You know, the one thing that makes me smile in the whole recruiting bit is how nearly every kid who commits says the same thing.

…Street said. “I love the coaches, and it’s all about family there. I can see myself playing as a freshman. Everything just fell into place.”

[Emphasis added.]

I know a lot of that has to do with the confidence in their own ability. Then there’s the recruiting and hearing what they want to hear.

Still, just take a look at the roster some time and look for the asterisk by “class” in the spring football guide (PDF, p. 40) to see just how many freshmen and sophomores at Pitt have had a redshirt. This is not a bad thing for the team, but it is a bit of a disconnect between beliefs/expectations and reality.

Meanwhile Brock DeCicco may be slowing down his decisionmaking. His top choices haven’t changed — Pitt, Iowa, Florida, Wisconsin and Illinois — but the times when he was planning to take a couple visits this summer have.

DeCicco was scheduled to visit Illinois this past weekend but he didn’t go because of a family friend’s death. He says he will visit Wisconsin at the end of July and most likely reschedule his trip to Illinois. While Pitt is still the heavy favorite as the local school and his older brother is a sophomore on the team, the TE has options.

Meanwhile Redshirt Freshman Fullback Henry Hynoski had a piece in his local paper to see how he was fairing.

“I’m out here (Pittsburgh) living with five of my teammates,” said Hynoski, the 2006 AP Class A Player of the Year, by phone this week. “I have classes twice a week, and we have workouts Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”

Hynoski, a fullback, said the workouts, despite the fact that they are summer practices, are pretty tough.

“We’re in a high intensity period right now,” he said. “We’re trying to get in the best shape possible before camp starts. We’ve been doing a lot of lifting and running, and just trying to be stronger overall.”

…

I’m pretty much at the weight I was at in high school, but I’ve lost a lot of fat and put on more muscle. I feel stronger. My weightlifting maxes went up tremendously. I am going to try to lose five pounds by camp.”

Both players are looking at backup jobs entering the season. Hynoski is listed as the Panthers’ No. 2 fullback, and Marks is listed as backup right guard for the Nittany Lions.

“Our starting fullback, Condredge Collins, is great,” Hynoski said. “Just about everybody has him listed as a number one pick in the draft right now. But we have a lot of rotations in the backfield. Our fullbacks and tailbacks take a beating, so even a second team guy will be called on once in a while. Once he graduates things look better for me.”

Obviously, Hynoski knows the reality right now. Barring an injury to Collins, Hynoski might get no more than 10 carries in 2008. Collins only had 33 in 2007. With McCoy, Stephens-Howling and Harris or Collier; touches in the backfield will be tough to distribute.

What has made this year in recruiting so strange is not that Pitt is recruiting better or worse than the past couple of years. Or that more or less recruits are giving verbals. It’s been that so many kids have been giving early verbals this year at so many other schools. In the Big East, USF has 11 verbals, Rutgers has a whopping 18, WVU has 11 and Cinci somehow is up to 20.

That a part of some questioning about how recruiting has been going for Pitt this year. Yes, Pitt has maybe 17 spots or so to offer, so they have to be careful. But when you also factor in the verbal to Ohio State of 3 top players out of Western PA this early versus last year when the only commits this early of top players was Sweat to OSU and Yancich to PSU, it adds to the questions.

Well, Pitt added another today with WR Devin Street from Bethlehem pulling the trigger.

At 6-feet-4, 175-pounds, Street is a bona fide big-play threat who possesses sub-4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash and has run the 100 in 10.58 seconds.

Street, who plans to be a dentist, chose the Panthers after considering scholarship offers from Rutgers, Boston College, Connecticut, Temple and Akron.

“I am a competitive guy, I hate losing and I don’t lose, I never go into anything with the goal anything less than winning,” Street said. “I know nothing is going to be handed to me, but coach Wannstedt said that through hard work I can get some playing time early. I plan to work hard, as I always do because, like I said, I’m someone who does not see losing as an option.”

Street impressed at the camps. Rivals.com doesn’t have him ranked at this time, while Scouts.com has him as a 3-star.

Street becomes Pitt’s 5th commit and the 3d in the past week.

Just when it seemed the transfer stuff was over, there is the possibility of a Mizzou transfer. Keon Lawrence, a sophomore shooting guard from New Jersey seems to really want to be back east — specifically in the Big East.

