165 thoughts on “Mumpfield Picks Pitt”

  1. It the rest of the story sounds a bit better….. “The freshman wide out has turned into one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal. Mumpfield quickly received offers from Pitt, USC, LSU, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Houston, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Central Florida, Minnesota and Utah.”

    And he said, “ When I went up to make an official visit to Pitt, Coach Narduzzi and I really connected better than any of the other coaches and programs that I talked with. He also talked to me more throughout this process more than any other coach during this process, which I appreciated. A couple other things was the fact that the offensive line was all coming back, they also just got a really good transfer quarterback and Pitt is coming off of a great season. It was also amazing to me to see that they are sharing facilities with the Pittsburgh Steelers……..

    H2P

    Liked by 6 people

  2. A 2 star from Georgia who becomes a FR All-American is equal to a 3 star recruit from Ohio or NJ and a 4 star from PA?

    I know Louisville, Iowa State, Minnesota and Rutgers were all pursuing his talent after the 2021 season.

    He is not very big, which means he is probably fast and could help fill the voids left by T.Mack and Shockey.

    That’s my best shot – I’m anxious to hear others and what they think.

    Oh and Narduzzi has a way with 2 star recruits…and getting them to the NFL.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. But he was good enough to make the Freshman All American team alongside others from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgia, Texas A&M, etc

    Liked by 3 people

  4. To me this is an odd pick-up. We seem to be pretty well “loaded” at WR. Why not target other areas of need?

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    1. I think they are targeting all areas of need. None of our other WRs contributed much – maybe Bradley.

      Need a TE and then the offense is decent to pretty darn good (assuming another incremental improvement by the returning OLinemen and addition competition from the OLine backups)…

      On defense we could use a proven corner – unless they think one of the young guys can step up…

      We need a long FG kicker…

      Go Pitt.

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  5. He was a freshman All-American and considered the #1 receiver in the transfer portal. Look at the list of programs after him! He is 6’1 and light at roughly 180 lbs. Watch his cutting ability and sure hands. Why would any program not want him?

    Pitt is losing Shockey, Mack, Krull and probably a few other receivers.

    Pitt is still two scholarships over 85 so more change is coming. Meanwhile Pitt’s offense will be very loaded for 2022.

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  6. Narduzzi being able to recruit a highly sought after quarterback and wide receiver out of the portal is very impressive. Until now he has mainly been able to get good defensive players only. The fact that Pitt does not have an offensive coordinator or a wide receiver coach makes it even more impressive. Hopefully this is an indication Pitt has truly turned the corner. Again a lot depends on how Narduzzi does in his offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach hires.

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    1. LOL. Good one.

      I don’t care what position he is, if you can get a FR All American, you go for it.

      Many many kids fall through the cracks for various reasons. He proved his two star rank was BS. Rivals should have to explain their mistakes, lol.

      Liked by 7 people

  8. Did the press ever ask Narduzzi about the Bright vs Battle fight on the sidelines at the bowl? Not a good look.

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    1. I was at the game with my wife. There were also several dust up’s between young MSU male students (I’m guessing obnoxious frat boys) and middle aged Pitt male supporters in the lower bowl.

      I have been to over 70 Pitt games and in my opinion, the MSU young fans were quite possibly the rudest, jerkiest group I’ve ever encountered…they surpassed the rudeness of WVU fans.

      I was harassed a few times in concourse area by a particular groups and was left alone after saying something rude back…I know, not very mature.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. The older MSU fans were fantastic. But walking through Centennial Park I got some profanities hurled my way. Definitely was a younger obnoxious fan, perhaps a student.

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      2. I have to agree with you, prior to the game a 40 something year old wearing MSU colors was hassling me a bit but I now a days just chalk it up to bad genetics.

        I attended the game with my wife, Savannah Panther, his wife and I got my dog into the game, he was a hit with everyone we met.

        We had a blast too bad they lost but such is life.

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  9. The star system is clearly flawed. I am not going to waste time listing the plethora (nice word isnore99)
    of high school kids who have been rated 2or 3 *** and have gone on to play on Sundays. You can have the kind of talent that shines 4**** and screams success only to end up being lost somewhere on a team bench on a cold Saturday.

