Pittscript, I think Chad Voytik made a lot of progress, but I also like to see him using his mobility and running the ball as well. So I want the OC not to be afraid to let him run. They need more than 2 quarterbacks,

Nard Dog, with the way he’s assembling his coaching team reminds me of the movie “Ocean Eleven” and how Ocean (George Clooney) carefully assembled his team to accomplish his goal!!!! H2P

Yeah, no need to be concerned with QBs in this recruiting class, that is until Voytik goes down with an injury, no chance of that happening, right?

Bertke might want to chime in on this discussion also, since maybe he has some stake in this Pitt QB senario of what ifs.

Wouldn’t it be safe to assume that all these coaches were still recruiting uncommitted players, and trying to hang on to those players that had committed to them at their previous schools – before coming to Pitt? They have had their recruiting shoes on, and know all the uncommitteed guys they still want to try to get. True, they only have a few days left to get players, but they sure aren’t just starting the process! Just have to change their pitch from “MyU” to “Pitt”. As for DeNucci, did we not just sign an OC who is also known to work with QBs? One thing, though. If Denucci is to sign, he will probably have to change the two “C”s in his name to “Z”s! Have a little faith in the new staff. They are all great recruiters; they all have their eyes on guys; let’s see what happens in the next few days!

Any time you have fewer than 5 scholarship QBs on the roster you’re in danger/under staffed at the spot. There is no question we’re hurting there. I just don’t see anyone coming on board this year. Hopefully 2 4 stars next year.

Ever wonder how RG3 ended up at Baylor? When Art Briles left U of H to become Baylor’s head coach, Briles’ #1 recruit came with him to Baylor. Yep, RG3!!!

PittHW, you must open your eyes in order to see, more importantly than seeing is believing is believing that you will see. It’s not a riddle but only an idea to instill hope.

Being a Pitt fan, you should realize that often in the past hope was the only substance of of which to hang our dreams.

Let’s hope that Narduzzi produces something more substantial to hang our future aspirations for Pitt football success on. My prediction, we get one QB in this class.

Justinian, I think you created a monster

Dr. Tom, I have enormous faith my Narduzzi, huge excitement for his staff. And especially his recruiting I just don’t want people to get down on him and his staff when/if we don’t land a QB. I have a feeling they’re gonna blow the doors off of defensive recruit to close this class. And if we do end up with Rocco – the football world will take notice.

You make some good points, gc. Time will tell, but I couldn’t see him getting drafted before the 2nd rd this spring. But, that’s just my amateur opinion.

Why can’t Pitt flip an already committed QB? Didn’t Freebeck flip about 2 days before signing day?

Jim, I think he would be a steal in the 2nd round. There are no guarantees and there have been plenty of 1st round (Ryan Leaf et al) that have been busts. I just don’t see what he has to gain staying in college, he already has tweeted he is not there to go to class.

You’ve hit the mark marcus! There is no reason!

Freebeck decommited at 6pm the night before signing day. The question isn’t whether it’s possible, it’s whether it’s likely and it’s not and whether we should expect it, and we shouldn’t. When it doesn’t happen, just don’t be mad. That’s all I’m asking.

Pitt needs good linebackers 10X more than they need another red shirt QB backup.

pretty amazing guys….

well, I reached out to a few of the coaches about the script and colors…

guess what…

…these guys have actually followed up with me! No S$%^.

One coach asked for a few pics of the script so he could use them.

Wow, talking about guys who get it…. actually paying attention to fans as well as working their butts off…. unbelievable.

I hope all the irrational exuberance doesn’t set Nardo up for a fail. The schedule is tougher next year. Another 6-6 is not out of the question. Eight wins would be a home run.

Not to jinx us but we haven’t had a QB get injured (other than Savage in the Bowl game) in a very long time. A juco or fifth year guy would be a real good thing.

Jackagain, and D-Ends, anyone that can get to the passer, even a monster safety.

I am a little confused….in all honesty i ask this question: why would dinucci pass up an ivy league education and being a future starter so he could go to a state school and sit on the bench?

