masthead.jpg

switchconcepts.com, U3dpdGNo-a25, DIRECT rubiconproject.com, 14766, RESELLER pubmatic.com, 30666, RESELLER, 5d62403b186f2ace appnexus.com, 1117, RESELLER thetradedesk.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER taboola.com, switchconceptopenrtb, RESELLER bidswitch.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER contextweb.com, 560031, RESELLER amazon-adsystem.com, 3160, RESELLER crimtan.com, switch, RESELLER quantcast.com, switchconcepts , RESELLER rhythmone.com, 1934627955, RESELLER ssphwy.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER emxdgt.com, 59, RESELLER appnexus.com, 1356, RESELLER sovrn.com, 96786, RESELLER, fafdf38b16bf6b2b indexexchange.com, 180008, RESELLER nativeads.com, 52853, RESELLER theagency.com, 1058, RESELLER google.com, pub-3515913239267445, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
December 20, 2012

Robert Foster’s Decision Time

Filed under: Football,Recruiting — Chas @ 9:40 am

Remember folks, tweeting at recruits is bad form — and before the decision is made can be a potential NCAA violation. Whether before or after a decision just leave the kid be. Follow his tweets if you must, but don’t go jealous boyfriend/girlfriend on a kid.

At least Robert Foster will end the drama before the start of winter break — and he means right before.

Robert Foster (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley), No. 28 in the ESPN 150, will hold a ceremony on Friday, Dec. 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET at Central Valley, his coach Mark Lyons said. While the date was set earlier this month, the time was still up in the air as late as this past Friday.

The No. 2 receiver nationally, Foster will choose between Alabama and Pittsburgh. He officially visited the Tide on Oct. 26 and the Panthers on Nov. 16.

Pitt and Alabama have been in the mix from the beginning. Other programs have been mentioned, then fallen away from the list.

 

His head coach swears he has no idea. That Foster will make his decision that morning and “go with his gut.”

“I don’t think anybody has an idea of what he’s going to do,” Lyons said. “I’m not sure he has an idea.”

Foster hasn’t given any indication of where he’ll commit, Lyons said. He previously narrowed his choices to Alabama and Pitt.

Since his recruitment began, Foster hasn’t been looking for a coach to tell him how he fits in or that he could play right away. But he wants a school that reminds him of Central Valley.

“He wants that family atmosphere and a closeness in the community,” Lyons said. “He likes being a high school student and a high school athlete. There is a comfortableness for him at Central Valley. When he finds the same feeling at a school, that’s going to the deciding factor. I’m sure that’s what he’s been mulling over for the past two to three weeks.”

To review. Robert Foster is one of the top WRs in the country, not just in Pennsylvania. Where he ranks is a matter of opinion. ESPN.com and 247 say he’s the number #2 receiver in the country. Scout.com says #5 and Rivals.com at #10. Overall, the rankings put him at 23 (247), 28 (ESPN.com), 30 (Scout.com) and 74 (Rivals.com).

Interestingly, despite declaring him the #2 WR and 28th overall recruit, ESPN.com puts him at 4-stars. Rivals.com also says 4-stars. Scout.com and 247 have him as a 5-star recruit.

Alabama has one WR in their recruiting class. A 3- (Scout.com)  to 4-star (247, ESPN.com & Rivals.com) WR from Louisiana, Raheem Falkins.

Not that should make a difference. Pitt after all is pursuing, and at least has a 35-50% chance to land, Tyler Boyd as well.

Guess we’ll put up an open thread tomorrow for the spectacle.





Amazing, if true that he is just going with his gut tomorrow morning. Tough decision for a young man.

Off topic, but if you get to Oakland, check out the Phipp’s Christmas flower show. Great family fun.

Comment by gc 12.20.12 @ 9:52 am

Well then fill his gut with some ‘O’ fries and a Primanti samwich. He’s not going to get that down in Bamy.

Comment by TX Panther 12.20.12 @ 9:59 am

Huge lift if Pitt is it! Glad I am not a FB
coach having to deal with whimsical
HS kids.

