Okay, this was one the Pitt football team needed. Dan Mason out of Penn Hills made his verbal. One of the top remaining uncommitted players in Pennsylvania, and one of the top linebacker prospects. He’s a consensus 4-star recruit.
He had offers from Pitt, WVU and PSU among others. He had it down to WVU and Pitt — because there was an opportunity to get out there early.
“That was a huge part,” Mason said of the middle linebacker opening. “That’s why I wanted to get down to Pitt and West Virginia. Both are losing their star middle linebacker. I can play in the middle, outside, wherever you want me to play.”
It doesn’t mean he will. It just means there is a better opportunity at early playing time.
Ultimately, the comfort with Pitt’s coaching staff was the difference maker.
“The main thing is that I was real comfortable with the coaches at Pitt,” he said. “They have been recruiting me for three years and I’ve had a great relationship with all those guys. I took my time with this decision because I wanted to have no doubt and I have no doubt. I know that Pitt is the right place for me.”
Max Gruder, another reshirt FR, got much playing time especialy later in the season
Shane Murray, previous starter at SAM LB, returns
Like Rivals and Scout may suck up to Pitt. ESPN is Dick Vitale personfied … it sucks up to all the established majors … if FL, USC, Oh St Oklahoma, etc. doesn’t offer, then no way a prospect can have any value. It is true that Mason’s stock dropped during his senior yesr (he was 2nd in western PA to Gateway’s Bell at the beginning), there is no way that he is just a so-so candidate, and is highly rated on too many services and certainly has potential.
DE – Sheard, Romeus, Tucker, Tkach, Hale
DT – Williams, Mustakas,Duhart, Caregin, Bokor
all are proven except Hale
Tom Lemming which has no Pitt ties has Mason as 18th ranked ILB — much better than ESPN’s 38th, and all other services have Mason rated much higher than ESPN. Rivals has him 20th.
Rivals 100 or 250 as well as eveyone else’s top players are usually dominated by the skill players, but if you are in the top 25 of any one position nationally, you can be deemed as a pretty good prospect … certainly above a “so-so” status.
A- all are Wannstedt recruits that were rated 2-stars by Rivals or Scout.com but now have a good chance of playing in the pros. And all were rated lower than Dan Mason – so why should Pitt fans not be happy that Mason is coming to Pitt?
Sure, there are no guarantees with 17 – 18 year olds, but you don’t discard a recruit just because ESPN has him low while at least 4 other services regard him highly.
What happens after that is the staff’s real concern – that’s where these kids either rise above, remain average or don’t pan out.
While we all seem to kind of latch onto favorite recruits we want to see do well, I’ve learned that you really can’t tell how a recruit will do until his third or forth year really. There are a few exceptions of course like LeSean McCoy, but they are few and far between.
McCoy, Byham, Sheard, Malecki, Caregin, Otah are all 4-star Wannstedt recruits that are doing well (and Dickerson may well prove to be valuable in his senior season, and K Collier who played behind McCoy and StephensHowlings still has 2 years to go) … and by all accounts (not by Pitt poeple but by beat writers who have critcized the program when necessary), Jacobsen, L Nix, Baldwin, Hale, J Holley and C Burns (all who have 3 or 4 years eligibility left) all have shown enough in practice to create high expectations for the future.
Th obvious disappointment is not developing a QB .. but considering the amount of underclass talent on this current roster, I think you guys are being way too critical of Wannstedt’s developmental skills