    So, for a very current example, I watched the Iggles play Team W (Snyder you jerk find a name) and a Pitt 3*** NOT HEAVILY recruited played his head off>>> Avonte Maddox (Oh he’s too small). Mumpfield somehow got lost in the recruiting circus and ended up playing for the mighty Akron Zips….well, welcome to Pitt Mr. Mumpfield I have the feeling that your name will be known to football fans coast-to-coast.

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    1. I saw some of the Cardinals vs Cowboys game today. I thought I saw Robert Foster on the sidelines. He was on their practice squad at some point this year. He had all the talent in the world. He got hurt and passed over at Bama. Now, he is lucky to be on the practice squad somewhere. He definitely could’ve used the transfer portal if it were around in his day.

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  10. According to Panther-Lair Mumpfield said, “In Georgia we’re a top-three county in producing college football players, but at my school we ran the ball a lot, so I didn’t get a lot of touches. I also had to work on my top-end speed and I had to develop because I skipped a grade when I was younger so my body wasn’t developed.”
    “Mumpfield’s freshman season at Akron was sensational. He recorded 63 receptions for 751 yards and eight touchdowns, and those stats included a trio of 100-yard games. He went back-to-back with six catches for 106 and two scores at Bowling Green and 10 catches for 109 the next week at Miami (Oh.) in October. And then he topped all of those numbers with 122 yards and two touchdowns on 11 receptions at Western Michigan in November. Since announcing he’s leaving Akron, the freshman All-American wideout Mumpfield has earned offers from Pitt, USC, LSU, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Houston, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Central Florida, Minnesota and Utah. “

    Liked by 1 person

  12. You had me at “Freshman All-American”. And with Tipton, Shockey and Mack all moving on, we certainly can use him.

    There is nothing at all negative that can be said about this pickup.

    Liked by 9 people

  14. Is Stovall coming back? Wow, we should be loaded at WR, and maybe, just maybe the OC hire has been worked out and is just a tightly guarded secret at the moment (someone from the NFL) ???

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Agree on all of these posts starting from MM. Agree that you get a top talent like this but we have a greater need at TE and DB/LB. Just my personal observation. Pitt DOES seem to be a good destination for transfers and coaches must be doing a good job selling dear old Pittsburgh.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. What about Michigan State redshirt junior safety Michael Dowell who just transferred to Pitt? Dowell is a 6-foot-1, 215-pound safety. Dowell could provide safety depth or could potentially convert to star linebacker and replace outgoing Michael Petrishen. At MSU this year he had 40 tackles (26 solo), two tackles for loss and three pass breakups, playing at both the safety position and at nickel back.

      Dowell graded out as one of Michigan State’s best defensive backs this season, according to Pro Football Focus

      Liked by 5 people

  16. I guess we are going to always put all our faith in the star rating system, no matter how many examples of highly rated duds and low rated superstars we see.

    Let’s say that the greatest receiver of all time …hands like glue, blazing speed, shifty moves, high leaper … grows up in Podunk, Pennsylvania. His public high school is class A, his quarterback can’t hit the proverbial broad side of a barn, and his 160 lb offensive linemen give that quarterback only 1.3 seconds to do so. His 4-year stats are meh. How in the world does he get to be rated as a 4 or 5 star, even though he is the best receiver ever born? Hope that his parents can afford to send him to camp after camp?

    My guess is that he goes to a D2 or D3 school and gets noticed there. Maybe becomes an All-American in his freshman year.

    Liked by 5 people

  17. I’ll put it a different way. I completely understand how a great athlete at Mount Lebanon or Upper Darby can be rated comparatively. His team is made up of the most athletic of 1000 boys in the school. He shows he is the best at his position there, say, receiver. He excels against all his competitors who are also the best players in big schools. I agree he gets a 4 or 5 star rating by comparison.