We need you Robert. Savage has an
NFL arm. Shell is ready to break out.
Stay local near family and friends.

Comment by JR 12.20.12 @ 10:06 am

When you’re in high school and visiting various schools, it’s easy to lose the fact, when you are accross the country everything becomes more difficult. The culture is different, friends and family can’t see you play on a regular basis. Travel to and from school is a hassle. I tell people who have childen in collegiate atheletics, being close to home is big. They are going to live on campus anyway, so they will have their independence and experience college life. Hopefully Robert Foster and Tyler Boyd consider that in their decisions. We love to see our local stars play big time sports here at Pitt. I hope to be watching these guys here at Heinz Field on Saturday afternoons for years to come.

Comment by Justinian 12.20.12 @ 10:24 am

If he wants a place that is like and feels like central valley, I don’t necessarily think tuscaloosa is that palce

Comment by usd121 12.20.12 @ 10:35 am

I remember when Danny got down to Pitt and UCLA. His father told him “we sure can’t go to Los Angeles every week, you’re going to Pitt”

Comment by JLE 12.20.12 @ 10:36 am

Hope he picks Pitt but my gut says he goes to Bama ……
I hate these ceremonies where kids select there school…hats of the schools he might pick on a table like it is a game show. Says a little about the player’s character that he is announcing this way.

Just announce the pick in a statement beforehand then perhaps a brief press conference if the recruit is a top twenty.

Comment by milo bloom 12.20.12 @ 11:00 am

I’m holding a ceremony in about 35 minutes.

I’m having cashew chicken and two spring rolls!

Comment by Dan 12.20.12 @ 11:26 am

just remember .. if he chooses Bama, the blow to the colllective Pitt ego is more damaging than the on-the-field contribution … especially if we end up with Boyd.

Yes. I would love to have him but life goes on .. or does it? actually not totally sure!!

Comment by wbb 12.20.12 @ 11:41 am

I don’t mind the ceremony thing…What’s wrong with the kid having a little fun, getting a little limelight? As a Pitt alum and fan I just hope he decides to “take his talents to the North Shore”

Comment by BCPITT 12.20.12 @ 11:47 am

If Foster picks Bama I blame the Mayans…

Comment by BCPITT 12.20.12 @ 11:48 am

link to footballrecruiting.rivals.com
This report has him leaning Pitt. The paragraph on Pitt and Foster is towards the bottom of the article. Also states with Foster Pitt will have best recruiting class in Big East and 5th best in ACC…

Comment by PittScript 12.20.12 @ 12:03 pm

Obviously I sincerely hope it’s Pitt, but WRs are not going to make or break a program. We’ve had 3 of the best in the past 10-12 yrs and though they were great contributors and fun to watch, they didn’t significantly impact Pitt’s success. Give me 2-3 more quality OL/DL. There far fewer good ones, so a 4/5 star lineman is a more significant get, aka Dorian Johnson.

Comment by Iron Duke 12.20.12 @ 12:10 pm

I would love to have foster come to pitt but
i have read some were that as good as foster
is boyd is even better.
just give pitt one of them please . but i want both of them.

Comment by FRANKCAN 12.20.12 @ 12:22 pm

BCPITT, The Mayans did predict ” .. a small group of the suppressed will enjoy deliria briefly before the end”

Comment by wbb 12.20.12 @ 12:36 pm

Western PA Tuscaloosa ain’t. Stay home, stay home.

Comment by Atlanta Panther 12.20.12 @ 12:41 pm

@ BCPITT, I’m with Dan on this one! A ceremony to celebrate announcing where you are going to go play college football is just a little bit to self involved for my tastes.
Yeah, the kid has great potential and will probably become a star, but I feel it probably would be more appropriate to wait until after he receives the Biletnekoff Award as an underclassman to start struting around like he deserves the attention.

This is kind of like watching the kindergarten class graduation ceremony with full cap and gown, with each child receiving a diploma if they succeeded in not pooping their pants for the entire academic year. Get over yourself already.

