Welcome to Signing Day. Outside of up to six other recruits who will be announcing today, the biggest question will be the weather? Will kids be able to get to a fax machine, have school, and just be able to send in the NLI today?
For those unfamiliar how this works. This post will be updated all day with signings. How?
Well Pitt’s GoPittFootball twitter will be announcing signings as they come in. Scout.com and Rivals.com commit lists will also indicate when they receive word from recruits or sources inside the athletic department when kids have signed.
When they list a signing, I’ll update the list below.
Pitt will be having a live streaming press conference with Todd Graham to announce the class at 3:30 today. You can watch that here.
Here we go.
[7:40] Artie Rowell is the first one out of the fax machine.
One guy that won’t be signing with Pitt. Massillon WR Justin Olack. He’s going to Toledo.
[8:15] Ronald Jones has sent in his NLI.
[8:38] Darius Patton faxed in. Here’s an article from his local paper today. Just a little optimistic on his immediate impact.
Mark Porter, who created the website [scoutingohio.com] five years ago, raved about Patton and said the speedy wideout could become an impact player for the Panthers almost immediately.
“He’s not the biggest guy in the world, and that’s something a lot of guys will notice,” Porter said of Patton. “But that’s what makes him so special. He’s fast and quick and he plays bigger than he is. He explodes out of his breaks, which leads to getting open and getting catches.”
According to the website, Patton runs a 4.43 time in the 40-yard dash. Patton also entertained offers from West Virginia, Michigan, Boston College, Michigan State and Wisconsin among others.
But Porter said the Panthers can be an ideal fit for Patton, who could be an All-Big East receiver in time.
[8:50] Jerimiah Bryson is signed.
[9:05] Not an official signing, but Lafayette Pitts goes back to Pitt. Ejuan Price stays with Ohio State. Pitts is listed as signed by Scout.com
[9:11] Devin Cook and Stephen Williams are signed. Here’s a story on Stephen Williams.
After taking a last minute recruiting trip to Pennsylvania last weekend, Williams said he made his decision.
“I went up there by myself and got to meet coach Todd Graham,” Williams said. “I really liked him, and the campus, it was nice.”
Williams was named the Savannah Morning News’ offensive player of the year after rushing for 1,691 yards and scoring 25 touchdowns. He was also a standout defensive back, and said he will be playing safety at Pittsburgh.
“It’s a great opportunity for Stephen,” said Calvary Day coach Mark Stroud. “I was kind of surprised that more Division I schools weren’t going after him. But a lot of schools do their recruiting so early, and they weigh it heavily on a player’s junior year. Stephen was hurt as a junior and missed four games, so I think that had a lot to do with him falling off the radar, until his senior year.”
[9:15] Malcolm Crockett has also faxed in his NLI.
[9:50] Jason Frimpong is signed.
[9:57] Lloyd Carrington and his ascot have sent in their NLI.
[10:05] Justin Jackson (who?) from Alabama signed. He’s a WR.
According to ESPN.com (Insider subs.), he has no evaluation. His measurables say needs work and string-bean. 6-2, 167 pounds. Rivals.com also has no real info, but measures him at 6-3, 185. And Scout.com adds to the confusion with no rankings but 6-4, 195. So again: who?
[10:32] Lafayette Pitts and Jevonte Pitts are officially signed.
[10:35] Damn. Desimon Green did sign with Texas Tech. Pitt is about 1-3, possibly 4 as Eubanks appears heading to Utah according to late chatter.
[10:49] Corey Davis has sent in his NLI.
[11:25] Damn. Damn. Damn. Branden Jackson picked Texas Tech and Delvon Simmons went to UNC. Looking like only one of the six possible late grabs at this time.
[11:40] Nick Grigsby, however, is now signed. Let’s not get too upset at the ones we didn’t get.
[11:52] At this point the only guys still unsigned are Roderick Ryles, LaQuentin Smith, Sam Collura and Isaac Bennett. Michael Eubank is still out there, but I sincerely doubt he’s coming to Pitt.
[12:09] And then there were 2 verbals left to sign. The boys from Orlando: LaQuentin Smith and Roderick Ryles have their NLI in the Pitt offices.
[1:26] It looks like all commits (aside from Eubank) are signed. Isaac Bennett is in. And apparently so is Sam Collura.
Eubank is apparently going to announce around 3pm on FoxSports West. If he says Pitt (which I doubt), I’ll put it in a separate post.
Otherwise welcome class of 2011.
Notre Dame, Miami and WVU all had higher rated recruting classes in recent years compared to PItt. Don’t let the so-called experts who made Pitt the BE favorite this past year sway you … especially when they started an inexperienced QB with an untested OL.
No doubt that Pitt underachieved against the aforementioed teams but don’t get fooled that they had more talent.
Look at ups, they get a few from Pa but most are out of state. Bradley can’t out recruit tOSU in the WPIAL and neather can Pitt. There is not many top 150 players in Pa. anymore.
I know one thing, when the Haywood crap went down, all I heard was a lot of people saying, “there goes a years recruiting”, “we’re down to 12 guys”, “we’re down to 8 guys”, “we’re down to 4 guys” and etc. etc.!!!
An absolute awesome job by Coach Graham in the time he had. Thats it, fantastic job!!! Can’t believe the class he got, with the ink not even being dry on his contract!!!