    Now take that exact same kid. But he is growing up in Rockwood, PA. Or Potter County, PA. His high school struggles to get enough players to field a team. Many of his teammates are playing positions they are not sized for, simply because someone has to play that position. Now tell me how this same kid can achieve a 4 or 5 star rating? That is one of the fallacies I see in that system..

    Liked by 3 people

  18. In Pitt volleyball related news: Anastasia Russ who entered the transfer portal has committed to the University of Maryland. We wish her well, just not if she ever plays against Pitt! She will probably be in the regular rotation at Maryland.

    At Pitt, Russ was the fourth middle blocker due to the depth at that position behind Serena Gray, Chiamaka Nwokolo, and Sabrina Starks. In this case skill overcame her natural height advantage.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Annie: I am glad I was not the only one who thought she needed to add some muscle. In this regard I am surprised it did not occur this past summer at the latest. Based on how the other players have developed, I am sure the Pitt strength staff gave her a plan on how to accomplish it.

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  19. In other, other news, Coach White and the women’s BB team picks up a verbal commitment from a local PG. Jasmine Timmerson of North Allegheny picks Pitt. She’s only 5’7”, but is highly regarded and had many offer, including Michigan, Mich. St. and PSU…

    Here’s one person’s opinion from PSN:

    “A local talent evaluator gives this description of Timmerson to Pittsburgh Sports Now– “She is lightning quick, an incredible on-ball defender, excellent passer, really can get to the basket and score. She is a prototypical point guard. A high basketball IQ.”

    So two years in a row, Pitt women get the top local recruit.

    H2P.

    Liked by 6 people

  20. This guy with Addison, Wayne, and Bart will be impossible to cover.

    When the top guys from the portal want to come to Pitt something has dramatically changed.

    Liked by 11 people

  22. Farmers, the rating systems that produce 4-5 star athletes in part reflect a player’s performance against good competition. The kid from a small high school that barely fields a team may have some raw talent, but colleges today look for skilled players who can play immediately instead of raw talents who would need 2-3 years of development to compete at the P5 level.

    With the transfer portal available now, players sitting on the bench taking time to develop may not stick around long. They will make a decision to go to a team where they can play, rather than doing a Robert Foster and wasting their college years.

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  23. Another flaw in sites like Rivals. There is no way they evaluate all kids in person. An advantage the colleges have by getting them in camp and seeing them run college drills and compete.

    You can’t just go off of junior film.

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  25. Aaron Rogers will not play next week to avoid the threat of injury … but, get this, the season is not over yet and if they win 14 games it would only be the second time in franchise history. Shame on him.

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  26. So first nickname idea for Mumpfield. Its a little wordy but “Little Lion Man”. ( A Mumford and Sons song)

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    1. PittPT

      I don’t know. That sounds like he plays for Penn State. Let’s keep working on this. Or, maybe he already has a nickname. 🙂

      pmdH2P

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    1. That Hudl tape was amazing, thanks GC. His precision running was impressive and his ball tracking superb. I did not see top of the line speed though he seemed fat enough.

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  28. I don’t think there is any doubt that until a few years ago that Pitt had become a basketball school. And two No 1 seeds in 09 and 11 is major proof. (The equivalent of CFB Final 4)

    And if you still not convinced— the reason Pitt was brought into the ACC was due to basketball. Think about the 2 schools selected ahead of Pitt — Cuse and UConn. In fact, the ACC made no bones about it back then …. They wanted to reclaim the best conference back from the Big East

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    1. Pitt became a basketball school and the higher-ups wanted it that way due to the cost versus football. The issue was Pitt higher-ups just aren’t very bright and thought the train would roll without giving any investment.

      The crash to reality was gut-wrenching. Capel talking about his first visit to The Pete and was in shock at how it was deteriorating and absolutely zero touch-ups had been done to it.

      That is Pitt’s administration in a nutshell right there.

      Liked by 1 person

  33. If Slovis plays at 90% of Pickett’s 2021 season and we stay healthy with our WR’s Pitt will challenge the 10 win level once again.

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    1. There is no more room at the inn to add from the transfer portal. That is unless Pitt has many more enter the portal in the coming weeks. Which is a distinct possibility at several positions where many from this roster will never take the field for Pitt.

