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April 29, 2015

According to Chris Peak, Pat Narduzzi tapped into his Michigan State pipeline to add former Spartan Mark Scarpinato to the team. Scarpinato, a 6’3 286 pound DT, is an interesting case. He left MSU after the 2013-14 season to go to med school at Wisconsin. At that point Scarpinato was a redshirt sophomore yet had already graduated, an impressive achievement.

Scarpinato appeared in all 14 games of his sophomore season as part of a four man defensive tackle rotation on the number one defense in the nation. I’ll look into how his eligibility will function in terms of whether or not his year off counts against him. I would assume so and that would mean the former Spartan will only be able to play this upcoming season. At worst, Scarpinato is proven depth at DT and can use his experience to aid his fellow DL in adapting to a new scheme. At best, he could be a starter on a DL that under-performed last season.

Also in recruiting news, a JUCO WR eligible to play this fall could be coming to town. Rafael Araujo-Lopes picked up an offer from Pitt, and it’s a safe bet that with Rob Harley in California today to visit him, the deal could be closed soon.





@ Reed, as I previously opined, Narduzzi is proving that his recruiting prowess is more aggressive and is reaping results with “gets” at positions of extreme need. DiNucci and Peterman at QB, then for the D, McKee, Parker, Brightwell, Allen, Whitehead and just now both Hendrix and Scarpinato shows me this Nard Dog staff is for real when it comes to reeling in recruits!

Comment by Dr. Tom 04.29.15 @ 10:00 am

And I was comparing him to Chryst’s recruiting style and results.

Comment by Dr. Tom 04.29.15 @ 10:02 am

Normally one would have 5 years to use 4 years of eligibility. But there has been so many exemptions lately, who knows?

I would think the fact that he graduated will make him eligible immediately for this year .. and it shouldn’t hurt the chance for his 4th year (of eligibility)

Comment by wbb 04.29.15 @ 10:05 am

You have to like the resourcefulness of this staff. Looking under every rock for football players.

I really thought we were OK at DT – wish they’d find another DE.

On the Juco WR, you’d have to think that playing in the slot – which is where he plays in a lot of his video — with the defense having to worry so much about TB, would be a good inducement for him to come to Pitt. This kid is fast. (And he didn’t drop one pass on his highlight video – smiley face!)

Go Pitt.

Comment by MajorMajors 04.29.15 @ 10:07 am

If nothing else, the DT knows the systems, can play fast, and provide depth.. All good things.

And until someone actually steps up to play opposite Boyd, or in the slot, or wherever…. Add all the competition you can.

Comment by BostonsCommon 04.29.15 @ 10:35 am

What I liked about the WR highlights was that almost every time he scored he just handed or tossed the ball to the official. No garbage showboating. It definitely appeared that he was playing in a pretty weak division. I’m guessing he’s probably not as fast as he looked against that competition.

Comment by JJ 04.29.15 @ 10:36 am

Mark Scarpinato was solid at MSU as a RS Sophomore when he was thrown into action late — If he is still 285+ and really has the will to play again, he will without a doubt be at least 1-A in the DT rotation with Render (Woo-Wee, and with future NFL-er Tyrique Jarrett and K.K. Mosley-Smith at NT — that inside got real-tough, real-quick).

—- One question though: Scarpinato only played two years total (fulfilled a full-redshirt year his 1st year at MSU) so I cannot comprehend any scenario why he doesn’t have 2 full years of football eligibility left.

—-Rafael Araujo-Lopes if Faaast — legit fast, and quick. And he’s fast-twitch and changes direction in a snap: Which instantly makes him probably Pitt’s 2nd most dangerous Wide-out after Boyd, instantly. One issue is that after Boyd Pitt has all “gradual-twitch” receivers = Can’t get open + Too Easy to Press.

—- Tre Tipton, Quadree Henderson and Dane Jackson (R.S. Frosh) may be ‘D-1 top-tier’ fast and explosive too, but they are still secrets at this point.

Now, add-in Nathan Peterman snatching-the-reigns and becoming Jim Chaney’s next future-Pro (Chaney coached 4 straight NFL pros before Arkansas) and Narduzzi flies outta the gates.

Nathan Peterman in his R.S. Sophomore year this past season never really played at all, and he got yanked after 1 or 2 series against Alabama in his absolute final action ever at Tennessee. But if he can’t snatch the reigns this year and fulfill his potential — get ready to watch a hamstrung, run-heavy ball-control Jim Chaney offense. Not the high-flying (stand on your seat version) he had at Purdue with Drew Brees and Kyle Orton.

Comment by Pat "Dark Knight" Narduzzi 04.29.15 @ 10:39 am

Great story! Smart kid comes out of retirement, can bring help & leadership to the team & helps himself by getting to the doorstep of a great med school. Thats a win-win! H2P

Comment by ptbreezeb 04.29.15 @ 10:42 am

So what changed? Just missed playing football?

