide rule, the good old days.

      Liked by 1 person

  99. C’mon BiggieB. You have zero experience with a woman making you miserable. You’ve been with the Grand JeanieB for over 50 years now. << I actually misspelled that as tears at first, glad I caught that one.

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  101. on what may be the most important recruiting weekend, Forbes Ave in Oakland will be limited to one lane of traffic …. from Friday afternoon to early Monday morning

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    1. That’s a bummer for sure but the students are mostly back home so it may be ok. The visiting players will certainly get a good look at life on an urban campus. Pot holes, traffic and all Oakland has to offer up. The weather is supposed to be nice though. Look on the bright side………… It’s healthier.

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  102. ^^ You see there. When evaluating Narduzzi’s recruiting classes we only get a glimpse of what and who he is bringing in. Yea, it’s ok to scrutinize on a blog or message board but we rarely hear the whole story behind the players. Thanks wwb.

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  103. wwb..read the story and not to sound too sarcastic “studied engieering in high school since 8th grade.” ????? Lincoln logs or Erector sets??? Smart move switching to psyche and communications or whatever….

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  104. I think he said he focused on engineering in high school and has studied it since 8th grade…sounds like he wants to coach after college.

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    1. He is going to eventually coach an engineering major who will design the new Fort Pitt Bridge

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  105. Some food for thought: < speculation.

    Last week, PITT had over 20 recruits come in to visit. I believe the offers were valid but it was a first come first served event. I think the group this weekend have more of a reserved offer in the waiting. They are obviously a more prestigious bunch of players. No, not all of them but there are some players that are not going to be turned away. I think PITT and Narduzzi catch some big fish this weekend.

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  106. I am waiting to be picked up at the airport after an amazing trip to Ecuador. On the last flight, from Miami to Pittsburgh I saw 2 Pitt shirts (1 in the new colors and one in what are now the old colors), one new color Pitt hat (mine), one PSux hat, and no Pirates, Steelers, or Penguins gear.

    Liked by 2 people

  110. Commit reveal Jordon Addison 6’ 160 lb safety from Md… hope we are getting some O talent… fingers crossed……maybe we should help Duzz in recruiting and have them to a recruiting weekend Fran throw down in Red 5A…. bet our crew could seal the deal on a couple of those elusive 4stars….

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