QB Adam Bertke from Maria Stein, Ohio has given his verbal to Pitt. Rivals.com does not have a rating on him yet but Scout.com, ESPN and 247 have him as a 3* prospect and Scout lists him as the #50 overall QB. He’s 6’5 210 and had offers from Illinois, Bowling Green, Toledo, Kent State. This is a big pickup because this is the QB the coaches want other than Keller Chryst. They let Chandler Kincade decommit because they weren’t high on him. However it would have been poor form to take his offer away so the coaches honored it. (Kincade was a Pitt verbal at QB until a few months ago. He recently gave his verbal to Akron). When Kincade left the picture, the coaches could pursue other options openly and Bertke appears to be the guy they coveted.
The big downside with Bertke is that he plays in the lowest level of high school football in Ohio. He did lead his team to a 10-2 record last year and has had some sniffs from the big boys like Ohio State and Michigan. The good news is that he’s obviously not expected to start right away or anything, so he’ll have time to adjust to the college game. The QB position is one where you can never have enough options. Tony Pike was the 3rd option in Cinci after Ben Mauk couldn’t get a 6th season of eligibility and Dustin Grutza broke his ankle. Anything will be better than what we’ve had behind Tino Sunseri the past 2 seasons.
Hopefully we have another verbal tomorrow. 4* OT Mike Grimm may be announcing tomorrow afternoon. The Bethel Park standout worked out on campus this past Friday. All signs point to a Pitt verbal if he does announce tomorrow. This recruiting class could look a lot better over the course of 24 hours.
*edit*
Chris Peak from Rivals is reporting that Dennis Briggs from Shady Side Academy has also given us a verbal. He’s a 5’11 190lb RB/DB From Pittsburgh. He had offers from us, Toledo, and Yale.
gotta beat those pesky MAC scools…
Lost 2 kids to Stoops. Were they any good?
it all starts on the lines when you have big monsters all rb will look good.
i dont mean this in a bad way but we onl have 3 offers out for DT and 3 for DE is that enough if we get 2 dt and 1 de is that enough.
with only 6 out there i could see us just geting2 one of each i thouht we needed help on D
and i think 3 of them are for 4 star players
chances of geting them are slim at best.
did we need help on d maybe i am wrong.
I agree 100% with frankcan. It all starts with the big uglies. If I had to pick one player to get this year it would be Grimm. Keeping fingers crossed…
I posted about Bertke yesterday. Better athlete than passer right now. Of the people on the roster now, he reminds me of a cross between Gonzales and Savidge. Will definitely need a couple years to refine the passing, but great intangibles. And don’t knock the MAC – that’s Marion Local’s (Maria Stein) hs conference. Includes teams from D-4 – D-6 and is probably pound for pound the best conference in Ohio.
Frank he was the Number #1 QB last year. How did Saban let him get out of Alabama?? Or Auburn??
Pedie:
“We’ve never been one that felt we were going to be at the top of the spending category. We’re going to work hard, we’re going to kind of do more with less and we’ve tended to be a little more thinly staffed, we’ve tended to be a little bit more of a lean organization, but I think it’s worked to our advantage that way. We’re not going to change dramatically how we do things..”
There you have it.
Bertke played in the lowest level in Ohio. Speed of the game is much slower and no talent. He didn’t do any QB camps. He has NO rating from rivals. He is just another MAC player. Paul Jones from StoRox was highly rated and couldn’t beat out a walkon at PSU.
As for Briggs, another player with NO rating from PSU. Shadyside competes in the worst AA division in wpial. He is another MAC type player.
This is not a good sign for recruiting.
Blewitt will be a huge contributor as a Frosh. Tremendous talent.
If nothing else we will have a team with a high GPA.
I think this Adam Bertke kid will be a good addition, doesn’t mean he will be the starter.
But hey you need competent backups as well. And this kid has good size.
Especially since I think Chad Voytik will be a pretty good college QB and we might also land
PC’s nephew.
Maybe the Dam is breaking !
And it didn’t hurt it was against the Hoopies.
Read how Pitt overcame a 35-8 halftime deficit.
we wont get PC nephew but we will sign one outher QB this year.
go to panther digest we only have 6 offers out for D line 3 DT 3 DE i dont get that i thought we needed D line help.
if only 2 out of 6 come we could be screwed
or really picking up mac players in dec
Is this Grimm kid related to former Pitt All-American and NFL HOF’r Russ Grimm ?
4 Pirate pitchers pitch a shutout over the hated
Cincy Redlegs.
Charlie Morton’s first win in his 2nd start since have Tommy John arm surgery. The Big Dog, Jason Grilli strikes out the side for a MLB leading 26th save.
We are Family ! 🙂
of makeing me sweat bullets
Really – not a loss at all as they wouldn’t have contributed in their four years here.