“The reason why he’s leaving Missouri is he kind of wants to come home, family things and stuff,” said Lawrence’s skills trainer Mike Rodgers. “We’re going to concentrate on the Big East as far as his recruitment. We are concentrating on Villanova, Seton Hall, Rutgers and St. John’s, and moving along to looking into Providence, Pittsburgh and Marquette. We have a timetable on how we’re going to do it. I’ve had conversations with a number of Big East coaches.”

Lawrence was a 3-star recruit in the 2006 class. Rivals.com had him ranked 101st in their overall-150 and the 23d best SG. He was not among the slew of Mizzou players that ended up suspended for fighting at a club..

Lawrence slipped a bit in his sophomore year. Despite averaging more minutes, his scoring only increased slightly to 11 ppg (from 9.7) as his shooting percentages from the perimeter and the FT line fell — though, he did see a slight rise in 2PT FG%.

I just don’t see a lot of interest on either side, but it is worth taking note.

Given that Maurice Williams has the potential for the NFL, I have to believe he wouldn’t make it permanent at Edinboro.

When Williams was ruled ineligible for the 2008 season, Pitt confirmed Williams was going to attend summer school there.

“It’s nothing that was a surprise,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt told the Erie Times-News earlier this month. “We’ve had ongoing discussions with Mo this whole semester that he knew what he had to get done academically. I would preface everything by saying he’s the first guy on the football field.

“Never misses a weight workout. Works as hard as we like. The disappointing thing is that he didn’t put the same type of effort and interest in the academic end of it like he addressed the football and weight workouts.”

The school was planning to red-shirt him.

“We will red-shirt him this year and I expect him to be a major player here in the next couple of years,” Wannstedt said earlier this month.

He would still have to sit out the year if he transferred to Edinboro. This appears to be about Williams — an Erie native — taking courses over the summer while being home.

If he was really leaving, I doubt he would be worried so much about taking the summer courses.

The article notes that former Panther Tommie Campbell transferred to Edinboro, but dropped out after a year. He had been suspended for several games because of not going to class.

The focus on recruiting (or at least commits at this point) remains on the lines. Pitt got another commit on Friday. Jack Lippert out of Central Dauphin gave a verbal.

Jack Lippert, a 6-4, 248-pound defensive end from Central Dauphin, on Friday became the fourth recruit to commit to the Panthers for the Class of 2009.

“I like the coaching staff a lot and the overall environment and opportunity at Pitt,” Lippert said.

Lippert, ranked by rivals.com as the nation’s sixth-best defensive end, chose the Panthers over Boston College, Buffalo and Temple. This fall, he will be a fourth-year starter on the defensive line and a third-year starter on the offensive line.

Lippert played last season with an injured knee, which is why there were other teams interested in him, but waiting to make an offer until after the season got underway.

Rivals.com has him as a 4-star prospect and ranked #161 overall in their top-250. Scout.com has him as a 3-star. ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. has him listed as a potential includee for their top-150 (Insider subs).

He is a good and physical wrap-up tackler. Plays with a good motor. As a pass rusher displays the ability to get some push up-field and will flash the ability to use his weapons to swat down a blockers hands and can get turned some to round the corner.

My favorite part in their evaluation was this statement, “He comes across as a good football player who will try and work a little harder than the guy across from him.”

Assuming the knee stays healthy, this is a verbal that will look even better later in the fall.

You have to be kidding.

The decision on Pitt guard Mike Cook’s medical redshirt may not come this week, as has been reported.

According to a source close to the situation, the decision by the NCAA may take another month, not nearly as soon as coach Jamie Dixon told reporters earlier this week.

Exactly what other information do they need? What other factors are under consideration?

This is a decision where you balance the letter of the rule — player can’t play more than 1/3 of the season — which he hit in the Duke game where he got injured to get a medical redshirt. The spirit/mercy of the rule — not taking away the chance to play and compete in collegiate athletics because of injuries.

Complicating things is that Cook would essentially be a 6th year senior since he used a redshirt when he transferred from ECU.

Still, all of this is known. This really should be about the NCAA just making the decision already.

Pitt is supposed to find out sometime this week if Mike Cook will get that 6th year.

“They’ve got all the material,” Dixon said. “The process has gone exactly as we thought it would. We’re going to know this week.”

…

“I haven’t really been thinking about it,” he said. “The toughest thing right now is getting my knee better. It feels real good. I’m running on it now. I will start cutting on it probably in the next week or two.”

