It is Stull's Job to Lose

Yesterday during a radio interview Wanny confirmed what everybody already knew and what he has been hinting at since the spring, Stull is the prohibitive opening day starter. The wording of this statement is as close to confirmation of Stull having this job already as we are going to get. Look at the track record of Wanny pre-camp the last two years about the quarterback job, he always comes out and gives it to Stull in not so many words. Sure, Stull could lose the job in camp but that isn't how Wanny does things.

With the arrival of Cignetti it was assumed that each QB would get an equal look in the spring and fall camp. Spring Camp was business as usual with Stull getting a majority of the first team snaps followed by Bostick and Sunseri. Fall Camp starts in a few weeks and I'm going to spoil the outcome of this battle, Stull will get the majority of the snaps and win the starting job.

What is so curious about this whole attitude about the QB situation is last year's performance. Stull was benched in the biggest game of Wanny's career here at Pitt due to one of the worst performances in bowl history. This was a 4th year player getting benched in a bowl game, where is the accountability for that performance. Why not run an open competition this year during fall camp? Having a favorite on the depth chart at QB is not based off merit or on field performance. The 9-4 record last year can't be contributed to Stull's 9 TD's and 10 INT's with 7.1 yards per attempt.

Shady is gone so there goes 14 TD's. Can the platoon of running backs come in and replace all of Shady's production? If they can't can Stull actually produce on offense? These are the questions entering the season but we already know the answer because we have seen Stull play.

To advance as a program we need a QB that won't be benched in bowl games. I wish we had a coach that would let a position battle play out instead of changing expectations in the media before one drill in camp has been completed.

Pitt gets another O-Lineman

Today monster lineman Arthur Doakes from Lebanon, PA announced that he plans on attending Pitt next fall. Doakes is 6'6, 350 lbs. His offer sheet wasn't too impressive as his offers consisted of Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, Buffalo, and Troy. He becomes the 15th commitment in a class that is quickly filling up.

People may be upset to see that we have another guy who doesn't have any of those "stars" next to his name. Just relax on that one. For the most part, the guys who don't have any stars yet simply haven't been evaluated yet. The guys who are expected to be the studs of the 2010 class have been evaluated as they have the most hype. Over the course of the season the rest of the seniors and the standouts in the class of 2011 will start to be evaluated and more of those stars will pop up.

While I am glad we have received another commitment, there is something that I feel needs to be looked at. I've said it before and I'll say it again right now. I do not understand and I do not like Wannstedt's recruitment of offensive linemen. It almost seems like we will offer different linemen without any type of plan in place for what we're trying to do on the line. A bit earlier in the Summer, I posted that it looked like we were trying to go after smaller, more mobile offensive linemen. Doakes is not anything like this. He is an old school, Big 10 style lineman who is just a massive body that is not easy to push around.

I won't complain about getting an offensive lineman recruit because outside of the quarterback spot, I feel that this is our biggest area of concern. We aren't as deep with talent at the offensive line position as I feel we should be, and just bringing in bodies at this moment is what we need because hopefully one of these guys will pan out.

Again, I'm kind of mixed on this because you can't have enough good linemen, but at the same time you want guys who will fit your system, not just a patchwork offensive line.

I don't want to make it sound too negative because getting a recruit is always a good thing. Welcome to Pitt Mr. Doakes, we all wish you the best of luck.

Pitt Picks up 3 more!

The holiday weekend didn't stop Pitt's recruiting momentum.

On Friday we were able to pick up 6'4 Wr and Terrelle Pryor look alike Andrew Carswell. This is a nice addition for us as our receiving corps just gets taller and taller. We are now at the point where we have guys who can stretch the field and guys who are tall enough to create matchup problems throughout the Big East.

Now if we could just get a quarterback to get them the ball and an OLine to give that quarterback some time. I'd certainly more excited for the WR possibilities than I am for the QB/Oline.

But wait!!!!

Yesterday 4 star guard recruit Matt Rotheram picked Pitt over some major programs such as LSU, Wisconsin, MSU, South Carolina, and Illinois just to name a few. While Jones and I have often debated what our philosophy has been with offensive linemen since we have such a varying group of players, these last 2 years have given us a clearer picture of what to expect. In the past, faster defensive linemen have given us problems. Tony Wise appears to be going after smaller, more athletic linemen that can move and play well against the guys who have given us problems. This year, it looks like Jason Pinkston will be our only starting offensive lineman who weighs more than 300 pounds.

Rotheram is a very nice addition for the Panthers. But just like everyone else from Ohio, he does not have an OSU offer and I'm afraid that he might end up switching if one comes his way. I don't have any real reasons to suspect it, it is just my natural paranoia kicking in.

Lastly, Woody Hills own Khaynin Mosley-Smith verballed to Pitt. We'll just refer to him as KMS from now on so that I can be lazy and not have to type it all out. KMS is another speedy DLineman type. He has the ability to put on some weight and push people around if needed, but he also can beat ya with some moves that you don't typically see with a guy his size. He is only a 3 star, but of the verbals we have gotten this year, he is one of the few that I will get really excited about.

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