Today Fernando Diaz picked Pitt over UConn to be commit number 6. I have to admit that this would be a more exciting get, if the player picking Pitt over UConn was in basketball. Diaz in an offensive guard, though, and building depth on the O-line is a good thing.

Diaz comes in as a 2-star recruit and also ranked #9 overall in New York by Rivals.com.

This is the 3d verbal for a likely O-line player to this point. along with Juantez Hollins and Cory King.

Right now the lines, linebacker and safety seem like the more important spots to build depth. It seems Pitt has depth and talent at QB, RB, FB, WR and CB. Especially with the number of redshirts.

The lines have remained an issue as any injury along them seems to throw everything into a mess. Forcing moves and shifts. Attempts to shore up spots.

So, Dan Jennings signed verballed to WVU. Grumble, didn’t want him anyways. Grumble, Pitt got Dante Taylor, so there. Yeah, that means Pitt will be pushing even harder to get Thomas Robinson.

Silly lists? You bet. SI.com does “Fearless predictions” with Luke Winn.

15. Under-appreciated soph most ready to become a household name, Part II: DeJuan Blair, Pitt. Local boy was quietly a beast last year in a league full of quality big men. He might be the best offensive rebounder in the country.

Taking things too seriously? How about complaining about a ridiculously early top-25 poll and maybe a 3 spot difference? A Pitt fan e-mailed Gary Parrish at CBS Sportsline about putting Pitt at #8 rather than at least #5.

So we’re essentially arguing over three spots in my Ridiculously Early But Still Kind of Fun Preseason Top 25 (and one) that was published last month, correct? If so, wow. And God bless you! Because it’s folks like you — folks who care about this sport 365 days per year and to a somewhat questionable degree — who keep me going 365 days per year (and provide potential editions of Dear Gary for every single one of them).

Anyway, back to Pitt.

You saw that I have the Panthers eighth, right?

That means we’re pretty close in our assessments, though I fully acknowledge a reasonable person could place the Panthers higher because I agree with you that Pitt is “primed for a huge year.” In fact, I’m starting to wonder when Pitt won’t be “primed for a huge year” considering Jamie Dixon’s track record and the way he’s recruiting.

Dixon is now five years in at Pitt, for those unfamiliar.

He’s made the NCAA tournament every season.

He’s won at least 20 games every season.

And now he has a Top 10 (or perhaps even a top five) team ready to compete for the Big East title, and recruiting is also going well considering Pitt just picked up a commitment from Dante Taylor, a 6-foot-8 McDonald’s All-American candidate who chose the Panthers over Syracuse, Kansas and Connecticut. In other words, Dixon has continued what Ben Howland started and made Pitt one of the more stable programs in America, and it’s comical in hindsight that the school was at least exploring the possibility of hiring anybody other than Dixon when Howland moved to UCLA in 2003.

Let’s, uh, keep the sanity somewhere near the keyboard.