Welp, so much for that whole first scholarship football player from Indiana in 40-some years. Dan Samuelson has dumped Pitt and is now dating Nebraska. But he wants Pitt to know, it’s not you, it’s him.
The family liked Pitt plenty. They still think highly of the program and coaches. “We have a tremendous amount of respect for them,” said Tom [Samuelson]. “They did nothing wrong.”
Dan had visited the Pittsburgh campus three times, in fact.
But two Saturdays ago, he received a new offer from a school he just had to check out.
So the family stopped into Nebraska this past weekend. Immediately there was a connection…
But, really, it isn’t at all as it seems. It isn’t switching simply because Nebraska was a bigger, higher-profile offer. He’s really not that kind of guy.
He really liked Pitt, and never thought he would decommit. He never meant for this to happen. It’s just that Nebraska and he had been talking. He took a trip, just to be sure. One thing led to another, and…
Eventually, he reached that point where he knew a switch to Nebraska was the right move for him. His family understood.
“We both got to that point really fast,” Tom said.
…
Samuelson said he didn’t follow the Huskers closely growing up, though he knew of the program’s reputation.
“And from what we hear, the fans are second to none,” said his father. “So there you go. … It’s amazing what can all happen in just a few days.”
Someone get me a spoon and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia.
Given Pitt’s dearth of talent on the O-line, losing a recruit from a position of need hurts. Still, these are verbals from 17- and 18-year olds. It really isn’t something to take personally. They aren’t binding, and expecting a commit in April to stick is a bit of a risk. Better for him to decommit now than sometime in January or December when the staff may not be able to recruit another for the position.
Still. Damn.
lol
Yes – winning will help solve some of this, but the attendance and travel problems run much deeper than that.
can’t really blame him. Hopefully we can pull more quality O-line men in.
A Cornhusker working in his “chosen field”? lol
perhaps one of the funniest things I’ve ever read on the blather.
Pitt should land the Dorian’s and end up with 4 quality line prospects. Pitt presents a better option at being noticed by getting major playing time and early. Look at Pinkston as an example. You see the field often, you get drafted. That is the main selling point for Coach Chryst. IF the Dorian’s come here and see the field as freshmen, they are well on their way to a career in the big league. These kids run the risks of going to a larger program and falling through the cracks and before they know it, they are seniors with three starts under their belts.
I know they are all promised early playing time, but everyone can’t play. That is why I thought the choice of young Kugler to go to Michigan may cost him. Michigan has way too many linemen and he could easily get lost. Same situation with Samuelson and the Dorian’s. The big programs have their advantages in certain areas such as game day atmosphere, but the kids need to focus on their position coach, the two deep and their school’s success at putting folks into the league. In that order. Pitt will be fine. The kid may reflect on this change over the next few months as Nebraska signs better OL. LEt’s hope he doesn’t burn a bridge and keeps Pitt as an option. Coach Chryst will be fine!
It is wishful thinking not only because most of the top kids are mainly interested in being a pro-athlete rather than getting a quality undergrad education. Additionally and unfortunately, even if a kid is not mainly focused on the NFL or NBA, in this day and age majoring and doing well in any serious major field (particularly in science or engineering), is practically an impossibility for anyone playing a major sport like football or basketball. The sports time commitment required (scheduled practice, game travel, unscheduled practice and training on your own time, etc.) for the sport makes a more than mediocre academic performance almost an impossibility even for bright students.
That being a given, it makes little, sense unless you are near genius level intellectually, to even worry about whether a school has a good program in a particular field of interest. You most probably aren’t going to be able to do well enough in it as an undergrad to get into grad school or professional school in the field anyway because of a mediocre GPA.
Pitt drew a hell of lot more fans in 76. I know because I was there. Even when we were playing william and mary, the stands were more full.
In addition, TD broke the yardage record vs Navy at Navy.