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  35. Question: Since it is Patti’s left shoulder, how long till he is throwing a football?
    I’m pretty sure he is not willing to concede the job to Slovis without a fight.
    Who wouldn’t want the job throwing to this group?

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      1. I live down here. I have my doubts. VT is in a horrible location. JMU is 2 hours closer to DC. UVA is only 90 mins away. DC is actually a quicker drive to Pittsburgh and Penn State than VT. Beamer was, and will always be, VT. The top VA talent is going to the SEC and UNC. They will have to win with less and guy like Rudolph helps but he’s not known as a recruiter.

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      1. I seem to remember Narduzzi offered Joe Rudolph a job when he was hired, but JR declined and went to Madison with Chryst.

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  38. If VT wants to become Wisc, they better recruit the horses up front. If you all haven’t noticed by now, the B10 pretty much remains a power football conference while the ACC is pretty wide open

    In fact, Pitt was forced to play MSU’s game after Patti got hurt. And if you aren’t convinced of the B10’s physicalness, just remember how many Pitt players went down with injuries in the 2nd half

    Pitt’s advantage going in was that MSU was weak versus the pass but this was taken away when we had to use a QB with practically no experience. The 2nd half the other night eerily reminded me of the 1977 opener

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    1. Michigan State was not impressive or noticeably more physical. I’ll take Pitt’s lines any day.

      Pitt had a better rushing game. Having a third string QB killed them.

      Liked by 2 people

      2. MSU’s offense was built around a 1600 yard rusher, I think his loss hurt them at least as much as KP’s hurt us.

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  39. VT only hired a passing game coordinator and QB coach. Looks like another ACC team besides Pitt will be running a pro style offense.

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    1. OUCH!

      That isn’t good for Pitt. Did the loss and eventual fight with #15 R.Battle prove to be a breaking point?

      No mention about any Pitt coaches…

      I’m sad to see him go and he will be hard to replace.

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      1. Stinks to lose Bright. Maybe he wants a change of scenery for his last college season, a new experience.

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  43. I would not be surprised if it had to do with the MSU portal add. I think he’ll be a LB and not safety for Pitt. Could beam another portal add will be announced soon, too. Funny how Shockey announced and boom a WR is added. I’m sure the coaches are having discussions with the players about playing time. Pitt is over the scholarship count so they need attrition.

    Liked by 1 person

  45. Let’s talk bowl opt-outs (From The Athletic magazine)

    A weekend that should have been dominated by the two College Football Playoff semifinals was instead marked by two points in a running argument:

    On Saturday afternoon, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard bemoaned the trend of draft prospects opting out of bowl games that aren’t Playoff matchups. Herbstreit even accused today’s players of not loving the game enough. Everyone got mad.

    In the first quarter of Saturday night’s Sugar Bowl, Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral — the No. 1 quarterback on The Athletic draft guru Dane Brugler’s board — suffered what looked like a terrible leg injury. He missed the rest of the game.

    The trend of young athletes fully realizing their value and making decisions based on that shouldn’t be condemned. It should be celebrated. Why are we not cheering on young men who are making savvy business decisions?

    Remember, the NFL is a cruel business. If Corral had shattered his leg Saturday night (thankfully, x-rays were negative and he could be fine by the combine), NFL teams would pass on him in the draft because they simply aren’t interested in damaged goods.

    The real problem here is the bowl system. We begged for a playoff, and now that we have it, it’s rendered once-huge bowl games largely meaningless for draft prospects.

    Until we expand the playoff or start compensating players for playing in bowl games, two things can be true:

    Prospects have good reasons for opting out of games or even seasons. Look at two of the NFL’s best rookies — Chase and Micah Parsons — and try to tell me that opting out isn’t a smart move. Both opted out of the entire 2020 season.

