I know. I know. Chryst develops players. Don’t get hung up on stars and who has offered. Look at the size. Right now it is just kind of funny at this point.
In addition to Tra’Von Chapman, Pitt added another verbal from Ohio. Carson Baker, an offensive tackle, who had offers from Toledo (man, the Rockets must be just about sick of this), Ohio and Buffalo opted for Pitt.
Measurables. Baker is 6-5 and anywhere from 270-315 pounds. No, really.
Rivals.com, 247 and ESPN.com all have Baker as un-starred, and un-evaluated. Scout.com actually gives him 2-stars. Of course Scout.com also lists Baker’s weight at 270 while the other 3 sites put him at 300-315.
Well, at least his high school coach is fond of him.
“He’s the best lineman I’ve ever coached,” said Fairborn coach Roy Thobe, who has been a high school coach in Ohio for 25 years. “And I’ve sent players to the Big Ten and Mid-American Conference.”
Um, I don’t suppose you could name some that you sent to the Big 10? I mean I found one DT who is at Indiana, but, um, yeah, Indiana football.
Looking like Chryst is determined to show he can really coach ’em up at certain spots.
I didn’t like Graham and I do like Chryst but let’s be honest- if Graham or Wannstedt were recruiting like this people would be going apeshit.
Based on what the high school coach has to say, I’m going to think this kid has a chance to be a pretty good player.
Written in wRONg Cook style. Maybe Wisconsin was filled with 3,4,5,6 star O lineman and I just missed it. Perhaps lineman aren’t rated as high because their films don’t make sportscenter.
I am considering retiring after this one because the way it is written, one can conclude that a 17 year old is a finished product, can’t improve or never misjudged by people who really never have to teach (aka “coach”).
Speaking only for myself obviously, welcome to Pitt young man. Use the echoed misgivings of those around you to motivate yourself. At Pitt, we teach. Sometimes, the teaching is embodied in lessons of what not to do.
This article would be one such example.
These are kids who just finished their Jr year. There will be a number of kids that may not have played much as underclassmen but will be good enough to get a D1 scholarship. Think about the OL we lost to Nebraska there were lots of posts on a an number of blogs criticizing that we offered him as he didn’t have any other big time schools after him.
Having said that, I really don’t give a hair off Dave Wannstedt’s mustache about recruiting rankings and stars. Just find a way to win! I dont think Boise State gets a top ten recruiting class year in and year out yet they compete with the biggest and best every year…It can be done.
2008-2012 Pitt Average #32 class high of 17(2010) low of 47 (2011)
2008-2012 Wiscy Average #42 class high of 26(2008) low of 63(2012)
Imagine that, a 6’5″ 315 lb OL who was never shown how to correctly lift weights throughout HS. Think that may make a difference with him in one more season of HS ball and two years of a college S&C program? This kid will be a monster by then.
So, our staff watched this kid in camp, saw his films and then felt comfortable enough to offer. That is just fine with me.
Frank MD
To me that means he is a big kid who has the necessary athleticism but needs to have his technique developed since he probably got by in high school simply by just being bigger than anyone else.
So, if all this is true–
1) He has the needed frame (height + weight)
2) He has room to get stronger since his weight room technique isn’t good
3) He has the athleticism needed
4) He has room to improve his technique
All this tells me that this is a kid who, if he has the right attitude and work ethic, has the potential to become a truly outstanding OL by the time he is a RS soph or junior.
That’s not a bad basis for the staff offering him irrespective of stars.
High school coaching in most programs in both sports do not focus on fundamentals or team play they focus on winning.
Pitt football is still in a very tenuous state following the debacle of the last few years, and really considering the mediocrity of the last few decades.
Yes, I know we won a national championship close to 40 years ago. Yes, I know Darelle Revis and Larry Fitzgerald went there. Yes I know we’re all proud of our alma mater, justifiably so. Who says all that is supposed to matter to any given kid, or that Chryst could sell them on it even if he were a supercharged, relentless recruiting maniac?
The fact is, TODAY, the best coaches are NOT lining up to coach at Pitt; the best prospects are NOT automatically lining up to play there. No matter where they’re from.
Why should they? The arguments that opposing coaches can make against Pitt are compelling, although many people don’t want to listen:
Pitt has just experienced absolutely unprecedented, almost unbelievable coaching instability. They will be leaving their conference maybe next year, maybe the year after – no one knows for sure. They’re fourth, maybe fifth in sports interest in their OWN TOWN (a problem they share with many other urban schools, of course).