Emel – you joke about the player’s GPA being higher but after what PITT gas experienced with players being in trouble over the last three years that isn’t such a bad thing.
Tonyinhouston – I’ll disagree with your take on what Pederson said as far as spending. PITT is and has always been much more concerned about it’s overall educational missions then just football wins and losses. What PITT HAS done well in the past few years is to position itself in to get into conference where the football program will generate enough $$ to not have it be a drain on the general budget.
We are never going to be the type of university where football is king and is the tail wagging the dog.
Now we may have a major stud on the OL committing (one of the ‘must’ gets), and still people bitch.
The Kincade kid went to a MAC school… and yes the transfer safety from Wisky is a SSA kid (and the reviews from the Wisky coaches were stellar).
We are getting the QB they really wanted… screw how many ‘stars’ he has… he won a state championship (running for over 100 yards too BTW).
We see the program solidifying in front of our eyes… a week ago the sky was falling because of no commitments (in the critical recruiting month of May).
Great post and also comment by Reed.
Thanks, … all we see is solid, systematic… a Man working his plan (ah, don’t they do that in the organization next door??).
I would never agree spending any serious dollars from the general budget on sports at a university. That is ass backwards to the mission of the institution… while tuition goes up every year a kids are in more and more debt.
Now we are in the ACC a lot more $$ comes in so good. Look at where we are now compared to 10-15 years ago?
With the recruiting Chryst and crew are doing, Pitt will be bottom dwellers in the ACC.
Let me understand your logic, the QB that won a championship in the lowest level of Ohio football is reason for him to be a BCS QB??
Let me point to Paul Jones of Sto-Rox now at Bobby Mo and Desmond Green of Clarton now at Cal of PA.
Ridiculous criteria shows your lack of knowledge of big time college football.
Briggs is slow and his coach was quoted, “There are better football players around, but no better kids around (than Briggs)”
Being a good kid isn’t going to win games!
He pick Pitt because of the opportunity to play bigtime football, why because all his other offers were Ivy and MAC!
These 2 players as well as the kid from NY don’t excite me at all but confirms that Chryst can’t land top talent.
Every program knows about the kids that get all the press and accolades but the majority of high school players don’t fall in that category.
One of the main reason to hold camps at your own facilities is to evaluate the better than average low to no star kids. Evaluate their character, physical ability and mental make up.
PC isn’t offering these kids unless the skills are there to play at the next level.
Obviously you also have to land the so called star players but we have to look at the big picture. It is all about evaluating accurately, projecting the talent and developing it. It isn’t as simple as signing the kids that have the most offers.
What does that have to do with NY football which is classified as powderpuff? That is the reason talent evaluators don’t go. Also, there are camps and combines and those that do go do get evaluated.
The fact that you get excited about any teenage boy commiting to Pitt is disturbing. Did you attend PSU?
🙂
Pitt can sign 20 four star recruits and half will not play or be gone in four years. Get excited after you see they can actually play.
If Pitt were in the MAC league, fine. But we are NOT.
But last I looked Pitt was in the ACC. Pitt can’t compete in the ACC with the talent (or lack thereof) they are recruiting.
Please don’t use the work “coach’em up” as if no other college football HC isn’t doing the same thing!
I’m not concerned about the Oline. Even if they land Grimm my concern is lack of skill players being recruited. Pitt needs to improve team speed and they are not doing it with who they are recruiting. ACC has a lot more speed than the Big 10 or MAC.
You are wrong.
Chryst can’t land 4star recruits. If he gets at least 5 every year, perhaps Pitt will do well.
2013 had 3, 4star players. That is not enough.
2012 has 2, 4star players still on roster.
With less than intimidating recruits. mostly 2’s & 3’s. They very rarely get a sought after 4 star RB, WR or QB. Yet they compete very well.
Must be the Black & Gold thingie.
“It is also by far the smallest school playing in a BCS conference. However, since the start of the 21st century, the Deacons have been mostly competitive.
Wake Forest was ranked in the Top 25 in the nation by the AP Poll during most of the 2006 season. Wake Forest won the 2006 ACC Atlantic Division Title and the 2006 ACC Conference Championship by defeating Georgia Tech 9-6 on December 2 in the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville, Florida. The win sent Wake Forest to the Orange Bowl to play Big East champion Louisville, where they lost to the Cardinals. This made Wake Forest the smallest school to ever compete in the Bowl Championship Series. ”
Surely if the Demon Deacons can compete, Pitt should be able to do likewise.
Or there is something seriously WRONG !
Depends upon your expectations.
Wake Forest was 5-7 last year.
That is unacceptable at Pitt in my opinion.
Pitt needs to get 8 wins minimum every season.
Wake Forest is just taking up space in ACC. They use to have a good basketball program. Same with Boston College.