    Those who play the game deserve to be celebrated. The truth is, the trend isn’t even as big as Herbstreit would have you believe. By my count, fewer than 20 players opted out of bowl games draft reasons. Ratings are still great, too.
    College football is going to be fine. It’s just going to be slightly different. Let’s not allow change to scare us.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. His number of 20 is surprising low. I have 13 and that is just for projected CBS first rounders. Virginia Tech had 6 opt out of their bowl alone and have entered their name for the NFL early entry draft list. None of them was a first rounder. Add Demarri Mathis and that’s 20. Way, way more than 20.

      See my article scheduled for tomorrow morning.

      Liked by 1 person

  47. Reed – What is the difference with Aaron Rodgers not playing in the final week of the season? Season’s not over. The team could win 14 games for the 2nd time in history. Packers are Rodgers are using the same excuse … to protect him from injury. It’s a game with no stakes … that’s why he can sit. The same as a bowl game.

    Kenny Pickett …

    Regular season over … check
    Playoffs … won ACC Championship, eliminated from national playoff contention

    What does a bowl game do? Recruiting is over before bowl season now, so it doesn’t help recruiting. We added two of the highest profile portal transfers … both without an OC in place. One before the bowl, so the bowl didn’t matter. One after the bowl … so that didn’t matter either.

    Bowls have lost relevance. They’ve been losing relevance for years but it’s coming to head the last couple of seasons. Ohio State had 4 players opt out of the Rose Bowl. The Grandaddy of them all …

    You can disagree but it doesn’t change the trends … more players every year opt out … It’s not going to stop …

    With the NLI, if bowl games want players to play, they’re going to have to start paying kids and giving them significant pay days to make it their worthwhile …

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    1. Recruiting for one…….kids want to go to a winner. Crazy as it sounds, an extra win helps sell your program and thwarts negative recruiting as you can reference the scorecard!.

      Final Ranking – Many complain we do not get enough 4 stars. Although true, one of the reasons is because Pitt could not sell the dream to the elite athletes. I use this story often Herb Myer used to have a puzzle with two pieces missing. The one piece was a picture/headshot of the recruit. The other missing piece was the prior year record and the next season record (usually undefeated) with that player. Sell the dream of championships!

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  48. I’m disappointed Cam is leaving but wish him well. He had played well and hard for 4 years, and I guarantee that I’m not only Pitt fan who appreciates his efforts.

    Next year OLBs right now appear to be Bengala, Dowell, DeShields and possibly Preston Levant and Aydin Henningham. Levant was a natural frosh while Henningham was moved to LB from WR; neither I believe saw action this year

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    1. I was surprised to see that Cam had another year to play. He was good – be interesting to see where he ends up.

      Kamara is intriguing – he’s listed as 6-2 and 225#, but looks skinny…

      Go Pitt.

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    2. Yes, I believe Cam may have been shown the door – you cannot have a captain of your team pick a fight on the sideline during a game with an underclassman.

      I hope does not stay in the ACC, nor move to Tennessee or wvcc.

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  49. If Bright is leaving because those behind him are pushing him for playing time that would be another sign of program development.

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  50. Everyone keeps acting as if Slovis is the second coming of Dan Marino! Until he proves something to me in an actual football game, I prefer Patti. By an actual football game, I do not mean the annual spring football scrimmage. I doubt Narduzzi offered Slovis anything more than an opportunity at becoming the starting quarterback. One wonders if Slovis is not appointed the starter at the end of summer camp, if he does not again transfer.

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    1. No one is thinking that.

      We’re thinking after looking at his highlights there is no other QB on the roster who can make the throws that Slovis has made consistently.

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    2. Well, John, Slovis (aka Alicia 😊) did throw for 30 TDs as a true freshman, and he has a couple seasons worth of real-game snaps and experience over the other QBs.

      It would be great to go into next season with both Slovis and Patti on the roster. If Slovis starts, have a package of plays for Patti – like they used him that one game inside the ten and he rushed for a couple of TDs…

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 2 people

    3. I mean, Slovis has a way bigger body of work than Patti. I know not everyone likes Dokish but the numbers are true …

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        1. This is true. When it comes to evaluating college qb’s, one of the main areas that the pro’s now look at is how many games/snaps did the kid have. Their belief is that the more on-field defensive situations the qb experienced or had to adjust to, the better prepared he will be for whatever the defense throws at him. Advantage – Pickett.

