There is an emerging theme to the recruiting class. Let’s call it what it is, “get faster.”
The latest addition to the speed force is Tre Tipton.
“I was thinking about it and me and my mom and my coach all talked, and we just said Pitt’s the place to be,” Tipton told Panther-Lair.com. “I called Coach (Paul) Chryst and I told him and he was excited. He said he can’t wait to start working with me.”
Tipton had been favoring Pitt for a long time – he was a fixture at the Panthers’ home games at Heinz Field last fall – but it was the two-day visit this past week that pushed him over the edge, since he spent those two days with current Pitt players, and that ended up being a major selling point for Pitt.
“It was the players and the people; they’re all so together, all so close-knit,” Tipton said. “The players are what sticks with you from the whole experience; they’re the ones who will mean the most when you’re there. I know that the guys that are there are the right ones for me; them and the coaches are the best ones for me.
“The coaches are of the best guys you can ever talk. They understand the process and what every young man has to do to be successful, and they’re like fathers to every guy that goes there. Everything just seems right at Pitt. I wanted it to feel like a family and ball out for four years with a family. They’re the ones for me.”
As a junior at Apollo-Ridge last season, Tipton, 6’1″ 170, caught 44 passes for 697 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. But it’s not just his scoring ability that led the Pitt coaches to offer him.
“They said I could be a very good fit for them,” he said. “They said they know I’m a hard-worker and wherever I can fit in, I’ll be able to play there. They said they think they can utilize me all over the offense.”
Tipton was also a standout defensive back, but it is clear that he wants to be on the offensive side of the ball.
Talking to the offensive players — and one in particular — seemed to help his decisionmaking.
“Coach Chryst said he couldn’t wait for me to come in and put work in,” Tipton said.
“I got to talk with (former Clairton star) Tyler Boyd (at the camp). He told me he felt like he could be a big help to me. He thinks we can work together well as teammates.”
[Tipton’s HS Coach John] Skiba did not push Tipton toward Pitt but advised him to put more thought into the situation.
“I’m a Pitt guy, but it was all his decision,” Skiba said. “He felt at home with the players and staff. I’m excited for him. I love that the hometown kid is staying.”
Tipton isn’t ranked at this point by Scout.com or Rivals.com. 247 and ESPN.com (Insider subs) both have him at 3-stars.
Here’s some of the ESPN.com evaluation.
Tipton has good height and speed for a wide receiver. Flashes a burst to accelerate to get into a second gear. Shows lateral agility to avoid defensive back off the line. Can track the deep ball well or make a tough catch away from his frame.
He needs to bulk up, and improve catching the ball in traffic. But, there is definite potential.
Tipton had an offer from Michigan State after going to their camp. He cancelled his planned camp at Penn State for next week. Most of his early offers came from MAC level schools before MSU offered. Pitt only offered recently. He seemed to be flying under the radar in part because of his school. Until the coaches actually get a chance to see him in action, they have not been as willing to offer. Once they see him perform, though, the interest picks up significantly.
So, Upitt, buddy, keep telling us what you think is needed to make things better. Please, I beg you, don’t obsess about what is not perfect.
A great article by DiPola on Chryst’s dad. And, it gives us a lot of insight into how our coach thinks and what he values. And, I miss Franck CAN,too.
H2P
Sorry about making this so serious.
If you watch the Tipton highlights, you can see the talent, regardless of stars. He cancelled a visit to PSU who badly needs receivers, our kind of guy. We are really loaded at the position right now.
C’mon Mr. Douglas et al., convince those linebackers and D Linemen to play on a team that is really going to score the football.
Dockish has a very positive article about 2015. Only major concern seems to be depth at QB.
Welcome to Pitt Tre!
Great article on HCPC in the Trib!
Even if you are not a Noll/Steeler fan, Dejan’s article in the Trib might be the best I’ve ever read……on any subject!
I’m only out of the hospital myself a little over a week.
Glad to report I got out with no infections, of course no cutting was performed, only lots of sticking. Even in the middle of the night.
Hadn’t been in this hospital for 6 years and now the rooms are like staying in a fairly nice hotel.
Even had hardwood flooring.
Hope everyone mends up well in time for an exciting football season where we make a bigger imprint on the ACC.
JD had to have noticed we played our best games last year in uptempo games sans the Duke game.
With the Colorado game at the top of the list and then the UNC win, who only got back in the game when we tried bilking the clock.
@wbb, the pepperoni sounds great.
@steve1 picante, yes, love em’ hot. Sorry about the Rangers. Kings too big and fast.
@Frank MD. would love to try your reciepe. When you get a chance, you can email it to me.
Looks like some speed came in, good to hear.
As someone said above, sure, many of us have hope, what else can we hang on too??