They had a QB named Matt Ryan, maybe you’ve heard of him. 🙂
Well I’d be really surprised if we go better than 5-7 this year. What not with the schedule and losing our big play maker Ray Ray.
Staying or going?
As far as the ACC, FSU appears to have taken Va Tech’s position as THE team in the league … but aside from the Noles, there isn’t a team that I don’t believe is way over Pitt’s head provided they showed up to play (which seemed to be an issue last year. And hopefully, Pitt is playing Noles just at the right time.
Pretty optimistic … huh Justin?
It’s highly doubtful we will ever be a program where an 8 win season is a disappointment.
I think Pitt can compete in the ACC. I just don’t think we’ll be BCS contenders on an annual basis like Pitt Dan expects. We can beat FSU, Clemson, VT, GT, etc. I just doubt we beat all ACC opponents and win the conference with high frequency. If we’re winning 8 or more every season, we’re competing for BCS bowls nearly every season. Ain’t gonna happen.
The reasonable goal should be a bowl game every season and to make an ACC run every 3-5 years. Pitt basketball, however, I firmly believe could turn into a consistent contender.
As they say……never say never !
Coaches that can’t consistently win 8 games a season at Pitt get fired.
8 wins is a reasonable expectation and I don’t include the bowl game in that. I doubt 8 wins will get a BCS bowl bid out of the ACC.
“notrocketscience,
You are wrong.
CHRYST CAN’T LAND 4 STAR RECRUITS. If he gets at least 5 every year, perhaps Pitt will do well.
2013 had 3, 4star players. That is not enough.
2012 has 2, 4star players still on roster.”
So the gist of of your rant is PC can’t recruit 4 star recruits. I am sure PC would be shaking in his shoes is he read the above post. It must be hard for you to grasp the road Pitt Football has been on these last 30 tears. A road of at best mediocrity laced with coaches who would not get a sniff at better schools.
It also must be hard for you to accept the fact most big time WPA recruits do not see Pitt as a destination for themselves.
Beyond PC’s supposed inability to recriut them please tell us why 4 or 5 star players should want to come to Pitt? What would be there motivation to come here???
If we recruit another QB you can bet we did it because he won’t be back on the roster. Putting your hands on a women is about the last thing PITT will tolerate given all the negative publicity we’ve gotten in the last three years.
I’m betting he’s gone for good.
“Lost 2 kids to Stoops. Were they any good?”
Please…Chryst basically removed these two players of the roster personally. They were going nowhere until this staff told them to look elsewhere if they wanted to actually play college football.
You said I “don’t know anything about big time college football”…. you are correct. I know as much as you do! And that means we don’t know shit compared to the coaches.
1. That was my point you missed: This QB is the one they specifically targeted and wanted. Period. I will give them credit for being professionals until the play on the field… you know, actual football… tells us differently… and that will be this season and next.
2. Gee, who was that kid who just lit up the interstate all star game with all of those “Quad AAAA” elite talent… for 5 TDs… yeah that kid from Clairton… you know the Quad AAAA powerhouse…. not??? Yes, I will take a champion and a leader of a championship team anytime if coaches think he can play for them.
3. Let’s get real on the whole ‘stars’ thing. Outside of the top kids in the country these people are in a back room somewhere throwing darts… “We evaluate 10,000s of kids across a vast continent ‘scientifically’, from our home offices, using blogger rumors, anecdotal stories and youuuutube videos”… I guess that is why real coaches pay so much attention to them????
the twins were a perfect example. The were highly profiled on the “internet” as top 40 this and that… and they were 4 string and never to see the field.
WVU has what… 8 4 stars… they suck and are screwed as a football program… ooooh, yeah, but they have players from Flooorida.
Dorian Johnson OL.. .was 5 star just to play that game… and Ohio State and others were on him hard after the Pedstate back out… (so Chryst gets no credit)
and that seems to be the dynamic with some folks… no matter what the news is there is always something… “oh, he has no stars (ya know… ya can’t play football if you don’t have your stars with you at every game….lol), oh, he’s not from Florida, oh, he is not from the super-duper division, oh, Chryst doesn’t have any recruits when it really counts… in May…”
But its all good. PC is just man, work’n his plan…
Me-ist think you write and sound an awful lot like good ole negative Joe D.: “Pitt has no team speed, no 5* recruits, no this and no that….”
Maybe are you the ghost of Joe D?
Thanks on the update. Sad end (before it even got started) to a promising future if indeed Chapman is gone.
PC is building a “program”. Not easy to recognize for Pitt fans because they have never seen one built before, but it starts from the ground (O-line) and works from there.
Note to Pederson….don’t pretend your minions aren’t reading this.
Look to East Liberty to build a track facility. It ain’t any further from Oakland to EL than OSU main campus to Jesse Owens. Land still cheap there.