          Contrastingly, the pro’s do not want their draft rb’s to have played an excessive number of snaps in college. They believe there are only so many carries in any rb. Advantage – using a trio of rb’s rather than a single workhorse. Whether fans agree or not, new age analytics apparently have shown them to follow these axioms for both qb’s and rb’s.

          Liked by 3 people

  51. Alicia made all PAC-12 as a frosh so there is more there than just potential. But I certainly agree that he must win the starting job. A healthy Patti deserves a chance to win the job

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  53. The excitement around Slovis centers on how well he played at USC as a freshman. We haven’t seen enough of Patti to get that excited about him taking over as #1 at QB. That said I liked enough of how he played in the first Q against MSU to believe he has a fair chance to win the QB job next season. My only question is whether or not he will stay at Pitt for that chance.

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    1. He had a great Sophomore year as well. He was picked 1st team QB on the All PAC-12 team. Not too shabby.

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  54. DL Noah Palmer has entered the portal which should surprise nobody. Remember, there were three 4-star DLs freshmen whom I dont believe saw any action this past year — Naquan Brown, Eliot Donald and Nahki Johnson. 3-star Dorian Ford also

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  55. I’ve been surprised we don’t see some DBs transferring out. By my count we have 17 scholarship DBs coming back. That seems like a lot of DBs – like 4-deep…

    Tons of DBs but now not so many linebackers…

    And fingers crossed that Haba stays…

    Go Pitt.

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    1. Slow DBs bulk up and become linebackers. I expect some of our DBs are going to show up next fall as LBs.

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  56. Like

    1. PN never hires guys people speculate to be candidates. He is very sly about it.

      I am very concerned about this hire. Concerned Duzz doesn’t go for explosive offense.

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        1. I thought that was very late in the process. Right before the hiring. Weeks before, PSN speculated a bunch of other guys.

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          1. They were in a few lists but you’re right not the initial lists. I don’t know who these guys are to be honest so I don’t have faith in their list, either … I was just sharing to show the speculation was going to ramp up. OC as a recruiter has been a theme with the sites posting about the position, however. It’s a big selling point for Beatty even though he has only been a co-coordinator.

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  57. Don’t like Bright leaving. That leaves the LBs thinner than thin. A side note, Rashad Battle that got in a fight with Bright is 6’3” 205. Add 15 lbs, he is a LB.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Based on the kids entering the portal it sounds like these were based on discussions with the coaches. Maybe Bright’s role was going to be reduced if he came back to get experience for other kids. Pitt’s over the scholarship limit so they need this attrition.

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  58. Des Kitchings is leaving the Falcons’ staff now (with one game to go in the regular season) Arthur Smith announced today. He’s headed to Virginia to become Tony Elliott’s offensive coordinator.

    The Coastal will be interesting as usual.

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  59. Love the way Cam Bright plays, hate to see him go.
    Too much of a coincidence that he was in a fist fight with a team mate
    during the game. Think that is a factor somehow.

    Liked by 3 people

  60. An interesting name I saw mentioned today for OC was Dan Enos the OC/QB coach at Maryland. He coached with HCPN at Michigan State and before that at Cincinnati. At Maryland this year, his pass run ratio was 2:1 and his running backs averaged just over 5 yards per carry. One concern is that he has been at 4 different colleges in the past 4 years. That being said, he was fired in Miami in 2019 after 1 season and one of the worst offenses, but it is also Miami. I think Jimmy Johnson cursed that school after he left. He was QB coach at Alabama in 2018 and was to be promoted to OC, but he quit to go to Miami and apparently did it without telling Nick Saban. It doesn’t look like he offers much stability for the position, which I think would be a huge factor, but certainly a credible candidate.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Two to one pass/run ratio sounds scary to me. Must have been in catch-up mode a lot…

      Hope we can do better.

      Go Pitt.

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  61. WAAAY OFF TOPIC: Just wondering what kind of condition Horton is in with his self-induced layoff. As a suspended player he probably could not take practice with the team. If we hope to win 4 or 5 ACC games we desperately need his 3 point production.

