One of the kids who came for a visit last week has apparently chosen Pitt. At least according to one of the two sites. Scout.com is listing Roderick Ryles out of Orlando Florida as giving a verbal to Pitt. Rivals.com, at this time, does not have him checked for Pitt.

He and LaQuentin Smith took the visit last week.

“It was way better than I expected it to be,” Smith said. “It was my first time up north for a recruiting visit. You can literally walk across the street two steps and you are in the Steelers’ practice facility.

“To think that Dan Marino and Tony Dorsett came out of there. I didn’t really know a lot of the history of Pitt football … nine national championships. It’s kinda like DP history. They’re used to winning, same as at DP. The motto is ‘Restore the Beast in the East.’ ”

It was cold during the visit, but Smith said you just have to get used to it.

“It was snowing. First time I’d seen that, so that was pretty cool,” Smith said. “When we got there it was like 12 degrees, but you get used to it by the second day. On the second night we were outside in long-sleeved shirts having a snowball fight against some of the other players.”

Smith said he and Ryles were both impressed with the Pit visit and said the Panthers are definitely in consideration by both players. Ryles, a man of few words, has been unavailable, but Smith, somewhat the opposite, had no problem filling in.

“We talked about and we definitely had a great time,” Smith said. “We’re going to wait on our last visit and then sit down and talk to our families. We never imagined we might end up playing at the same place, but I gotta do what I gotta do, and he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do.”

Smith and Ryles had a visit to WVU for this weekend. Assuming the info is true, Ryles made his call.

Ryles is a 3-star safety in both sites.

UPDATE: LaQuentin Smith also has verballed to Pitt. Smith is a linebacker. Another need spot. Also 3-star on both sites. Guess that WVU trip worked out well for Pitt.

Both Scout.com and Rivals.com have them in the verbal department.

Thanks again to Maz for running the liveblog. I’m sure people were calm, rational and not at all reacting like the sky was falling during the game.

In case anyone has forgotten, it isn’t easy winning on the road. Especially when you get to the middle point of the conference. The Ohio State escape from Evanston was like a nasty bit of foreshadowing — even with Northwestern lacking their best player. Yesterday was something of a bloodbath. Villanova losing their second straight. UConn blowing it at home to Louisville.

“That’s life in the Big East,” JT III said. “(Pitt coach) Jamie Dixon said this a couple weeks ago and he’s right. The first part of the season, Big East teams go out and just beat the rest of the country up. Now, conference play starts and we’re beating each other up and people out there are starting to ask what’s wrong with this team, that team.

Then all the ranked teams losing on the road to unranked teams. Syracuse losing four-in-a-row. Texas A&M losing at Nebraska. BYU at New Mexico. Same with Wisconsin in Happy Valley. Florida at Miss. St. and St. Mary’s at Portland.

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It’s been a busy weekend so far. There was one early yesterday afternoon, and then late last night Devin Cook, a Beaver Falls linebacker verballed to Pitt.

A 6-foot-4, 230-pounder, Cook was chosen earlier this month for the Big 33 all-star game in June. A year ago, he was rather unknown, but he drew Division I interest with a promising senior season.

“He got a trainer in between his junior and his senior years,” said his coach, Ryan Matsook, “and he really leaned out and became a man.”

Matsook said Cook also considered Kent State. Pitt had shown interest for a while, Matsook said, but only recently offered a scholarship.

A few more today according to the commitment lists of PantherLair and PantherDigest.

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