Comment by JCE 04.29.15 @ 10:44 am

Good stuff Dark Knight.

I’ve seen reports that he only has 1 year left which I’d assume to be the case. In college football, you have 5 years to play 4 seasons. Since he used a redshirt year already, he has used up 4 of his 5 years (1 RS, 2 playing, 1 year off). While he has only played 2 seasons, the 5 years available to play is what counts here, not the 4 seasons available to play.

Comment by Justin 04.29.15 @ 10:45 am

Perhaps Dr. Scarp will be able to administer first-aid, or even second-aid, while on the field.

He could will end up being a Dr. Freddie Fu protege.

Go Pitt.

Comment by MajorMajors 04.29.15 @ 11:00 am

FWIW, the 2 years that the Mormon FB players for missionary work is not held against them eligibility wise … not sure how analogous this is, but we’ll see.

Comment by wbb 04.29.15 @ 11:17 am

Dr. T- Wow! Let’s not think that what Narduzzi is doing here is unique…

In Chryst’s first recruiting season, that 2012 class that was split by Graham’s leaving he recruited these guys; 4* LB Deaysean Rippy, 3* DT Terrell Jackson, 3* LB Bam Bradley, 3* TE JP Holtz, 3* OL Gabe Roberts, 3* DB Ryan Lewis, 3* LB Mike Caprara. Hmmmm, looks just like what Narduzzi did. Also, if you remember he went straight out and not only recruited those guys above but touched base and had re-commit the guys he wanted to keep from Graham’s ’12 class.

Let’s also not forget in Chryst’s first season he also had recruited and got transfer starter QB Tom Savage and had DE Dave Durham transfer in that first season also.

So in that short time he pulled in some kids who were truly integral (Savage) and others who started and who got, and will get, substantial PT this year.

Hey Dr.- I like these Narduzzi transfers and think that we may just see some real production out of them (no one knows as yet) but I still believe PITT fans are riding the “New is Better” wave that swept them up as Narduzzi fans.

Comment by Reed 04.29.15 @ 11:20 am

I don’t think you graduate from med school in a year…

He left in 2014 to go to med school. It’s only 2015.

Comment by Yeti 04.29.15 @ 11:21 am

Justin – I think that NCAA “5 to play 4” only means five years in actual college – not five years total. That is why the Mormons aren’t penalized those two mission years as pointed out above.

Comment by Reed 04.29.15 @ 11:33 am

Reed I give the Chryst staff a lot of credit for advancing the program in certain areas. He recruited some stud offensive linemen and a good stable of running backs. Where he failed was naming a high school defensive coordinator that was good enough for Pitt but not Wiscy. Unlike the previous staff these new guys are relentless. They haven’t stopped since they got here from Florida to California. As far as Im concerned its night and day but it’s time to prove it on the field.

Comment by Chick 04.29.15 @ 11:35 am

Reed, don’t forget Garner and especially Mitchell, 2 local Wisc transfers. Mitchell looks like to be the real deal.

Comment by wbb 04.29.15 @ 11:42 am

Reed,
Thanks again for reminding us that PC really helped the program with his recruiting and cleaning house, which has made the program full of quality kids. Well done!
However, being as he ditched us I am now really excited with this new staff and believe we will finally pull out of the 6-6 mud and progress upward! H2P!!!!!!!

Comment by pittman4ever 04.29.15 @ 12:12 pm

Hey – I wasn’t sad to see Chryst go somewhere else. He really didn’t get the wins we all expected from him and that was due to some real blind spots he had as a HC – the DC being the glaring one.

I am just a bit weary of the bashing that always seems to go on when one guy leaves, the bashee in this case, and the savior comes riding in on his white horse.

It is one thing to like a new guy but to just assume that everything a new guy does, before he every coaches a football game remember, is soooo much better that the old guy who couldn’t do anything right.

In all honesty everything Pat Narduzzi has done in his time at PITT has been advertising and hasn’t affected the football program hardly at all…. so far. Personally, I’ll wait until the last week of fall camp before I start getting serious about how I feel about the guy. If we go into camp with minimum transfers and he allows a true QB competition then that will go a long way for me.

Comment by Reed 04.29.15 @ 12:29 pm

I am probably as pleased as anyone with the direction that Pitt athletics seems to be headed, I think Reed is making a good point about being too enthusiastic. Personally I am going to wait until Pitt has played its first two football games this fall before getting my hopes too high on the new coaching staff.

As for past coaching staffs I think Walt Harris is the most underrated head coach we have had since Jackie Sherill left. Between Sherill and Harris were the wasteland years of Pitt football. Those years were almost as bad as the years preceding Majors first stint.