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    1. Hopefully he was working out and gets some minutes right away. He’s young, he can get in game shape fast.

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  62. All the success for the PITT football and even more problems? Mo money mo problems. I know Rick is a big fan of Cam Bright, I also thought he may have been out of eligibility and now I’m sadden to see him leave PITT. Couldn’t understand why he shared playing time, he may have burnt out his welcome not his years of eligibility?

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  63. I doubt there is any substance behind this but interesting if true …

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    1. Very interesting…. Would be a nice surprise -and a former Panther.

      And then can we get Larry Fitzgerald to Coach the WRs????? 😊

      Go Pitt!

      Liked by 1 person

  64. Counting this year, 15 of the last 16 national cfb champions are from the southeast or SEC (LSU). No coincidence

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  65. AVP would probably be taking a pay cut to take the OC job at Pitt. And if he was successful here how long would he stay when the NFL came calling again?

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  68. This kind of a crazy …

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The great powers in college football haven’t changed all that much over the last half-century. Upstart schools assert themselves for a handful of years, but usually return to the pack. It typically takes a major demographic change (Florida’s population explosion), huge donor (T. Boone Pickens, Phil Knight, etc.), or a change in university philosophy (prioritizing sports to a much greater extent) for a school to rise up the ranks and stay there. Here’s the final 1971 Top 25 AP Poll. A few surprises (Hello, Toledo!) as there are every year, but if someone woke up from a 50-year coma this week and checked the current AP rankings, they wouldn’t be the least bit shocked.

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      1. I just found it interesting … even considering Pitt would fall into that category, too.

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  69. Fwiw, from my Cleveland contacts. Browns HC Stefanski likely calls most of the plays. But whether it’s him or AVP, the playcalling is under major fire for calling way too many passes, especially when you have Nick Chubb at running back

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  70. I think it is rather hilarious when recruits or portal transfers talk about Pitt “sharing” the Southside practice facilities with the Steelers. What no one tells these kids before they commit to us is that there is a strict no-contact policy in place and Pitt players can’t even approach any Steelers at all.

    The facility is cut directly in half and security is as strict as the (old) Berlin Wall.

    The practice times are completely separate as all each teams facilities…the only way Pitt players can watch Steelers practice is the same way as visitors. Sitting on a bench outside the facility door and far away from the practice fields. They can’t go into the indoor practice field at all.

    Steelers players can approach the Pitt kids if they wish which I gather is rare, but absolutely not the opposite.

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    1. Reed, you may be under-estimating the meaning many of these recruits have about being impressed by the shared facilities. Because the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex is shared with the Steelers, Pitt players have at their disposal “one of the leading sports medicine centers in the United States whose medical faculty is ranked 9th among the top orthopaedic programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report on-site access to advanced comprehensive sports medicine care provided a team of sports medicine physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, athletic trainers and physical therapists all who specialize in all types of specific sport-related injuries. The full-time sports medicine team also includes sub-specialists in, sport psychology, sports nutrition, sports massage therapy, sports concussion and sports performance enhancement.” All top level recruits know that football is a collision sport and injuries are part of the game. If they forgot or chose to ignore this fact, the Pitt staff carefully reminds the recruit while showing them all that the facility has to offer.

      They also share the same nutrionists and chefs that the Steelers use and, quite honestly, Pitt’s training and meeting areas are better than the Steelers’. So, sure Pitt players cannot regularly kibitiz with the Steelers and that becomes obvious when the recruit visits a Pitt practice. But no matter why they are impressed, almost to a man each recruit who visits Pitt mentions the shared facilities as an advantage of Pitt and in the end that’s what counts.

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    2. I doubt they don’t tell them that. Most actually visit the facility so they’d see the restrictions for themsleves. Players still run into players and coaches all the time. I’ve seen photo’s of several Panthers and recruits posing for photo’s with the Steelers. I’ve also heard several stories about eating lunch with different Steelers. I’ve never heard one complaint that players were deceived coming to Pitt.

