Not qualified yet may simply mean has not taken/received SAT or ACT scores yet. Hope that’s the case and not weak academics. Did hear somewhere that Xavier Stinson was unlikely to qualify and would probably need prep school. if true “unlikely” seems much more ominous to me than merely “not yet qualified.” In any event, unless either player is expected/hoped to start as freshmen it won’t matter for the 2007 seasonm if either or both have to go the prep school route first.

Perhaps this is why we seem to be stocking up on RB’s. Some for now, some for later!

While I’m ranting…I have no problem with Pitt recruiting the fringe acdademic players. I don’t want a team full of them, but we are not in a position (such as ND, for example) to not consider a talented player who may not be the best student. Sure there is risk involved, but WVU and L-ville are taking that risk with regularity. We have to compete with them. Also, I think we need a few flat out “mean” players on this FB team. For my money, the biggest loss Pitt FB took in the last five years or so is when we lost Ty Young to the streets. That guy was tough as nails on the field. We took a chance on him and lost, but it does not hurt to have one or two of him around either. Again,we are not ND, we don’t have our pick of top student atheletes who are pilliars of the community; and, we are competing against two schools in particular (WVU and L-ville) who will recruit talent and deal with it’s associated problems later. I’m not calling for a team full of “academically challenged” thugs, just a few strategically recruited players who will bring an edge to this team that seems to be missing (both with their talent and their attitudes).

It looks to me that DW has really taken the higher road in his recruiting over the last two years, and I’m glad for it. However, I also agree that offering a scholarship to an academically challenged player – when all other characteristics are positive, including his talent on the field – is fine also.

I would hate to see us stooping to a level that the University and alumni feel uncomfortable with by offering kids that have had recurring discipline and legal problems.

This is a fine line for a program to walk, and for fans to understand. I’m all for second chances in life, and shudder to think what I’d be like today if some adults didn’t have a certain amount of faith in me as a young man, but at the same time I get pretty frustrated when I see talented athletes getting special considerations because they can run faster, throw longer or tackle better than their peers.

I don’t pretend to have the answer, but trust DW to do what’s right for all involved based on his track record so far.

Not qualified doesn’t mean that they haven’t taken the SAT/ACT. That is one scenario. It can also mean that they have taken it, but have not earned a high enough score to qualify. The combination of your GPA and SAT/ACT scores determines your eligibility. If you have a high GPA you can get a lower SAT/ACT score and still qualify. If your GPA is low, you need a higher SAT score.

Not yet qualified can mean that the combination of your GPA/SAT scores is not yet high enough to make you eligible.