USC amazes me with its recruiting power. I don’t buy this ‘Kiffin can flatout recruit’ BS. The school is magical for some unknown reason. It’s not exactly next door to the beach, it’s in a deadzone of town, and its proximity to downtown (30 mins in traffic…zing) doesn’t matter when it comes to nightlife, because nothing is there. Hollywood rules the clubs, West LA rules the bars and the Valley rules the good deals. USC is just kind of in no-mans land.
I understand the tradition and regional location, but I just don’t get it.
(just kidding, video sucks)
At least he didn’t fake us out!
– The good news is the cupboard is not empty like it was in 2004 – Graham can win now with the players we have on the roster. Even losing what we lost with graduation and players leaving early we have as much talent as any BE school. Go to rivals and look at the depth chart, we have some really good players on the roster. The one thing Wanny did well was recruit. If Graham wins next year and shows the potential of this offense and team we will get good recruits and recruits that can play in Graham’s o and d
– ratings of recruits is so useless. Go to Rivals and look at the past Pitt classes and the ratings … then go look at Cinci and WVU the past BE champs…they won with all 3 or lower recruits with a few 4 star…we won the recruiting battle and lost the W/L war – coaching matters.
– Look we have 15 active players planning in the NFL right now and a few stars in Shady, Fitz and Revis (arguably the best CB and a top 5 WR) of which ZERO were 5 star rated players by the rating services and only 1 was rated a 4. It is a pure guess…
– someone posted the 2010 all BE team with the ratings…if that isn’t telling of how useless these recruiting sites are nothing is
– Our best players the last 2 years – Pinkston 3 stars, Hynoski 3 stars, Sheard 3 stars, Romeous 3 stars, Houser 3 stars, Shannon 3 stars, Baldwin 5 stars, Lewis 3 stars, …
– Here are our top recruits 4 star and up 2007-2009
– Bostick – Backup
– Tommie Duhart – off team
– Chris Jacobson – solid starter
– McCoy – stud
– Tony Tucker – off team
– Aundre Wright – backup
– Baldwin – good but disappointing
– Chris Burns – backup never played – off team
– Shayne Hale – Backup
– Jarred Holley – Starter
– Lucas Nix – Solid starter
– Cameron Saddler – backup lost starting role to Street
– Ray Graham – Good but backup though could be a stud
– Jack Lippert – backup
– Dan Mason – starter (hurt) could be a stud
I’m fine with the 50th ranked class every year if we win…there is no reason we can’t win with this roster! Go PITT!
Now reality.
This is your first class. You only will get 4 more (at most) if your can’t win. By the time this class graduates you will be expected to have competed for yearly BE championships and regular BCS appearances.
‘Burg restauranteurs must be licking their lips, these assistant coaches sure like their vittles.
For someone to come in, and land 18 players, when almost everyone, fan, radio, tv said Pitt could very well lose a year of recruiting, people saying this situation was like the SMU death penalty, I say, hats off to you Coach Graham!!!
Burns
As expected, he was happy with the class and doesn’t pay attention to number of stars a player has. He mentioned Pitts, Grigsby and a couple of the RBs but didn’t go into much details — he was only on for about 7-8 minutes.
Sorry!
Well it looks like the beef went to State Penn.
link to post-gazette.com
IMO Pitt is going to have line issues for the foreseeable future. Better hope this Myers kid can run.
Remember when Hawaii played Georgia in the Sugar bowl a few years ago? Hawaii runs a run n’ shoot offense. Call it air-raid, run n’ gun, whatever you like. In that game Hawaii’s offensive line was no match for Georgia’s defensive front and basically got their QB killed running for his life.
Let’s hope next year TG brings the beef for the class of 2012.
Oh, and a QB.
Another thing to note during this sordid process, Coach had to bring these kids in during very inclement weeks in freezing January for their VERY FIRST visits to Pitt & Pittsburgh. We all love Pitt & Pittsburgh, but let’s face it, Pittsburgh in January is not a very inviting place, it’s cold, it’s bleak, it’s dreary and it’s gray. And there were no home basketball games those two weekends to take the recruits to and have the Oakland Zoo do their thing. Taking all this into consideration and all the other stuff I’m trying to forget, TG and his staff did a quite remarkable job. And even though we didn’t get some of the supposed prizes today other than Pitts, to be even in the game this late with some of them speaks volumes of how good TG and his staff should be for the future.
I am eagerly awaiting the Blue/Gold Game, fall practice and next season. Pitt football is going to be quite exciting. Restore The Beast of the East !
Hail to Pitt !
A couple of 2-stars is OK if the staff sees them as true sleepers. But 8? That reflects last minute desperation!
All that being said, Graham did an excellent job under the adverse circumstances he was faced with when hired. I commend him! A for effort C for results; B overall. Expect A overall for 2012 with a tiop 10 class!
The latter one is also “Breaking News” by the way.
The former one doesn’t qualify as “Breaking News”
How could that happen? Oh yeah…..
I am stoked for the season to start. The cupboard is not empty and if this guy is as good as promised, Pitt will win the BE and go to a BCS bowl.
There is one other thing.
It has been about a month, why is SP still here? Just saying.
BlackMagic, we tied for 1st in the BE.