DD, maybe he thinks he can play.

Jack and GC get it. If we are down to the 4th string QB the team is in deep doo doo. The monster safety will be here tomorrow.

1. local
2. he believes he can play D1
3. his HS coach has a big influence on him

Some guys get a whole lot stronger from freshman to junior year, and others never get any better.

Look how long it took James Harrison to get on the field, a SuperBowl MVP.

@DD–Because:

(1) He may want to take a shot at the possibility of improving and not being a bench player. It has happened before that players develop in college with better coaching.

(2) To save his parents well over $100,000. The Ivy’s will not find enough financial aid to make it a free ride unless your family is dirt poor. (I know because a member of my wife’s family is in the analogous situation and the best the Ivy school could do was to find about 50% financial aid which just makes the cost to attend the Ivy = to the cost to attend the state school without scholarship.0

The most obvious answer to your question DD is that the DUDE wants to be a PANTHER.

I watched that WVU comeback through a bottle of Boons Farm. What a comeback!

@Pitt72 Don’t let the Ivys fool you, if they want or need you bad enough they find the $$. I’ve seen it happen in sports other than football so I’m assuming that pigskin is no different.

DD, I think the lure of playing P5 football can have a huge impact on young athletes. That chance do play at that level is even more rare than going t o an Ivy League statistically. Second, don’t sell Pitt short. We’re the #20 Public University in the world and a top 60 university. Out of 4,000+ 4 years colleges in the Country Pitt and Penn separated by 40 schools. It’s not like he is going to get a bad education here. I work with 2 UPenn grads, so it’s not like Pitt folks can’t end up in the same place career-wise.

Here’s what I’ll say about the new coaches “getting it.” I’ve made it a point to congratulate and welcome each of the 5 or 6 so far who have tweeted that they accepted an offer to coach at Pitt. I don’t believe Chaney is on twitter, or at least he hasn’t tweeted his acceptance of a job at Pitt. Everyone I congratulated favorited my tweets at some point within a day. It’s not a big thing, and actually it is easy for them to do. But, it does show me they get it.

I get the prestige of the Ivy League sheepskin, & I wouldn’t discount that he might ultimately take it even if Pitt offers. But, we’ve all pointed out some good counterpoints as to why he might choose Pitt. As I said earlier, even though big time schools have been unconvinced to this point that he can succeed at the highest level, that in no way means he agrees with that assessment. He set a yardage record in PA. He might think the offer from Pitt just means some P5 school finally figured out what he already believes.

link to twitter.com

Chaney has a twitter but doesn’t tweet much. It’s still all Arkansas stuff.

Thanks guys. Dr tom’s answer makes the most sense to me!! ( i have to admit i am a little torn as penn is my other alma mater and i am a philly guy nowadays!)

And if it really comes down to it, we’ll send Matt Galambos to explain why Ben should choose Pitt. Matt after all turned down both Harvard and Yale to come to Pitt:

link to sports.yahoo.com

FWIW,

Voytik was invited, and participated in the
Elite 11 quarterback camp.

He was a very good recruit.

He progressed during the year, to becoming a pretty good quarterback the second 1/2 of the season.

I agree we need to recruit some big time quarterbacks. I’m all for it.

I know Conner was the biggest reason, but the offense scored
48, 35, 30, 35 and 34 points the last 5 games of the season….

and went 2-3.

Chad Voytik was not the problem.

just fyi Chad has a new thread up about social media…

@jim exactly… they get the details of this social media game!

By the way, I don’t mind the colors now, with the Pitt script, they look good. The old gold would be nice too.

However, the royal blue and mustard screamed Pitt, and nothing else. When someone turned the tube on, they could tell it was Pitt in a second.

Kill many birds with one stone,

tradition,
make many fans happy
$$$$$
with the bright colors, they’ll be hip.

Why Petersen didn’t do this when we entered the ACC, i’ll never know.

It was a big, juicy curveball hanging over the middle of the plate for him.

