For whatever it is worth, Pitt is ranked #21 in ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. latest rankings (Insider subs) for the 2011 football recruiting class.
Pittsburgh’s class is not composed of a lot of headline names, but the quality retained in state and plucked out of neighboring New Jersey by coach Dave Wannstedt is impressive. Four-star athlete Bill Belton (Atco, N.J./Winslow Township) is the top-rated player in this class and one of the more intriguing. This ESPNU 150 member is a productive dual-threat quarterback who likely will move to receiver for the Panthers and move the chains effectively with his excellent quickness and elusiveness once he gets in space. The Panthers have their future workhorse in the backfield with Jameel Poteat (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt). He lacks elite speed but is a strong, between-the-tackles grinder who should be able to carry the load if Pitt continues to pound the rock.
So there’s that.
Next up, a Connecticut paper does a story on the recruiting game that seems about 2 or 3 years behind the curve. It’s about how high school players can now upload their own clips to the interwebs and it is easier to get information out about players. Coach Wannstedt is quoted in the story.
“I think it’s easier for guys to self-promote themselves, but if you get hung up on that side of the recruiting, it can be tough,” Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt said. “We watch tape, but we do it the old-fashioned way. Nobody gets offered a scholarship to Pitt unless I see him on tape.”
What is the “old-fashioned way” to watch tape? An 8mm?
And if you are into hate, here’s an article on Penn State recruiting problems.
Archrival recruiting analysts, Bob Lichtenfels and Mike Farrell have been known to make different observations.
Not when it comes to Penn State. The two are in total agreement that the Nittany Lions will struggle in recruiting as long as Joe Paterno remains the coach.
So much so that “I think every opposing football coach in the country and every program in the country is probably hoping Joe Paterno stays around for a while,” said Lichtenfels, Scout.com’s East regional recruiting manager.
Well given the season they are having and assuming Paterno wants to break 400 wins. Then, yeah, he probably is going to stay at least another year.
I really think they’ll have to carry Paterno out of the stadium on a stretcher before he retires. Either that or they’ll just leave his petrified body standing on the sideline as a permanent memorial.
My biggest question which has been an issue ever since Dave W. has taken over. WHERE ARE THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN?! I think we have one decent recruit and when you have backs that are going to make a kid with little talent look alright, how can you not talk a kid with actual talent. You could expose a kids talents much better and create a scenario where a kid goes #1 Overall in the draft like Jake Long who had Mike Hart.
It seems like we’re in the top 25 recruiting-wise on Rivals and Scout, ESPN doesn’t tank us.
This time we’re top 15 on at least Rivals, and ESPN makes us #21.
BTW, what is meant by the title of thie article “At Least Recruiting Remains a Positive”? What is not positive right now? Who is trying to live in the past? Is there somebody around here who does not like the PITT program and does not think the program is headed in the right direction? I do not get these people. They act like they just got off a time machine from the Majors/Sherrill era. Guys: I have news for you: PITT sucked ever since Jackie left, until a little over two seasons ago. DW is the best thing that has happened to the PITT FB program since Johnny and Jackie came in around 1972. Nothing better is likely to shake the earth PITT is on other than continued improvement in the program we already have. If you don’t like it, take a cow bus up to State Penn or over to Morganhole and get some cows to love what you say, because we do not. Get a grip. Thank you.
