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April 26, 2012

Size Matters

Filed under: Football,Recruiting — Chas @ 10:54 am

I realize Indiana is not exactly a hotbed of football recruiting talent. Check that. I realize Indiana is not a hotbed. It’s a flatland of emptiness and boredom you drive through as quickly as possible to get to Chicago — or anywhere else. (With apologies to Gary McGhee.)

Still, more than 40 years since Pitt got a football recruit from that state? Who knew?

Pitt received a verbal commitment from Plymouth (Ind.) Offensive lineman Dan Samuelson Tuesday. Samuelson, 6-6, 295, chose the Panthers over offers from Minnesota, Northwestern, Illinois and Wake Forest.

If he does indeed sign with the Panthers, he is believed to be Pitt’s first scholarship player from the state of Indiana in at least 42 years.

Years of losing in South Bend didn’t make it easier to recruit there. [Hmm. Just went over the history. Since 197o, Pitt is 6-11 at Notre Dame, but only 4-11 at home in the same period. So much for that theory.]

Dan Samuelson — and if he’s not a hockey player, he has to be an offensive lineman with that name — is a consensus 3-star recruit across all the sites (other than ESPN.com which doesn’t have an evealuation on him). His size is listed at 6-5 on all the sites and the weight is listed from 280-295.

It’s another big body for the recruiting class. Something of a trend, as Trib beat writer, Jerry DiPaola tweeted yesterday. Not exactly shocking. Coach Chryst wants big guys on the lines and that includes the tight ends

As for the recruitment, well even in Indiana they can toss out the FraudGraham slap.

Plymouth coach John Baron described Samuelson as “a very physical run blocker.”

Samuelson also enjoyed his meetings with coach Paul Chryst and line coach Jim Hueber, Baron said.

“It didn’t seem like Pitt (coaches) were a bunch of car salesmen,” said Baron, who had a hour-long telephone conversation with Chryst. “The other schools seemed like car salesmen, wheelers and dealers.”

Those fine mid-western sensibilities.

According to this report (Insider subs) Michigan State and Penn State were also showing interest.

Here’s a little more on his recruitment and style of play:

“He’s a very physical run blocker,” Plymouth High School coach John Barron said of Samuelson. “Not only was his size what attracted a lot of people, but his length attracted people. He has long legs, long arms, and he moves real well. He’s a guy we can pull and trap with. We can run power behind him.

“Dan is the type of kid who fits what we do at Plymouth, but certainly is a fit for major colleges. Even though we don’t throw a lot, he can play tackle and block that real athletic edge player. I think that’s what people project him to be.”

“This was a big day for my family and I, my head coach and our school,” Samuelson said. “It was a pretty good day.

“Pitt has been in contact with me for a long time. I hear from them almost every day, either through Facebook or letters that they send to me.”

The Panthers are moving from the Big East to the ACC.

“It’s pretty important to be the first class of Pitt football moving into the ACC,” Samuelson said.

“We have a big goal to try and be powerful in that conference. We need a lot of talent to finish out our team. We obviously have a lot of work to do. It’s pretty special that we’ll be the first ones to compete in the ACC.”

Guess the move to the ACC isn’t a hindrance for mid-west recruiting. Samuelson is also a solid student according to the story.





Every new Bigman we get… the happier I become…

I think if we pick up a few corners and a solid QB (a grinder who we can work up for a few years to be a good secondary QB) I will be very content with the 2013 recruiting class.

Comment by Benzene 04.26.12 @ 12:07 pm

Just goes to prove my theory about Pittsburgh. It’s a draw for midwesterners. A big city that’s not Chicago and better than St. Louis! Woo-hoo!

Comment by Atlanta Panther 04.26.12 @ 12:54 pm

Amazing what coaches with character and reputation can accomplish.

A lot of people were mistakenly questioning Chryst’s quiet demeanor as a negative when it comes to recruiting. Here it’s already showing itself to be a postive.

Wait till the fall when it gets down to football and people get a look at the product he puts on the field and starts racking up a few wins.

Comment by PittofDreams 04.26.12 @ 1:34 pm

I really hope Chryst is a main stay at Pitt. He seems to put the love of the the game and coaching above worrying about coaching for a top program. Hopefully, it stays that way.