Pitt has awarded all of its scholarships for the 2007-08 season, so if Cook is granted a sixth-year of eligibility, the Panthers’ next goal would be to find him one. A possibility would be redshirt sophomore center Austin Wallace, who is still recovering from knee surgery last season.

The other possibility is if one of the incoming players does not qualify. There are some rumors swirling that JUCO transfer Jermaine Dixon might have academic problems. I don’t know.

Meanwhile, despite all of Pitt’s scholarships filled and the possibility of Mike Cook returning as well. Iowa State free agent Wesley Johnson continues to consider Pitt.

SF Wesley Johnson, who averaged 12.4 points as an Iowa State sophomore, is scheduled to start making visits as he begins his transfer process. Johnson is expected to visit Ohio State and Pitt, and he’s strongly considering Syracuse. With his length and toughness — he averaged 7.9 rebounds as a freshman — Johnson can make an impact after sitting out a year.

In the same article there’s a bit on Sam Young and playing more at small forward.

Pitt’s Sam Young, three years into a career he expected to spend as a small forward, has played almost exclusively as a power forward. As a freshman and sophomore, he wasn’t comfortable with the offense while playing the perimeter and contributed inside because of his toughness and athleticism. Last season, he played up front because Pitt needed him there. But the Panthers hope to play a bigger lineup this season, making greater use of 6-10 Gary McGhee and 6-8 Tyrell Biggs, which could free Young to play more minutes at small forward. Young was scheduled to get a nice education in that art as a counselor at Nike’s Vince Carter Skills Academy this week in Orlando. The camp is designed for top young high school wing players.

Obviously for Young to get to the NBA he needs to develop more on the wing. The issue is not his offense, but his defense at that spot. To be honest, I’m not sure a camp named for Vince Carter would be much on defensive skill sets.

Finally, Pitt is still looking for a quality opponent (Insider subs.) to play at Madison Square Garden.

Pitt is desperate to get a Dec. 17 opponent for a game in Madison Square Garden. Only teams from the top six conferences need apply.

Um, actually five conferences (and Memphis). It’s not like Pitt will schedule a non-con with a conference team. Considering it’s at the Garden and ESPN would almost certainly televise, you would think there would be a lot more interest in the exposure.

Yeah, Pitt football recruiting is taking on a strange vibe this summer. Everyone is still waiting for the big splash, while Ohio State and Rutgers (?) seem to be having a huge impact in Pennsylvania this year. Pitt, meanwhile, has picked up it’s 3d commit and it feels weird. It’s like everyone is waiting for a major verbal to excite things, but it is all appetizers. Nice players. Projects. Potential sleepers. Maybe it’s just feeling spoiled by recent recruiting success — to say nothing of what Ohio State has taken from Western PA to this point.

Juantez Hollins out of Aliquippa is the latest verbal. Hollins is a 3-star Defensive lineman (though, Rivals.com has him as an offensive guard). Maybe he’s playing D-line.

Hollins chose Pitt over Marshall, Buffalo, Akron and Eastern Michigan. At 6 feet 4, 270-pounds, Hollins plays defensive end at Aliquippa — where he is a three-year starter — but will be shifted to the interior of the defensive line in college.

Or maybe he is being switched over to the offensive line after all.

Rated the No. 58 offensive guard in the Class of 2009 by Rivals.com and the No. 32 defensive tackle by Scout.com, Hollins said Pitt recruited him to play offensive line.

“It’s close to home,” Hollins said. “It’s a real good school. There’s a lot of people from my town up there.”

…

Hollins is a three-year starter at right guard and also will start on the defensive line this season.

“Well, because he’s so big, he has great agility for his size,” Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac said. “He runs very well, and I don’t know what Pitt plans to do with him position wise, but he can play either side of the ball and make an impact.”

Hmm. Maybe next year he can room with Craig Bokor.

Addendum: His coach says that Coach Wannstedt never discussed position when he committed.

“We didn’t even talk about which side of the ball he’d play,” said Aliquippa head coach Mike Zmijanac. “He just told coach (Dave Wannstedt) yesterday afternoon that he’d be going to Pitt.”

Hopefully by the time Hollins gets to Pitt they’ll have it figured it out.

This is how you know that the college game rules an area. The paper runs stories listing potential recruits. Down in Charleston, South Carolina a listing of players that have the Gamecocks on their list.

