Well, to be fair, Coach Wannstedt did say commits were a-comin’. We just didn’t know they would flood in one weekend.
There were a couple commits this the weekend. Now as the weekend is just about over and four more join the fold.
Brandon Sacco, 6-foot-3, 250 pounds and Bryan Murphy, 6-2, 230, are teammates at Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco High School. They made their pledges only 90 minutes after Clairton wide receiver Kevin Weatherspoon said he will attend Pitt.
Sacco, an offensive lineman, chose Pitt over Big East rival Rutgers. Murphy, who was recruited as a defensive end, had offers from several schools, including Boston College, Colorado, Louisville, Maryland and Michigan State.
Weatherspoon had 57 receptions for 1,470 yards and 20 touchdowns while helping to lead Clairton to the WPIAL Class A championship and the PIAA title game. He is a member of the Tribune-Review Terrific 25.
Also, T.J. Peeler of Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Va., committed to Pitt. Peeler, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound running back, had offers from West Virginia and North Carolina State. He missed three games with an injury last season, but rushed for 1,145 yards and 18 touchdowns on 129 carries with an 8.9 yard average.
Pitt had 7-on-7 camps this weekend that Coach Wannstedt termed a success.
Weatherspoon is (yet another) WR, but shockingly not of 6-foot+. He’s 5’11” and is a 3-star according to Scout.com and unlisted on Rivals.com. ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. gives a mixed but generally upbeat review (Insider subs.).
Displays a strong, deceptively-fast release off the line and can quickly get up field and threaten a defense vertically. Excels on digs and intermediate routes where he can round off, settle in the soft spots of zone coverages and go up and attack the football.
… Is football fast, but has masked his lack of great speed at the high school level with savvy play. Not a guy who projects to move the chains with his speed or tools after the catch. Will really need to build up his frame for his projected possession style and improve upper-body strength to fight through press coverage, avoid being rerouted and battle for positioning. Was not challenged physically in the films we viewed. That said, Weatherspoon is still a very underrated quality receiver prospect and overall athlete. We also really like what he does at safety. Has good range and closing speed with quality ball skills.
It’s that last bit about mentioning him at safety that suddenly makes some sense. Seeing him moved to safety would not be a surprise.
Next up is Brian Murphy, to offer some more help on the D-line. Murphy is going to be either a defensive end or likely defensive tackle in Coach Wannstedt’s defense. Rivals.com does not have him starred yet, while Scout.com gives him 3. He had plenty of offers including Louisville, BC, Maryland and Michigan State. ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. breaks out the “blue-collar” cliche in describing him.
He plays some out of position in high school as a defensive tackle and you like to see he can hold his own there. He also has experience at the end spot and that will be his best fit in college. He displays good strength, but needs to get into a college weight program and add bulk. He is tough versus the run. He gets off the ball quickly and is explosive out of his stance. Displays the ability to consistently fire out low and shoot his hands. He can engage and separate from a blocker and hold his ground. Displays the ability to shed and make a play on the ball. He does need to watch his pad level. While he shows good strength he can be pushed off the ball when he lets the blocker get into him. He does a good job of being able to move laterally and squeeze down. He has a good motor and plays hard. He displays good speed and is a solid wrap-up tackler.
Again, in Wannstedt’s approach to defense, expect Murphy to stay at DT to keep the speed up and down the line.
A teammate of Murphy’s from the other side of the ball and — dear god it’s an offensive lineman. At long last, finally, a verbal from someone to help on the O-line. Sorry. Just a little excited and caught off guard. Anyways, meet Brandon Sacco. Unranked by Rivals.com and only 1-star from Scout.com, but with offers from Virginia, Rutgers and BC showing interest. ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. is a bit higher on him, even mentioning him as potentially being a center in time. They do, however, think he needs to hit the weight room and take a redshirt.