Comment by Timmeh 04.26.12 @ 1:49 pm

WOW, comments that didnt mention the name TINO. Say it aint so? shut the front door!!! Benzene did try and veture towards the QB topic, but ended the comment…and we thank you.

Comment by blaise 04.26.12 @ 1:57 pm

I love how Chryst gets a 3 star lineman and you would think he landed the next Anthony Munoz. Samuelson may end up being very good but this isn’t exactly an earth shattering commitment. Pitt gets players like this every year.

Comment by Mike 04.26.12 @ 2:12 pm

Other knowledgeable people agree with Chris Dokish who says:

“… Samuelson is in the minority. I can cite many examples of prospects saying they haven’t heard a lot from Pitt or didn’t even know they were offered. “Passive” may not be the right word, but at the very least they seem to be concentrating on a certain few. If they get those few and end up with a very good class then their approach would have worked. Time will tell.”

link to panthersprey.blogspot.com

Comment by steve1 04.26.12 @ 2:14 pm

@Mike. “you’d think we landed the next Anthony Munoz”??

Really, there were only 5 posts ahead of you, people are thinking we landed the next Anthony Munoz???

I’m not sure, but I think Chryst has 4 or 5 guys now around 6’5″, 6’6″ 290lbs he has recruited.

We may have a few down there now as juniors or seniors this size, but, we’ve had guys this big, as recruits or freshmen recently?? Ok, maybe we have, I could easily be wrong.

If we have them just laying around there down in Oakland, hopefully Chryst can mold them.

For being his first 5 or 6 months at a new program, I’d say he’s brought in some pretty big dudes as high school seniors.

Doing this without the local high school coaches even knowing him, nor the senior players having anything to look at as a product, with him being a head coach.

I’d say there is some reason, for some optimism for Pitt football, and the future of Pitt football!!

You don’t happen to be a troll, are ya???

Comment by Dan 04.26.12 @ 3:02 pm

@Mike, let me guess, you’re a glass “half empty” kind of guy??? LOL

Comment by Dan 04.26.12 @ 3:13 pm

Steve1 – I read Dokish all the time and what strikes me is that he magnifies the fact that the staff “hasn’t contacted” players that Dokish himself feels should be contacted as priority recruits.

Well, the staff obviously has a different idea of what they want.

Samuelson is a case in point. Chryst obviously was targeting this guy since he was at Wisconsin and no one in PGH even knew about the kid.

I think we’ll see this more often than not with this recruiting staff this year especially. PITT has obviously contacted the big name players early and often (Foster, Johnson) but they have their own “Big Board” of recruits that they will concentrate on whether the media or internet pundits agree with it or not.

Remember, these staff coaches don’t give a damn about recruiting stars – they want what they want regardless of how publicized the kid has been.

Comment by Reed 04.26.12 @ 3:22 pm

I remember when Dokish was raving about how great a player Khem Birch was…I was shocked when I saw him in person early last season…I expected a great player saw a player that looked very lost…The freshman for Oklahoma State a forward whose name I can’t recall (Nash???) was more of what I expected

Comment by steve 04.26.12 @ 3:32 pm

I think Dokish called Birch a great prospect, not a great player, and since he was a top 10 recruit I think it’s pretty obvious that he was a great prospect.

Comment by Mike 04.26.12 @ 3:34 pm

What I saw from Birch was not great in any area except for explosive jumping ability – no strentgh,ballhandling ability, shooting ability or passing ability…jumping ability alone does not equal even a great prospect let alone player.

Comment by steve 04.26.12 @ 3:37 pm

This is turning out to be a great hire. The only unknown is game day results and aint sweatin that.

Comment by Kenny 04.26.12 @ 3:39 pm

Do you think anyone in the Athletic Department reads these blogs? I do.

So I’m trying to let them know how things are being perceived whether or not perception is reality.

I want the program to succeed and the more information they have the better.

Comment by steve1 04.26.12 @ 4:15 pm

I am elated that the Panthers are being recognized in the midwest. Perhaps the success of Gary MaGHEE has something to do with that. I served a church in Ft.Wayne for five years and enjoyed it considerably. If I was a young athlete in the Hoosier state playing in the ACC would have a certain appeal. Nice job, Pitt. Keep it up. We welcome gridders, even from a hoop state. Rev.George in Columbus, Oh.