Comment by JohntheListener 04.29.15 @ 1:21 pm

Reed, I’ve seen no Chryst bashing in this thread nor am I saying that Narduzzi is mounted on a white horse considering that he hasn’t coached a single snap in a “real” game for Pitt yet. But let’s keep it real, half of the guys you mentioned above had committed to Pitt before they even knew who Chryst was, and prior to Graham taking the midnight express out of the Burgh.

If you want to pile praise on a guy who actually helped Chryst keep that 1st recruiting class somewhat intact, then give some love out to Chad Voytik. You can thank him for that.

I CONSISTANTLY criticized Chryst for his mediocre recruiting efforts and results. My enthusiasm for Narduzzi is all about him adding at positions of need with guys that HE has found, recruited and then closed on. See DiNucci, Allen, Peterman, Hendrix and now Scarpinato.

Chryst is gone. Time to snuff out the flame that you seem to be carrying for him.

Comment by Dr. Tom 04.29.15 @ 3:51 pm

Is Mark Scapinato attending med school at Pitt?

And as far as believing HCPN is the next Jock Southerland, it is all part of the sports tribal mentality. Look at James Harrison: Steeler fans loved him when he picked off Kurt Warner in the Super Bowl. The Steelers waive him and he plays for the Bungles and Steeler fans hate him. Now back wirTh the Steelers, and Steeler fans want to have his babies.

Nothing more than professional wrestling without the predicted outcome.

And for HCPN, his ‘magic’ is somehow better. More potent. His recruits are faster and stronger and just plain better. It’s all tribal and primitive and still, it does not stop me from believing that he will be the best coach since Jackie .

Comment by Gas 04.29.15 @ 5:24 pm

Maybe this is why we haven’t heard many “Pitt Is It” signals yet for 2016. HCPN is picking through the transfers and Jucos to see if there’s anything he can use for the upcoming year.

It’s sorta like when you are walking thru WalMart, and you come to the bin of marked down DVDs. You know there probably isn’t much in there you can need or want, but you still take your time sifting thru the collection to see if someone might have missed an authenic hit. It do take some time!

H2P; H2PN

Comment by Savannah Panther 04.29.15 @ 5:49 pm

And then just when you’re about done shuffling through the bin you discover an old “Godfather” DVD. BINGO!

Hopefully Scapinato can make Coach an offer he can’t refuse and get on the field to make some significant contributions.

Comment by Dr. Tom 04.30.15 @ 2:17 am

@@@@@

Reluctant to criticize PC. However
he appeared to learning on the job; also
will never understand the House promo.
PC did bring in talented players and played
FB in Pa style v hi octane BS. That said
PN’s energy has lifted everyone’s spirits.
He obviously knows the roster is thin
At certain positions such as QB and DL.
Not getting excited about the JUCO rarely
are they as good as advertised. The recruitment
of the JUCO makes me wonder about the WR
on the roster.

Comment by JR 04.30.15 @ 8:14 am

Hey Reed – who cares if all Narduzzi has done is advertising. There is more excitement around this program then there has been in years. Perception is reality my friend.

Comment by Atlanta Panther 04.30.15 @ 11:11 am

Very good article on Scarpinato on Pitt.247. Answers most of the questions:

link to pitt.247sports.com

Comment by Atlanta Panther 04.30.15 @ 11:14 am

“Hey Reed – who cares if all Narduzzi has done is advertising. There is more excitement around this program then there has been in years. Perception is reality my friend.
Comment by Atlanta Panther 04.30.15 @ 11:11 am”

Until the first game is played. Wanny getting embarrassed by ND. My dad was so mad in the stands watching that game it’s the only time I’ve heard him use the f word in public. He was pretty excited by Wanny but after that game he would say over and over for the next 5 years “he just doesn’t have it, you’ll see.” (And he turned out to be mostly right.) Chryst getting even more embarrassed by YSU.

I’ll get truly excited if I don’t see 3-4 lost leads this year and don’t see at least 1 loss to a very clearly inferior team because Pitt didn’t show up to play, again.

Comment by deepelemblues 04.30.15 @ 12:54 pm

Comment by deepelemblues reminds me of a similar situation.My brother and son were with me at the same Notre Dame opener after my brother had attended a big reception earlier that month for Wanny and football supporters influential alums etc. He was so high on Wanny and his promises till the first game. His reaction was similar. I remember it as a long walk to the car at Highmark that night as my brother kept up his mutterings.I don’t think he went to another game for the nex two years. He even called him a lying sob which also was uncharacteristic for my brother.

Comment by Pitt 60 04.30.15 @ 1:39 pm

And we wonder why Pitt has a hard time convincing fans that Pitt is It? Will this be the time that Pitt gets it’s $hit together for real again?

Comment by Dr. Tom 04.30.15 @ 2:36 pm

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