DL Josh Elizondo (6-2, 270) of Naples, Fla., is not attending camps this summer, preferring to spend most of his time working out and lifting weights. He said four schools that have moved to the front of his list are USC, Duke, Pittsburgh and N.C. State, with Duke the leader.

Elizondo is a 3-star defensive tackle, that apparently is best against the run (Insider subs.).

Elizondo is a tough and productive player in the trenches. Has the tools to develop into a productive starter who will do most of his damage against the run.

In Lancaster, a running back named Jerome LaRue is headed to Milford Academy.

“I need this,” LaRue said. “I need to go there and get good grades, enjoy the football experience and get ready for college.”

The 6-0, 195-pound speedster has a pair of football scholarship offers in his back pocket. Pittsburgh and Arizona have both offered LaRue a ride, but he needs to perform well academically to become eligible for any Division I college.

Not sure how long that offer will be available. He doesn’t appear to be a high prospect.

Via press release, this week the USA Today Sports Weekly will be a college football preview.

LeSean McCoy will be the cover boy for one of the 6 regions. (Dammit, Laurenitis is one of the others, so I know which will be the cover in Ohio.)

Really? Cinci recruits were running their mouths at the Big 33 game. Seriously?

“We were saying how we were going to try to send a message to everybody else that Pitt was coming, and we’re going to play for the national championship in years to come,” Baldwin said. “Every last one of us contributed.”

Added Saddler: “The whole game, we were saying, ‘I feel bad for the Big East because the next four years they’ve got to deal with all of us.’ It was that kind of feeling that had us excited about one another. All week, the Cincinnati (recruits) were mouthing off that they supposedly have one of the best recruiting classes in the Big East. We wanted to show them that we don’t supposedly have the best recruiting class; we do have the best recruiting class.”

The next step is to get out on the field in the fall.

The other item from the story was picturing Coach Wannstedt and AD Pederson, uh, getting down at a Kenny Chesney concert.

There was two other all-star games this past weekend. Sort of. The North-South game in Johnstown, though it was called late in the 3d quarter because of ongoing downpours. That game featured one incoming Pitt player.

Johnstown’s Antwuan Reed rushed for 123 yards on 11 carries and one score for the South, and the Pitt-bound speedster added a 53-yard punt return. Matt Varga of Bishop McCort had a pair of touchdown receptions to earn offensive back MVP honors for the South, while quarterback Jordan Kaufman of Somerset threw a pair of scoring passes.

The East-West game was in Altoona and featured two Pitt-bound players. Tight End Mike Cruz, who was named one of the team captains for the West. Also on the West team was RB Chris Burns.

This game was shortened due to lightning and was a struggle for the offenses. The West won 10-0.

Cruz, a quad-captain on the West, started the first series on offense and had one pass thrown to him during the first quarter. The ball short-hopped Cruz, who was lining up in the slot. Cruz also lined up on the inside of a three-wide set.

“It’s just a great experience,” Cruz said. “This week was a lot of fun, throwing in that spread offense was all fun.”

In addition, Cruz handled the long-snapping duties on the West’s punt team.

Cruz mainly blocked for Wilmington’s Chris Burns, who finished with 43 yards rushing. Cruz has committed to play football at Pitt and will be a future teammate of Burns.

Burns also had a couple receptions in the game. His running was characterized as “rugged.” His 43 yards came on 9 carries.

I know. His power rankings in the season always seem to suggest a slightly dour view to Pitt. Maybe there’s bias. Maybe Pitt is a team he simply won’t give as much credit towards until it has a bigger March impact. It’s also possible.

That said, he’s also been there with praise after the Big East Tournament. His pre-pre-power rankings for the upcoming year starts Pitt at #6. I happen to like Winn, since he is one of the few basketball sports writers willing to look deeper at numbers and statistical information.

So, yes, I saw his story talking about potential effects of moving the 3-point line back 1 foot for the upcoming season. In his final section it looked like Pitt got singled out as being at risk.

But the most interesting case study will be at Pittsburgh, which was seventh-worst on that list. Last season, defenses were kept honest by the shooting of junior Sam Young (38.3 percent, 44 threes) and seniors Ronald Ramon (37.2 percent, 67 threes) and Keith Benjamin (37.0 percent, 51 threes). The Panthers’ overall percentage was dragged down by the abysmal aim of point guard Levance Fields (27.7 percent, 28 threes) and Gilbert Brown (24.4 percent, 19 threes) — both of whom will likely be in the starting lineup now that Ramon and Benjamin are gone.