About the Ivy league Schools it’s a personal decision. Football is different than the other sports. If you want to play big time division I football you have to make a choice. If you really want to go to Princeton then you go.

Emel – the videos were fabulous.

– bongo drums were an underrated aspect of your typical highlight film back then

– Ed Conway?! Didn’t realize he did Pitt games

– Melissa Babish, one of the many fine looking co-eds eventually married – and quickly divorced – one Terry Bradshaw.

– I will admit enjoying the third film the best! 🙂

Pitt1972, You are right on the money about the Ivy League costs. I can verify that from personal experience. If you are an athlete they want, you can get a good bit of money, but it isn’t a full ride. It opens the door and makes attending much more affordable.

It’s not like Dinucci couldn’t go get a masters/doctorate from an ivy league school if he goes to Pitt for his undergrad. Take a shot at a lifelong dream, if you make it great, if you don’t you get a free bachelors from a good school, & you can further your education anywhere you are capable. My wife has a bachelors from Robert Morris & a masters from Carnegie Mellon. Guess which one rates?

@ justinian… well said.

@dan… exactly … he was a genius in his own mind and a pinhead in real life… truly stubborn.

Could have saved his a$$ a bit by getting fans behind him again.

Reed, what I’m trying to say is: How many teams do you see lose a starting qb and the second string qb and the season goes to crap? How many teams do you see lose their top 2 qb’s and go on to finish as just as strong or stronger than they were with the first two? My guess is you see many many more teams that fall under that first scenario. And the ones that don’t have elite talent all over the board. It is unreasonable and unrealistic to expect pitt to recruit and retain 3 or 4 starter-quality quarterbacks. If they could pull it off then I’m for it but before you start offering qb’s who will be 4th stringers you better have all other team needs addressed.

we lost to everyones back up qb this year.

The Ivy League education opens doors, no doubt about it. I doubt many Penn graduates struggle finding good careers after graduation. But, if you play 4 years of QB at Pitt, whether you are a starter or not, it also opens a lot of doors if you handle it properly. You don’t have to make it in the NFL to make a lot of great contacts from the advantages of having been a QB for the football team.

PittHW – I was surprised by the film that hia arm looked like that – in the camp his arm looked a lot stronger. Anyway, I think a scholarship would be in order, as I said, we waste schollies on other positions all the time.

Dan 72 thanks for the recognition. You hit the nail right on the head. Every statement in the “Blog” is an opinion and as such is based on our own perceptions. Frankly I know little about basketball but I like to push the envelope.
I do know more about basketball having played and coached for years. This of course again is an opinion I am scared and I think we all should be that Pitt is not a basketball school anymore unless you consider being in the top 50 a basketball school.
Next year the recruiting class is marginal and the holdovers have hit their ceiling. In my opinion if the new Chancellor wants to save the value of the Pete, eliminating football in Oakland, he has to eat Dixon’s contract that Peterson squandered and be bold and go after Miller.
Coaches always love to come home and rebuild. What else can he do in Arizona except an NCCA title and despite his incredible recruiting and coaching with 64 teams in the dance it’s always a crap shot.
Dan 72 here’s looking at you kid.
When you or many of the other bloggers start agreeing with me it will be a cause me to consider
stranger possibilities.
Thanks

So much to discuss so little time.
Personally I have my fingers crossed. I have zero doubt that Nard can coach. I also like that he works from his strengths (Ohio), builds on those and reached into FL..FL…home of the fast and furious football player…
But I want a 10 year coach…
My hope is that the man from Ursuline will make Pitt his home. Become for Pitt what Dantonio is to MSU..the man who built…
I am strongly encouraged by Chancellor PG. read the Pitt magazine feature on him. Bright? Undoubtedly. Charismatic? In an understated way, Yes. Connected? Check.
But what strikes me is that he sees Pitt thru different glasses. He is preparing Pitt for the world 50 years from now. He has a vision and he is WISE beyond his years.
If PG sees in Nard what I see I’m PG, success will be ours beyond our wildest imagination.

409…decades in the making
911…not in the PSU directory