      There were a ton of upgrades done in 2015 that reduced some of the separation. Maybe you weren’t aware of the changes. They have a shared lobby space now to mingle. They both use the same cafeteria, too.

      Are the two teams constantly bumping into each other? No. But it does happen and it happens often.

      The only coach that I know of that did not like the arrangement was Fraud Graham.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. TT, As an example of what you just wrote this was reported this past October on Panther-Lair, “(Jared) Wayne looks like a player bursting with confidence in his third year at Pitt. A conversation over the offseason with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has certainly helped with that.

        Wayne was interested in what makes Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool so good. Of course, both Wayne and Claypool are from Canada and have a bigger physique than most receivers.

        “He said he’s a big guy that can do small guy things, so that’s one thing I’ve tried to focus on over the offseason and try to carry it through to this season so far,” Wayne recalled of that talk with Tomlin. “So that’s definitely been one of my focuses for sure.”

        Liked by 1 person

  71. Hey FormerlyWWB, NRS, and Gordon, I’ve been reading your past comments and am impressed by all three of your takes on Pitt’s chances of winning. Come on guys, as Pitt grads you are smart; so let’s cut through the chase. OK no Pitt Pickett and no MSU Walker but what turned the Pitt -2.5 to a + 2.5 in Vegas’ eyes was when Pitt’s DB Damari Mathis and DT Keyshon Camp were out.

    Chandalier laden Vegas knew that without these 2 Pitt defenders , there would be no pass coverage and no pass rush. And guess what happened …

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    1. That may have turned Vegas eyes, but Patti getting hurt turned the game. As far as the two stars being out, one would think it is easier to replace a RB than a QB.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I think Camp may have had his best game ever vs Wake and certainly Mathis was our best corner, but both were hurt during that game so unsure how effective they would have been. In any case, in a game when you only needed one more defensive stop, they definitely could have made a difference.

      However I do agree with NRS that the game was lost when Patti went down. In addition to the lack of offensive production, you had a defense that simply got worn down from being on the field so much.
      Losing Izzy was also a blow. I questioned all year why Hammond wasn’t given a greater role, but like Izzy it may have been durability.

      I also think MSU getting their second great receiver back from injury made a huge difference, and made the loss of Mathis even bigger.

      In most cases I would agree that losing a QB vs RB would be more of a hit, but in this case, I think that Patti was a much stronger second than anyone that MSU had to replace Walker.

      I also think that the MSU lines played better than ours although their O-line got away with a lot of holding.

      Anyway Tony, still good points by you.

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  72. This rumor actually may have legs …

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    1. He would be interesting. A QB coach. NFL guy. Has called plays. I’d love to see some interviews with him on his offensive philosophy.

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  74. Impossible to know how he translate to college. No team in the NFL average 30 points per game. It is a totally different world.

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  75. I have no opinion on AVP. Baker’s been so bad it’s hard to know how much play calling is affecting the team.

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      1. The Browns management of him made no sense. He’s really injured but even if it wasn’t injury related, his performance has been so bad he should have been benched long ago.

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  76. My biggest concern about AVP is he has no recruiting experience. I know that Whipple didn’t recruit for Pitt, but I was hoping the next OC could help out a much needed area

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  77. AVP only had 3 years OC experience. 2009 with Bills and last 2 years with Browns. He does have a handful of years as QB Coach, most notably at Green Bay. If memory serves, A Rogers was mad when he was let go

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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  83. Impressive turnout by Steeler fans for Big Ben’s last game at Heinz. And in the bitter cold they stayed until the end.

    The Steelers played an inspired game to send Ben out with a win. Cleveland cooperated…

    So both Ben and Kenny Pickett had memorable final games at Heinz…

    H2P!

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  84. I think Ben threw the pigskin 46 times for a total of 123 yards. The net was 109 as sacks are deducted from passing yards, not rushing yards in the nfl. Yards per attempt was a measly 2.67. Awful! Memorable in that it was a victory for sure. Steelers did well enough to deprive themselves of another impactful player in the draft.

    Liked by 3 people

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