If defenses sag down against Fields’ penetration, and use help to double super-sophomore DeJuan Blair in the post, can Pitt make them pay? The Panthers are finding their way into plenty of preseason top 10s, but they won’t be a contender without being able to pose some semblance of a threat from beyond 20-9.

The point, though, was he was looking at numbers from NCAA Tournament teams. In that final section — those  Tourney teams that had the lowest shooting % on 3s — Pitt was not just the only preseason top-10 team for this coming season, but the only consensus pre-season top-25 team. That makes Pitt the team with that question mark. On a national level, who cares if UNLV or Georgia is going to struggle with the transition if it isn’t even a sure thing if they’ll even be in the rankings? I take it as a bit of respect and a note on the expectations that Pitt merited the discussion.

Really, even in if the line wasn’t moving back a foot, it would still be the big question mark on  the team going into the season — and a concern for Pitt fans. A literal change of guards. With Ramon and Benjamin gone. Especially Ramon. For all his struggles through injuries last season, Ramon was still the guy expected to take and be consistent on 3s. This is why there is some thought as to Ashton Gibbs coming in right away to help Pitt with that, and why the signing of Jermaine Dixon seems a little curious considering he isn’t exactly a 3-point marksman.

Brief aside, sorry for the silence this weekend. My daughter’s 6th birthday. Which meant family visiting and a day full of hyper, sugar-hopped kids. To say nothing of trying to open out of the packaging and then assemble lots of toys. Still, the fact that there were no tears — by the kids or me — was a good thing. Added bonus, the realization of knowing I’m raising my daughter correctly. Sunday she got dressed and put on her Pitt t-shirt before coming out to greet her grandparents — both Penn State grads — that morning. And I had nothing to do with it. Honest.

Camps are the big theme right now. Pitt’s present star players got to go to various top camps.

Seniors Levance Fields and Sam Young and sophomore DeJuan Blair were picked to attend prestigious Nike Skills Academy invitational-only camps at four sites around the nation.

“I’m hyped,” said Fields, who along with many of his teammates, worked Pitt’s team camp for high school-aged players that concluded Sunday at Petersen Events Center. “With the exposure, it’s a great opportunity.”

Fields will be at Steve Nash’s point guard camp in Newark, N.J., and Young will attend Vince Carter’s small forward camp in Orlando, both starting Wednesday.

Blair is scheduled to return today from Amare Stoudemire’s three-day big-men camp in Phoenix.

The camps include between 10 to 14 of the top college players at their respective positions, along with one of the NBA’s best, to work on defined skills. The college players also work as instructors at the skill academy, which includes two dozen of the top prep players at each position.

“It’s reflective of how well-thought of our program is,” said Pitt coach Jamie Dixon, whose Panthers are a consensus top-10 pick in the preseason polls.

…

The news about Fields, Young and Blair is all part of a busy week for Pitt basketball. Senior forward Tyrell Biggs and sophomore swingman Gilbert Brown are working at LeBron James’ camp for youngsters in Akron, Ohio. Brown twisted his ankle Saturday, but it was overshadowed by a pick-up game with the NBA great later that night.

“He seems all right,” Dixon said. “He said it was fun.”

Incoming freshmen Travon Woodall, Nasir Robinson and Dwight Miller arrived on campus over the weekend and played in open gym Saturday night. Guard Ashton Gibbs was due in Sunday or today.

As the story pointed out, Pitt players being invited to a Nike camp is extra-impressive since Pitt is an Adidas school.

I’m not sure how much that actually helps with recruiting top high school talent, with interaction with present players. It sure can’t hurt.

Of course there are the camps that are about the high school players and kids Pitt would like to recruit. The NBA Player’s Association Top-100 camp from this past week included Pitt commit Lamar Patterson and several other Pitt targets including Aaric Murray. Though, it seems Murray doesn’t have Pitt on his cut down list.

New Big East Basketball Blog has a report from the camp and how specific players looked. Including Omari Lawrence, Durand Scott and Dante Taylor — all with offers from Pitt. The bit on Scott is definitely worth an excerpt.