Comment by Rev. George Mehaffey 04.26.12 @ 4:36 pm

If they don’t they should. If they wanna know what satisfies fans, then Pitt blogs are of the essence.

Comment by Timmeh 04.26.12 @ 4:38 pm

I can tell you that some people in the PITT administration certainly do read this blog – which is how Chas and I get offered media credentials.

That said, it may be just easier to send the principals in the football program emails. That is why they publish the addresses.

Here are the contact #s and addresses:

link to pittsburghpanthers.com

Plus, another way to get the word up to people at PITT is to attend pre & post game tailgates at the Spring game and/or regular season games. Guys like Pat Bostick, Jr are readily accessible and want to know what the pulse of the fans is like. I know Bostick may sound like a young guy for this but he’s not only in the broadcast booth for PITT but is also the Assistant Director of Development for the Panther Club and is attached to PITT’s media Relations department with E. J. Borghetti and all of those guys have the AD’s ear.

As do player’s parents and alumni players who show up at these things.

Comment by Reed 04.26.12 @ 6:12 pm

I’m 0 for 1 emailing AD staff.

Never got a response, even though I spent about 3 hours hosting him during an Alumni event.

And I refuse to take it personally (although some would argue that I should).

Comment by steve1 04.26.12 @ 7:02 pm

Tell them to fire Steve Pederson

Comment by TonyC 04.26.12 @ 7:03 pm

I’ve emailed them 3 times over the years. Twice I got a standard response.

Once, I got a personal response. (very easy to tell the difference.)

I must say, all three times I did get a response.

Try again I guess. Maybe with Reed’s updated link??

Comment by Dan 04.26.12 @ 7:08 pm

I must be getting old, I think I prefer the Domino’s cheesy bread ads over the Mutually beneficial girls ad!!!

Comment by Dan 04.26.12 @ 7:22 pm

I’m seeing Mary Poppins the Musical, and Morris Mini the auto. What does that say about me?

LET’S GO, RANGERS!

Comment by steve1 04.26.12 @ 7:31 pm

I don’t care if we recruit from the Planet Mars.
If the kid can play and move some bodies out, it’s all good!

Comment by Dan 72 04.26.12 @ 7:31 pm

Hmmm – I put up a nice article about TE usage and got no comments.

I’m trying to keep football talk alive here guys.. 🙂

Comment by Reed 04.26.12 @ 7:40 pm

shush, a power play

Comment by steve1 04.26.12 @ 7:42 pm

Staal scores, 1-0 Rangers. Thank you Lord, for Lundquist.

Comment by steve1 04.26.12 @ 8:10 pm

I once sent an email to the administration to complain about the lack of port-o-pots in the lots when there is a bid game (ND, WVU, etc). I received a quick and direct response. They told me one of the main reasons for the number of port- o-pots was to discourage excessive drinking. I responded that the only thing they accomplished with that strategy was to encourage public urination. The administration did not respond.

Comment by HbgFrank 04.26.12 @ 8:31 pm

YESSSSS!

Comment by steve1 04.26.12 @ 9:36 pm

I think Chryst values smart players, especially for certain positions, like offensive line. Samuelson is a 3.5 student. A recruit that can run a 4.3 40 might get 4 or 5 stars and all the press, but couldn’t be a spell-checker in an M&M factory. The HC knows what he needs.

Comment by 66Goat 04.26.12 @ 11:38 pm

i completely disagree that pitt needs a qb that can develope into a backup. they need a very talented qb who can start. voytik is still an unknown so why would you be happy with more average qbs? as for the rest of our commits, pitts in good shape. this will be heavy with linemen and tes

Comment by pk 04.27.12 @ 7:41 am

speaking of the port o pots, pitt should should assign parking in 2 seperate areas, 1 for tailgating and 1 for fans that just park and join other tg or etc…we park on the gold lot and it is empty up until KO, while others are behind PNC rocking eary, something needs to be done so the atmosphere for the pregame is better..i know the hotels wont help, but they need to change this.

Comment by other mike 04.27.12 @ 8:16 am

[…] so much for that whole first scholarship football player from Indiana in 40-some years. Dan Samuelson has dumped Pitt and is now dating Nebraska. But he wants Pitt to know, it’s […]


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