Comment by Dr. Tom 12.20.12 @ 2:36 pm

BTW, if Foster’s coach is accurate in his comment that presently Foster REALLY has no idea on his ultimate decision and is just going to go with his gut at his announcement ceremony, well then, I’m second guessing whether Pitt should even be interested in such a numb nuts.

Considering that this is probably the most important decision to be made in this young man’s life up to this point, and he has given it so little thought that he is just going to leave it up to what he ate for breakfast that day, depending on how his GI system is feeling, come announcement time to determine his selection is pretty frickin ridiculous. Ya think?!?!

Comment by Dr. Tom 12.20.12 @ 2:46 pm

I don’t remember, did Larry Fitzgerald have a ceremony when he committed to Pitt?

Comment by Pitt Dad 12.20.12 @ 2:53 pm

Let’s see. Does the kid want to be coached by a former QB who never played WR (Alabama), or does the kid want to be coached by Bobby Engram?

Coach Bobby had a stellar career in college, where he won the Biletnikoff Award. He followed that up by playing over 10 years in the NFL, making 650 receptions for over 7700 yards and 35 touchdowns…

A no-brainer, I tell ya. Pitt has to be it!

Go Pitt.

Comment by Fort Pitt 12.20.12 @ 3:40 pm

My sources say he’s coming to Pitt. I guess we’ll know by 2:31.01 PM tomorrow.

Comment by Dan 72 12.20.12 @ 5:14 pm

Dan Marino had a big announcement at Central Catholic high school hockey game.

Also this was from twitter’

@rivalsmike: Despite high confidence from #Alabama, I’d still be stunned if Robert Foster doesn’t pick #Pitt

Comment by Beantown-Sean 12.20.12 @ 5:16 pm

I dont know but wasent he only a 2 star comeing out of high school.

Comment by FRANKCAN 12.20.12 @ 5:17 pm

info for you tex panther has given us a new naame for the pitt DC cooks the ND co dc
who coached at wisconsin from 2006 till 2009
.

Comment by FRANKCAN 12.20.12 @ 5:24 pm

If Foster picks pitt, I’m OK with him having a black-tie affair with the President, the Pope and Vladiir Putin in attendance.

Comment by wbb 12.20.12 @ 6:47 pm

Yeah, Larry Fitzgerald had a ceremony on the actual LOI signing day. He and his coach split a Gatoraide in the coach’s office while they waited for his letter to process through the FAX machine.

Comment by Dr. Tom 12.20.12 @ 7:23 pm

Dr. Tom nice effort outta you today, great wit!

Comment by Iron Duke 12.20.12 @ 7:48 pm

Here’s my guess…Foster Picks Pitt, as a result Boyd decides to gs elsewhere, then Foster doesn’t make the grade and has to go to prep school.

Screwed again!

Comment by Hank the Tank 12.20.12 @ 8:02 pm

The shout out is appreciated Iron Duke.

Comment by Dr. Tom 12.20.12 @ 9:27 pm

You’re right because he is having a conference then we don’t need him is that what you are saying? Comparing ANYONE to Larry Fitz is blasphemous in my eyes, so I don’t think it’s fair to do that to Foster.

Things are also different now. They have HS football on ESPN primetime, they had a committment ticker on the ESPN bottom line the other day during the Pitt b-ball game. My Sports app has “No. 2 hoops recruit Parker commits to Duke” as one of the top headlines of the morning.

These kids are seeing more exposure now then ever before and this trend has really picked up as of late. Everyone KILLED Lebron over his decision show, but if he had chose to stay home in Cleveland, I am sure it would have been viewed as an endearing way of getting press for his hometown team.

How many All-Star, All-American, blah blah blah games are there for high school kids now? We are sitting here on the blather discussing this kid openly and I am sure many in Alabama are doing the same. You can’t expect to demand so much immediate information, put these 18 year old kids out with the national media on recruiting websites and all american games and then say “Shame on you for going to the media”…The fact of the matter is the reason they have these announcements and conferences is because we all tune in or boot up the PC to find out.

Comment by BCPITT 12.21.12 @ 9:29 am

Powered by WordPress © PittBlather.com

Site Meter