Pittsburgh is on this combo guard hard (with the love being reciprocated) and it shows – he’s tough, runs a team, and is vocal. Time and time again, Scott, hailing from New York, NY found open teammates, including several nice dimes in half court traffic during evening play. Of course ACC schools are drooling as well.

To recap on Scott, he’s a 4-star in both Rivals and Scout. Rivals has him #83 overall and the 20th best SG. Scout puts him as the #10 SG. ESPN/Scouts, Inc. has him as the #14 SG and 56th overall in the class (Insiders subs.).

As I noted earlier in the week, with the final draft decisions made, there will be updated rankings for the in advance of college basketball for 2008.

There are 3 things that seem to be consistent. UNC is now #1. There are 3 teams from the Big East in the top-5. Seven Big East teams in the top-20.

Rivals.com has their list updated. Pitt is #3.

The Celtics have the “Big Three” in the NBA. Pitt has its own version in the college ranks with guard Levance Fields, forward Sam Young and center DeJuan Blair. Each ranks among the best at his position. The Panthers could get a boost if guard Mike Cook receives a medical redshirt. Cook was averaging 10.4 points when he tore his ACL in the 11th game last season. But with or without Cook, the Panthers have enough firepower to reach their first Final Four since 1941.

UConn was ranked #2, ND #5, Louisville #8, G-town #11, ‘Nova #17, Marquette #20 and WVU #24.

Gary Parrish at CBS Sportsline puts Pitt outside of the top-5 at #8.

Sam Young and DeJuan Blair up front form a formidable tandem built around size and toughness. So the Panthers will be good even if the NCAA doesn’t grant Mike Cook another year of eligibility.

Louisville was #2, UConn #3, ND #5, Marquette, G-town and ‘Nova nos. 14-16.

ESPN.com has a story on seniors in college basketball with Sam Young as one of the poster boys for a senior class that will be the headliners going into the season. The quote from Young that will have Pitt fans feeling real good about him.

“I decided the best thing for myself would be to go back to school, get my degree and have something to fall back on,” he said. “Become a man. My mom always preached about getting a degree and stuff like that, so I definitely wanted to do that for my mother. Just becoming a Pitt alumni, that’s priceless.”

Couldn’t agree more.

Latest Pitt recruit, Dion Lewis, plays at a New Jersey prep school, but is from Albany, NY. He went to the NJY prep school to get more notice for a possible football scholarship. Good plan. The local paper there reports on his commit to Pitt.

“I just felt comfortable with the coaches and facilities there,” said Lewis, who played at Albany High before transferring to Albany Academy in 2006.

Other schools interested in Lewis included Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Tulane, Miami of Ohio and Temple.

Lewis, who visited the Pittsburgh campus last week, said it did not take him long to make his decision.

Cory King, the other Pitt recruit to date won a local lineman challenge.

King — a 6-foot-5, 310-pound soon-to-be-senior at Lakeview — locked out 24 reps on the 200-pound bar, winning the event by six presses. It was one of two events won by King and four that he placed in.

King went on to win the individual title at the Lineman Challenge, which went down Saturday at Cochranton High School.

“I did pretty well here last year,” said King, who has recently made a verbal commitment to play football at Pitt. “I think I got third in the bench and a second in a couple other ones.

“I couldn’t wait (to come back this year).”

King also won the Iron Cross competition, holding two 20-pound dumbbells in outstretched arms for 87.81 seconds, more than 11 seconds longer than the second-place finisher.

King was also second in the Keg Load event, and third in the Heavy Stone Throw. He had 3,300 points total.

Now, I am a bit disappointed that a future Pitt offensive lineman couldn’t win the keg load. You need to be prepared for college.

Another player Pitt is pursuing, Abdul Smith, a 3-star safety, has Maryland as the leader right now. Mainly because geographically it is roughly in-between where his parents each live and the prospect of early playing time. Still, Pitt is up there.

Smith says he plans to start narrowing his final list soon. “I’d like to narrow it down to a final six or seven this summer and then make some more cuts early in the fall. I plan to take all five of my visits and really get a good look at all the schools.”

Besides Maryland, the only other two schools he’s already visited are Pittsburgh and Penn State. “I’m going back to visit Pittsburgh this weekend (June 14),” he said. “I like the talent they have and they are only going to be getting better. Coach Dave Wannstedt is a great coach and Pittsburgh is a great sports town.”

Colorado, Auburn, Virginia and BC are among other schools that have offered him a scholarship.