Well, it is that time of the year. The recruiting stuff picks up and the newspapers which try to keep an arms length from such sordid stuff, begin reporting on it with little else going on in college football. Story on the linebacker commits over the weekend.

Lindsey is looking forward to settling in at linebacker.

“It’s going to be an easy transition now that I only have to play one position,” Lindsey said. “I’m still learning. In the next two or three years, though, I should be one of the top players in the country. I’m quick to the ball, I get off blocks well and I have a nose for the ball.”

The 6-foot, 206-pound Roberts, who chose Pitt over Bowling Green, also played linebacker for the first time as a senior after spending his junior year at safety. Roberts, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, met Sunday morning with Pitt defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, who also will coach linebackers next season.

“That’s what they kept emphasizing, that they need linebackers with speed who can recognize plays,” said Roberts, who has a 4.1 grade-point average and scored 1,390 on the SAT.

It didn’t hurt that Roberts had a Pitt connection. His father, Richard Roberts, is a first cousin of former Pitt defensive backs Tim Lewis and Louis Riddick.

It also appears that Shariff Harris, a RB out of New Jersey will make his verbal to Pitt today — must have been a good time for the recruits this past weekend. Harris is a 2- to 3-star recruit with offers from UConn and BC.

The coaching carousel has opened things up for Derek Moye, the 3-star WR out of Rochester (PA). He seemed rather set on going to BC, but with O’Brien going to NC State, things have changed. He’s not just looking at NC State now, but also PSU, Michigan State and Pitt.

Meanwhile, Kyle Hubbard out of St. Edwards in Lakewood, OH (Cleveland subub) is still firm in his verbal to Pitt.

“The biggest influence I had was Joe Thomas,” said Hubbard, referring to St. Edward’s former All-Ohio offensive lineman, who starts at guard as a true freshman for Pittsburgh. “He was in my ear all day [during the visit] – ‘Pitt, Pitt, Pitt is it.’ I went down there on my official visit and just loved it, because it’s a lot like Cleveland. The people are the same, dedicated fans and such.

“People have asked me if I go to Pitt, who am I going to root for, the Browns or the Steelers? I said I’m just going to stay neutral and go to the game.”

The 6-5, 220-pound Hubbard, who totaled nearly 60 receptions over the past two seasons, said Minnesota and Kentucky also were high on his list and North Carolina and its new coach – former Browns head man Butch Davis – are making a late pitch to get him to make a visit. But he says his commitment is to Pittsburgh. Hubbard also is a mainstay on St. Edward’s highly ranked basketball team.

Just hard to believe a Cleveland kid would consider Butch Davis.