Sacco is a good athlete playing offensive tackle; although he has the height for the position his weight is an issue that must be addressed as he progresses through his senior year and on to college. His frame should allow for added bulk over a period of time; dedicated weight room effort will be necessary. This is a very good athletic, tough football player…
Finally, the last commit of the day came from T.J. Peeler out of Virginia.
Pitt’s recruiting bonanza continued this afternoon as Broad Run (Ashburn, Va.) running back T.J. Peeler walked into head coach Dave Wannstedt’s office and committed to the Panthers.
Peeler, who is 6-feet-1, 200 pounds, is a big, strong running back who should fit into Wannstedt’s power running game nicely. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds, can bench press 300 pounds and squat 465 pounds.
He chose the Panthers over offers from N.C. State and West Virginia.
Peeler is a 3-star player as considered by Rivals.com and Scout.com. His description in ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. sounds almost like central casting for a Wannstedtian ideal running back.
Peeler is a non-flashy, under the radar back with the tools to carry the load at the next level and be a very productive back. Has great body composition with his tall and thick, compact frame. Looks to still have the room to add another 10-15 pounds of lean bulk and really develop into a downhill power-back in college and remain durable. Strong, sturdy runner who consistently gets north quickly. Sees the cutback lane develop and decisively hits it.
… Projects to be more of north-south power-back at the next level. Overall, Peeler is not a game breaker but a guy who could develop in a workhorse in college, get the tough yards and wear down a defense with his in-line grinding style and subtle shiftiness. Very consistent back.
It’s no wonder that Wannstedt ended his tweeting for today with,
Did I mention that today was a really great day to be a Panther?
Though as Everything Pittsburgh points out they aren’t the high profile studs that were being hoped or expected by the fanbase. I would dispute calling the majority of them “role players.” These are good players, that you need for an overall roster.
I still want to see some more O-linemen brought in, and at least one of them actually be a center. A real, legit, played-the-position-in-high-school center.
Still, a pretty good day for Pitt football.
There are ~15 ships left (if it is correct as I read somewhere that this will be a full class of ~25 recruits). After a few more verbals (~5?) the staff may very well become more selective and look more to guys who project to contribute earlier. It will be interesting to see what develops.
any idea on who?
Following today’s news, Pitt has received 10 verbal commitments for the Class of 2010. Sources are telling me that will get increased to at least 12 tomorrow. Look for both OG Shane Johnson and DT Khaynin Mosley-Smith to both make verbal commitments to Pitt tomorrow morning. I’m told Johnson (6-5, 301 lbs.), and Mosley-Smith (6-1, 275), will both be on campus to meet with Wannstedt and his coaches and will say Pitt will be it.
Johnson is from Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha and will be a nice get as he has offers from Boston College, Maryland, South Carolina, Rutgers, Stanford, Virginia, Wake Forest. Johnson’s teammate Jeff Knox, Jr previously committed to Pitt. Johnson is a much higher rated recruit than Tom Ricketts, Jr (North Allegheny), who snubbed Pitt for Penn State.
Mosley-Smith is a 6-1, 275 lb. defensive tackle from Woodland Hills High School. He’s a guy Wannstedt envisions plugging in on his defensive line and being a very solid run-stopper. Mosley-Smith has offers from Syracuse, Ohio and Toledo.
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Des[ite this, I’m also reading elsewhere that Johnson is not supposed to commit, but hope I’m wrong.
I think the charges were dropped for Baldwin just about 2 weeks ago. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.
On June 30th Baldwin’s charges were ‘adjudicated’ with no bail set so I assumed that means some minor actions like counseling or something were awarded, but someone with more knowledge can weigh in.
I.e., since Dieffenbach and Ricketts have caused such a furor, note that they are both rated as 4 stars by Rivals, but Dieffenbach is 3 star and Ricketts is a NR (not rated) on Scout.com.
Fact is that Rivals always elevates the recruits that commit to major programs, and Scout.com has not updated its recruits for 2010. (note that I’m not implying that Dieffenbach and Ricketts are not quality recruits, I’m just saying that the star system is very subjective .. epecially for players that have yet to start their senior seasons.)