So, Coach Wannstedt and the assistants are back from traveling the state and a few others as well. Upon his return, he engaged in a local media blitz. As the various local news outlets had stories with similar quotes.
He figures it was important to get and see the rest of the area since he’ll be fighting some of the biggest names for some of the local talent this season.

Wannstedt is not allowed to comment specifically about recruits, but there are a number of big-time prospects in Western Pennsylvania this year — players such as Jeannette quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Aliquippa receiver Jonathan Baldwin and Thomas Jefferson lineman Lucas Nix — and he said that is evident by the number of colleges he bumped into in Pitt’s back yard.

“USC has been here, Texas has been here, Florida has been here, Notre Dame has been here, Miami has been here,” Wannstedt said. “The list goes on; there are a lot of national-level recruits here, and we know this. But we’re not going anywhere. We’re going to battle for all of them, and I know we’ll get our share. We have to be careful because we only have about 15 scholarships to give, but we’re going to have another excellent class, I promise you that.”

In other articles, the number was 16 scholarships. Either way, that means Pitt has about 17-18 scholarships available in total. Presumably he is already including the freed scholarships from the departures of Corey Davis and Tommie Campbell. Coach Wannstedt isn’t overly concerned at not having any verbals so far this month.

The Panthers reportedly have just two verbal commitments to date. Wilmington running back Chris Burns and Greater Johnstown cornerback Antwuan Reed committed early to Pitt.

“We’ll get another four to five guys and have seven to eight (committed) by June after the camps, and then we’ll have another seven to eight to get next year (before signing day),” Wannstedt said.

When Wannstedt is out there going after the blue-chippers, it seems he isn’t shy about telling them what he can do for them.

What Wannstedt discovered is that many high school prospects choose colleges based on their ability to get them to the “next level” – in this case, the NFL.

That’s just fine with Wannstedt, who won a Super Bowl ring as Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator and was head coach of the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins.

…

“I don’t talk about it,” Wannstedt said, “but I do know this: If you want to get to the next level, unless you’re going to maybe Notre Dame or maybe USC, there’s no place and nobody that can prepare you better than I can.”

Where Revis and linebackers Clint Session and H.B. Blades were drafted, Wannstedt noted that six of his seven senior starters are now in NFL camps.

Call it a hunch, but I figure that and this snippet from the same story will have the Hoopies getting pissed at Wannstedt all over again. The same way they did (and still do) about his “wall” quote back when hired.

“If a kid isn’t interested in the city or wants to go to school in the country, then don’t come to Pitt. That’s what I tell them.”

They’ll see it as a slap or shot at them in their own paranoid way.

I said, I didn’t think A.J. Alexander would be coming to Pitt. So I’m not too disappointed that he made his choice and it wasn’t Pitt.
Some mild surprise, though, that the Altoona kid has opted to go to Florida State.

Verbal commitments are not binding under NCAA rules. Alexander could conceivably change his mind any time between now and whenever he either enrolls or signs a letter-of-intent. Most recruits, though, stick by their choice, and, reached Sunday afternoon, Alexander seemed sure of his decision to go to Florida State over Penn State, Pitt and Georgia.

“I called [Florida State] last night and told them, but I’ve known for a little bit,’’ Alexander said. “The main reason [I chose Florida State] is the people there. These are people I want to be around for the next four or five years.’’

Offensive line coach and West Virginia native Rick Trickett handled Alexander’s recruiting for the Seminoles. A quarterback at Altoona High, Alexander said he was being recruited as a wide receiver, running back and return specialist.

Trickett was hired away from WVU during the offseason. I’m sure this won’t sit particularly well with some Penn State fans that Alexander opted to go play for that other aged coach.

Former Pitt Assistant, now the Robert Morris Head Coach Mike Rice, Jr. did a bit of a media blitz with the Beaver County Times. Some interesting little bits.

He indicates no problem really with Pitt not playing Robert Morris for a year or two, given the situation.

New Robert Morris coach Mike Rice said Wednesday that the continuation of the rivalry between the cross-town schools to take a layoff of a year or two. Rice spent last season as Pitt coach Jamie Dixon’s top assistant, and Rice doesn’t think it would be fair to play the Panthers this coming season.

“It’s tough for Jamie, and I don’t have anything to lose,” Rice said. “I know his system.”

Robert Morris has played at Pitt every season since 1999-00. The Panthers are 26-0 all-time against Robert Morris.

“Would I like to play Pitt? Yes,” Rice said. “Maybe after a year or two, we’ll resume this series.”

It makes too much sense for the teams not to play each other. It’s not like RMU demands (or would get) a home game. Pitt gets a home patsy that it doesn’t even have to pay as high for the going rate on guarantee games, because it’s local. That means RMU practically spends nothing from its travel budget — hence part of the reason for a bit of a discount on the price.

He also doesn’t think Coach Dixon will be going anywhere else.

“Jamie’s not going anywhere,” Rice said.

Dixon alarmed some Pitt fans when he used offers from Missouri and Arizona State a few seasons ago as leverage to get a new contract from the Panthers. Even rumors this off-season had Dixon entertaining offers from Kentucky and other schools.

But now that Dixon’s deal runs through the 2012-13 season, Rice thinks he will make Pitt a lifetime position.

“He’s had a ton more top schools that contacted him that he just automatically says he’s not interested,” Rice said “He has one of the top three jobs in the Big East right now.

“You don’t leave (Pitt). It’s a once-in-a-lifetime job.”

No one even took any rumors this past season seriously. Most of the time his name was out there because lists need to be compiled by sportswriters when there’s a job opening. The rule’s are to list some of the hotter names, throw in coaches who are at places that don’t have the reputation. Any sort of geographical/historical ties are a big plus.