Saying that though, I also believe that HCPC is moving the program in the right direction. It’s more than hope. I am also pretty amped up to watch Voytik play. Not just from the Bowling Green game, my gut feeling says at the end of his career, we’re gonna be saying “Voytik, hell of a ball player”. Just my thoughts and my gut feeling.
Also, getting some big time players like Boyd, usually leads to those types talking some others to come too. They can be the teachers.
Good thing about sports, we’ll get to see what happens. Right on the field. I believe I have seen improvement. This will be HCPC 3rd year, I’d like to see some more improvement, and I’d like to see a hell of a year in 2015 with Voytik having a year under his belt, and his recruits coming in to their own.
If not, then we talk about what we need to do, but bashing a coach after just his second full season seems a bit fruitless. What do you get out of it. Being able to tell all of us on the Blather two years from now, “I told you so”????
Big deal to that.
**Caveat** I’m not talking about game day criticism’s. “why’d he call time out”, “why wasn’t Boyd in on that”, “he should have never went for it”.
That’s all fair game, fun stuff and what we bs about on here.
But to say “he sucks”, after two years?? I don’t know, I played a little ball, have watched a ton of college and pro football in my life, and I am quite sure, that I am not qualified to say “he sucks” after just a few seasons.
4th or 5th year, we’re still 6-6, 7-5 stuck in mediocrity, then sure, I’ll join you.
If Chad stays healthy, I think we are successful this season, (8 wins predicted). For HCPC’s well being, there better be 8 W’s in the WIN column come regular season’s end or else those who are impatient will definitely be calling for his dismissal after only his third season.
I feel that would be uncalled for even if we have a dismal season (5-7), just too soon to bail on Chryst just yet, especially if it is due to injury at the QB position. I’m hoping that Trey Anderson is a prepared adequate QB waiting in the wings to contribute but my gut says that Chad is the guy that our season rests with. As Voytik’s season goes, so goes the Panthers season also, IMO.
So here is hoping that Chad does great and stays healthy, Hail to Pitt!
Wbb there is low infection rates and then there are the elite hospitls with really LOW infections. The Hospital for Special Surgery comes to mind. They want you home as soom as possible, hopefully without a rehab center in between. They win the prize every year; just about
Like said earlier infections are becoming a bigger problem.
I know everybody is tired of overly negative statements. It does get boring reading the same things over and over again.
Of course that goes both ways. Tired of hearing how good Chryst is— character building— doing it the right way—academics—knows the game — player development expert—great coach—bla bla —coolaid—coolaid.
Can we try and be realistic! Real is good. Real is real!
Jeff Goodman ? @GoodmanESPN
Pittsburgh Jamie Dixon has targeted UMass assistant Marlon “Smoke” Williamson to fill Barry Rohrssen’s role on staff, source told ESPN
Smoke is supposed to be a super, young recuiter
🙂
Watched a PBS Frontline report the other week about, and it was quite alarming how much at risk we are.
Paul Chryst is doing a nice job…..
Running a college football program SHOULD be about more than just wins and losses. Chryst may be old fashioned in that regard but he understands that he has a responsibility to help his young players develop into mature men as well producing a winning team. Both can be accomplished together with the right coach at the helm. Who cares if some see those aspects of the coaching process as boring?
I think most of us are giving him the benefit of the doubt. He’s going in to his 3rd year.
Positive people will talk about his positive attributes. Character and hard work. Last I checked, those two are very important in life, not just football.
I’m certainly not going to go look for negative things to say after the guy has only had two seasons coaching at Pitt.
Like I said yesterday. After his 4th or 5th year, if we’re still 5-7, 6-6, 7-6, still wallowing in mediocrity, I’ll be the first to say so.
After two years, I admit, I don’t have the ability to say whether he is going to be a good or great coach, or be just another name in the long list of coaches in the last 30 years at Pitt.
He is doing a lot of the mandatory and simple things, that you need from a coach, (that not all coaches do) in starting off his career here.
I mean, we ain’t gettin’ Nick Saban or Les Miles, we have Paul Chryst.
From a totally unbiased, nothing to gain, nor knowing anyone on the coaching staff point of view…………..
realistically, he seems to be building the program, and doing it the right way.
No, he doesn’t get “forever” to do it. The guy, any college coach, in any college sport, should at least get a full recruiting class to see what he’s capable of.
Also, it would be different, if the first two years we were 1-11 or 2-10. We weren’t, we had decent years, with some exciting wins.
Yes, some bad losses too. Hopefully we are building on that.
Frankly, and simply, I don’t know what else you can do as a fan. He’s the coach for at least the next few years.
I haven’t seen anyone gushing about him, or being overly positive that he is Lombardi or something.
He has some positive traits, that he has transferred to his players and team, and most of us are hoping it turns Pitt into a good, solid football program. That’s all.
On another topic. Thought it interesting that Bob Huggins went up to UPMC Shadyside last Monday for hip replacement surgery. What do my fellow Blatherers think of that?
Happy Fathers Day to all you dads!