One issue that arose with Pitt fans the past three years was the extent of the recruiting.
We know of innumerable recruiting twitters from the current Pitt coaches, generally Rob Harley, Tim Salem, Andre Powell, Tom Sims, and Renaldo Hill, from Texas, California, New York, and several other states, within a very short time frame.
So, here is the state-by-state breakdown of still uncommitted recruits that have received 2016 offers from Pitt, based on ESPN recruit listings:
There are two five-star players listed, one from New Jersey and one from Louisiana.
There are 31 four-star players still listed:
Pennsylvania-5 New Jersey-4 Maryland-2 Virginia-1
North Carolina-1 Tennessee-1 Georgia-1 Florida-7
District of Columbia-1 Ohio-1 Indiana-2 Michigan-2
Texas-1 California-1 Utah-1 (Yes-Utah!)
There are 22 three-star rated players still listed:
Pennsylvania-4 New Jersey-3 Maryland-3 Virginia-2
Tennessee-1 Florida-4 Connecticut-1 Ohio-1
New York-1 Illinois-1 California-1
There are 41 yet non-committed players that are not yet rated on the ESPN list:
Pennsylvania-6 New Jersey-3 Maryland-2 Virginia-5
Florida-7 Connecticut-2 Ohio-5 Texas-1
North Carolina-2 Illinois-2 Georgia-2 Michigan-2
Massachusetts-1 District of Columbia-1
This list is, of course, subject to change as the Relentless Recruiters add more offers.
Here is the point to the statistics above:
In the past, there were questions about recruiting being spread to other states.
That obviously is happening.
With the diverse group of assistant coaches that Coach Pat Narduzzi has assembled, all together their experience covers a wide range of states, including ACC states, which shows up in the offers.
In the past, there were questions about recruiting more players from Florida.
That obviously is happening, and likely with some networking through Coaches Josh Conklin and Rob Harley, who were at Florida International last season.
There is also still a presence in Pennsylvania.
These new coaches are being asked to put together a sustainable recruiting program at warp speed, which they are doing, and so they are being referred to here as the Relentless Recruiters.
Pitt Expectations
The ideal purpose of recruiting, of course, is to match a recruit’s ideas about and vision for himself with a school and coaching staff that can help him get a solid academic background, graduate, and mature, as well as to become the best football player possible.
That is also a way to minimize transfers through solid matches of player, coach, and school.
Reportedly, Michigan State has relied on developing 3-star players, on players that want to play in their system. Recently recruited, current Pitt players seem to fit that same mold. There has been discussion among Pitt fans the last three years about the meaning of player ratings. With Pitt’s record the last three seasons, it would still probably not be realistic to expect many five and four star players at this point to want to enroll at Pitt.
If you check the number of five-star players available and the top football schools, even many of those schools may only obtain one or two five-star players a year.
Point is, before Pitt accumulates four and five star players, they are most likely going to need to: WIN.
And the Catch 22 is that recruits come in with different ideas. Some players, like the type that have frequented Michigan State, are willing to put team ahead of self. If you win, and you get more future four and five star rated interested players, then you need to sort out:
who is interested in Pitt because they want to give their all for the team, and who is seeing wins at a school as the main incentive. We have seen recruits in the past drift elsewhere for a winning team, whereas they could have been on the first or second team at PItt.
Regardless, there has been progress in Pitt recruiting. The numbers may not show it to this point, but the excitement of the recruits at getting Pitt offers and their positive statements about the coaches in their interviews and twitter feeds show that everything is moving in the right direction. As mentioned before, also, most of Coach Paul Chryst’s recruits became interested/committed during summer camps.
The other positive is that Coach Narduzzi has apparently discovered past recruiting issues and is listening and addressing them.
There may be a temporary lull, but at some point the Pat Signal should blaze brightly on the twitter sky for all Pitt family and fans to see.
H2P!!
PittSportsOptimist 