Signing day is over, but the stories are there. The local papers for the kids have the stories, and hopefully I’ll find them all. Seems that because Pitt had so many commit early — and not waiver — there wasn’t as much coverage.
Tristan Roberts hopes to be contributing to the defense as soon as possible. He also has some academic goals.

And as for in the classroom‚ Roberts was looking into becoming a chemical engineering major. He said that he is heading out in the summer to get some credits out of the way and that most of the course work for the major does not start until sophomore year.

“Hopefully I’m used to college by then‚” Roberts said.

Rich Roberts‚ Tristan’s father‚ noted that academics was a big part of the selection process.

“Our emphasis for him as far as him going to college and going to next level was academics‚ that was the No. 1 choice‚” he said. “We fought off Columbia‚ fought off Princeton‚ those guys are I-AA. Again‚ academically they’re strong‚ but financially it was a whole ’nother thing.

“We got to the point where we really got comfortable with the program at Pitt. They have a very strong academic program‚ they have a very good support system built into the academic level as far as athletics. We felt he wasn’t going to be left hanging there.”

Sherod Murdock decided to inject some fake drama into his signing day.

Two hats sat on a table in front of Middleton defensive back Sherod Murdock, one with “Pitt” printed on it, the other “Alabama.”

“But that was just for a little fun,” said Murdock, wearing his Pittsburgh hat. “You know, after everything that happened.”

Murdock orally committed to Alabama only to change his mind after Mike Shula was fired in December and later replaced by Nick Saban.

“I didn’t get that much attention” from Saban, Murdock said. “After I visited Pitt, I knew that was my new home..

He had hoped for more excitement — or at least envisioned a lot more originially — but reality was far different.
Line help, line help, line help is what Pitt needs. They got some more like John Fieger.

Fieger, meanwhile, took a lot of the pressure off himself before last season even kicked off by committing to Pitt. The 6-6, 280-pound standout was one of four offensive linemen signed by Panthers head coach Dave Wannstedt, whose recruiting class was considered among the finest in the Division I-A ranks.

The three other offensive linemen recruited alongside Fieger are all from Pennsylvania: Greg Gaskins (6-4, 280) of William Penn in York ; Chris Jacobson (6-3, 285) of Keystone Oaks; and Dan Matha (606, 310) of Erie McDowell.

Fieger, the anchor of Upper Perkiomen’s line the past two seasons, was listed among the Top 100 prospects by several recruiting services. He hopes to help get the Panthers back on a winning track after they ended last season with five consecutive losses to finish 6-6 overall.

Maybe it’s because McCoy was up in Milford Academy in New York when he signed. Maybe it was because the drama had already played out. I’d hate to think that the Harrisburg Patriot went minimalist on the signing of one of the best ever high school running backs from the area, because he didn’t go to Penn State. Instead they used the stringer piece from Dale Grdnic that was tailored to fit in other papers in Pennsylvania.

“We need to get him here as fast as we can and get him the ball,” Wannstedt said. “I really believe that, talking to him, it’s amazing how things change in the course of a year.

“Two years ago, he’s the player of the year and is going to USC or Oklahoma, but he had the unfortunate injury and had to go to a prep school.

“Then it’s between us and Penn State, and just through relentless recruiting with our coaches and our staff, we stayed with him. He’s back healthy now, and he’s matured so much now. So he’s looking forward to coming in here and competing. He’ll qualify [academically] for sure. There’ll be no question with him.”

McCoy’s presence could make some guys move to linebacker. Greg Williams, a 6-3, 215-pounder from Naples, Fla. is a Pitt favorite, but “a lot of schools were looking at him as a linebacker because he’s so big,” Wannstedt said. “But we just have more flexibility now.”

The Grdnic piece was used by the Beaver County Times, but focused on Aliquippa star Brandon Lindsey.

“Brandon Lindsey, we’re real excited about getting him,” Wannstedt said. “We think he’s one of the best linebackers, not just in Pennsylvania, but on the East Coast. He’s a quality kid. A smart guy and a tough guy. And there’s a need there, so … he’ll have an opportunity, because of special teams, mainly, to make a contribution early.”

Wannstedt referred to the loss of senior starting linebackers H.B. Blades and Clint Session from this past year’s squad. Along with Lindsey and redshirts Dan Loheyde and Nate Nix from last year’s frosh class, Pitt brought in Max Gruder and Tristan Roberts this year. Gruder is from Charlotte, N.C., and Roberts is from Perkasie, Pa. (Pennridge).

But Lindsey stands out, according to assistant head coach Bob Junko.

“The big thing about Brandon Lindsey is that he’s a tremendous student,” Junko said. “He has well over a 3.5, and that’s fantastic. … He comes from a tremendous family with great athletic ability, and he’s going to get bigger. And with the Aliquippa football program, he knows how to win and what it takes to win championships.”

And the Johnstown paper:

One of those players who committed late was 6-foot-2, 315-pound defensive lineman Wayne Jones from Bishop McCort. Jones’ signing marks the third straight year a Johnstown-area player decided to play at Pitt. Jones follows Greater Johnstown players Scott Corson and LaRod Stephens-Howling.

“Wayne was a guy that was a little bit overweight a year ago, and when we went in there in the spring we really were unsure about where he was at,” Wannstedt said. “He didn’t play basketball last year, which had a lot to do with it, but this year we watched his tape and he’s a playmaker.

“He’s got a ton of ability,” Wannstedt said. “So, now, we’ve got a 300-pounder who’s an athlete.”

The Penn Manor Comets, it turns out are sending 3, not 2, to play football at Pitt.

Section One first team defensive end and Lineman of the Year Chas Alecxih of Penn Manor will attend the University of Pittsburgh as an invited walk-on with an opportunity to earn a scholarship.

“He went to a one-day camp (at Pitt) in the summer and they liked what they saw,” Comets coach Bob Forgrave said. “The interest they showed had a lot to do with his decision. They’re excited to get him.

“I think he’ll do real well because they run the same (defensive) scheme that we do.”

Alecxih joins Comets teammate Jordan Gibbs and former section rival Pat Bostick of Manheim Township in choosing Pitt. Gibbs, a Section One first team all-star tight end/tackle, and Bostick, a first team quarterback and Section One Offensive Back of the Year, verbally committed last year to accept full scholarships.

The Erie paper barely mentions Dan Matha and Maurice Williams signing with Pitt, except in passing.
Kyle Hubbard got little (none) attention in Cleveland for signing. The interest was mainly — as usual — about Ohio State.
Greg Williams signed — though in his Florida school most of the attention was on his teammate going to Spurrier and South Carolina — with his teammates before a group of about 200.

Running back Greg Williams said yes to part-time Naples resident Dave Wannstedt at Pittsburgh.

“He said he was coming down here for Christmas break so I decided to tell him and quite frankly he was shocked,” said Williams, who is still trying to obtain the grades to be eligible in the fall.

More to come.