Take off the blinders. We’re damn lucky to have Paul Chryst here. He deserves significant leeway before we crucify him. (tired, obvious joke intended)
I like many here, attended PITT during the latest “Glory Years” 1974-1984. We had a great 10 year run there. Before that we had the one great no bowl team in 1963 I believe and the two Sugar Bowl teams of the 1950’s. And then you have to go way back to the 1930’s, and Pitt’s Dream Backfield when PITT was the dominant team in the East as well as one of them in the Nation as well. And of course we had the legendary Pop Warner coach at PITT even before that and made PITT a dominant team.
So for tradition, and that is what college football is all about, we have a ton of it. More than 90% of Universities out there. What we haven’t had since the 1980’s is stability. As we’ve had 8 head coaches since 1990. (I think I got em all) You can not build a consistent winning program with 8 head coaches in 22 years.
Peterson was the AD for the majority of these 22 years. He should be out looking for a job as I type this. This is the same person who destabilized one of the more dominant football programs in college football since 1970. That being Nebraska. Why does Smiley still have a job at PITT ? Thank God the last football hire was taken OUT of his hands.
We have received your critique and thank you for submitting it. It is always a pleasure when commenters take PITT football seriously enough to take the time and effort to write a sentence or two in response to one of our articles.
However, there is one small point to clarify… Chas wrote this piece, not yours truly. Had I written it there would have been a lot more tongue-in-cheek- humor in it and maybe a wife beating Head Coach reference or two.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter and your suggestions will be placed under advisement.
Sincerely,
Reed
P/S: How do you feel about Tino Sunseri as the starter? We haven’t discussed that issue in such a long time.
On the other hand I totally agree about Smiley…he must have some real incriminating dirt on Nordenburg or something!!!
I can only conclude that Chas needs to take a vacation to Central America…the all the sex you can stand kind…because that piece was filled with pent up rage…
I am all for criticizing people when and if they deserve it, but the venom was too close to the young man. Pitt…we…have more class than that.
As for Tino, if he wins the starting job, as long as it is based on performance and not finger crossing, I can’t complain. I view the season as a work in progress and what I Mooming for from Chryst is how he adjusts to the inevitable unpleasant circumstances. That could include bad QB play. In short, who starts the season is less important to me than who finishes.
I don’t think its fair to take out boiling frustration about Chryst’s recruiting on one kid. I also thought it was shameful to take a shot at his high school coach, who was just trying to talk up his player – who in his eyes was being under recruited.
If you are unhappy about PC’s recruiting efforts, as I know many are, I think it would be best to write a summary article explaining your opinions. But to make a kid’s commitment look embarrassing for our school like that does not seem very professional.
I was happy to see so many commenters rush to the kids defense, and after this post makes him look so bad, I tend to want to join in. The kid has the right size, and after watching his highlights, he has a nasty streak. I don’t have much faith in star rankings, but at least let the kid’s senior evaluations come out before you chalk him up as a waste of a scholarship. I hope Baker sees this article and uses it as determination to prove everyone wrong.
Hail to PITT
I’ll take steady, slow, “Coach-em-up Chryst.” Take your time, Paul, and build up our program with integrity and honor in a smashmouth, Pittsburgh style. Ignore the hysterics.
The don’t offer a kid based only on a camp. They may get very interested based on what they see at camp but when we hear an offer was given out either at or directly after a camp they had already had the kid on their radar and had done their back ground homework on him.
Sometimes it works in reverse, they are interested in a player, do their background work and then they specifically invite that player to the camp to see him move in person.
They also require two complete game films instead of a highlights film as usually given out which is a highly detailed way of assessing and they don’t follow the star ranking system at all.
Say what we will about the ‘quality’ of these recruits but they are putting together a class of the type of players they want. That doesn’t mean they haven’t missed on players they really wanted – Dorian Johnson is one of course, but they aren’t throwing out offers just to fill up numbers.
He won’t be pacing the sidelnes looking lost when faced with having to make critical decisions in the heat of a game.
He also won’t have such a lack of confidence in his players, his coaches and himself to turn the third down pooch punt into a major offensive strategy.
These two facts will ultimately have the biggest impact on how much Pitt gets out of its two and three star recruits in comparison to previous coachig staffs.
Worse was Graham the spot was 14 for the opponent.
Leave the tunnel for the kickoff down 14 to 0.
