Some early reports this weekend had Tino Sunseri backing out of his Louisville commitment and verballing to the Panthers. Now I've checked with my sources and they aren't confirming or denying this situation which basically means my sources do not know at this point.
Some of the more popular recruiting websites have kept this information quiet which also makes me think that only a few people know the truth. Usually when someone commits the info is easily found across the internet. Right now all we have are a few people who claim to have the inside info as well as PSR saying the same.
If all goes as planned and Sunseri and Cross commit to Pitt we will have an interesting situation brewing. We will have a 6 man battle for the quarterback spot next year.
Billy Stull, Pat Bostick, Kevan Smith, Greg Cross, Tino Sunseri, and Zach Stoudt would all be in the race. Stull should be considered the front runner as the staff feels Bostick really needs to redshirt and work on some mechanics. Kevan Smith played poorly enough early in the season that it will take something amazing from him to win the job. Greg Cross is a dual threat qb with great speed. I would say he would be the logical #2 in this race based upon natural ability and the added dimension he could add to the offense. I also believe that Stoudt and Sunseri, if both become Panthers would redshirt. This situation is much like the Getsy/Palko situation we saw when they were freshmen. Palko saw some time while Getsy redshirted. The next season, the reverse happened. In the end Getsy was upset that he was not named the starter and had a great career with JD Brookhart in Akron. I really can't expect all 6 qb's to stay on the roster. Stull is old enough that he really shouldn't transfer because he would only have one year of eligibility left. Smith may leave, and as a poster said earlier on my previous post, an OSU offer could pull Stoudt away from us.
We will see what shall happen. This definitely will make for an interesting spring and fall battle in camp.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
The good news just keeps coming in.
Unless you live in a cave, you probably have heard by now that by some divine intervention, we were able to grab Cameron Saddler out of the firm grip of UVa's hands. Maybe I was trying to prepare myself for the worst just like I was doing for the WVU game, but I never expected us to land him. According to some people close to the program, his attitude towards Pitt really changed after the WVU game. He was at WVU on his official visit and after the game had ended he wanted to go into the Pitt locker room but wasn't able to. I have also heard rumblings that Wanny and Dickrod went to his house around the same time and that Dickrod was not pleased to see the old Wannmobile in the driveway.
This commitment is huge not because he is a 4 star return specialist from what has been a PSU pipeline high school, it is important because Saddler is the type of player you want in your program. He is very well spoken, highly intelligent, and appears to be passionate about everything he engages in. The second biggest thing about this commitment will be the domino effect we see. Saddler has been open in admitting that he and Shayne Hale would like to go to the same college. Hale originally had crossed Pitt off his list, but all of a sudden in a recent interview Hale said that Pitt is back in the fold. Again, it will be hard to beat UVa, but if there is one thing Wanny has shown he can do better than anyone else in the Big East, it is recruit.
Speaking of linebackers, we just landed quarterback Zach Stoudt. I know you are wondering where this is going, but let me explain. Stoudt is a highly rated Qb from Dublin Oh (motherland of Adam Graessle). Not only is he the son of the man who replace Terry Bradshaw at quarterback in 1983, but he is also good friends with a linebacker from the Buckeye State. That linebacker would be Steve Gardiner. If we can land Gardiner (which is about 97%) and Hale, we would be in very good shape at linebacker with this year and last years class.
Still no work on Jonathan Baldwin. He will be a Panther, but the question is when will he announce? My best guess is that he will wait until late in the recruiting process to make an announcement. If you notice he also has Florida and Miami on his interest list. Pitt, Miami, and UF. It sounds like someone is going to have a couple of nice vacationing weekends in Florida before becoming a Panther.
Lastly, if you are worried about the number of scholarships this year, don't let it bug ya too much. Pestano will not be back on the team next year. On field performance as well as reported attitude issues have cost him his scholarship. Wanny has remained strong in his belief that he will hold up his end of the deal and if you do not hold up your end he will pull your scholarship. He has done this each and every season. I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of more guys (think DL and DB) to be gone in the next few weeks.
As more news happens we will continue to let you know about it.
13-9.
This commitment is huge not because he is a 4 star return specialist from what has been a PSU pipeline high school, it is important because Saddler is the type of player you want in your program. He is very well spoken, highly intelligent, and appears to be passionate about everything he engages in. The second biggest thing about this commitment will be the domino effect we see. Saddler has been open in admitting that he and Shayne Hale would like to go to the same college. Hale originally had crossed Pitt off his list, but all of a sudden in a recent interview Hale said that Pitt is back in the fold. Again, it will be hard to beat UVa, but if there is one thing Wanny has shown he can do better than anyone else in the Big East, it is recruit.
Speaking of linebackers, we just landed quarterback Zach Stoudt. I know you are wondering where this is going, but let me explain. Stoudt is a highly rated Qb from Dublin Oh (motherland of Adam Graessle). Not only is he the son of the man who replace Terry Bradshaw at quarterback in 1983, but he is also good friends with a linebacker from the Buckeye State. That linebacker would be Steve Gardiner. If we can land Gardiner (which is about 97%) and Hale, we would be in very good shape at linebacker with this year and last years class.
Still no work on Jonathan Baldwin. He will be a Panther, but the question is when will he announce? My best guess is that he will wait until late in the recruiting process to make an announcement. If you notice he also has Florida and Miami on his interest list. Pitt, Miami, and UF. It sounds like someone is going to have a couple of nice vacationing weekends in Florida before becoming a Panther.
Lastly, if you are worried about the number of scholarships this year, don't let it bug ya too much. Pestano will not be back on the team next year. On field performance as well as reported attitude issues have cost him his scholarship. Wanny has remained strong in his belief that he will hold up his end of the deal and if you do not hold up your end he will pull your scholarship. He has done this each and every season. I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of more guys (think DL and DB) to be gone in the next few weeks.
As more news happens we will continue to let you know about it.
13-9.
Monday, December 3, 2007
In games like this, legends are made.
That was the quote tonight from Dave Wannstedt on PanthersWeekly. Just think about it. All of us who watched this game will always remember the night we held WVU out of the national championship. We will remember Shady McCoy breaking the all time Big East rushing record. We will remember the game where Scott McKillop showed the world that he is the new premier linebacker in college football. We will remember this game as everyone trashing Pitt saying our players couldn't match up, our coaches couldn't match up, and that this game was only a formality until WVU finally had a real shot for a national championship.
Despite all of our weaknesses and handicaps, we found a way. We showed the world how the spread could be defeated. We showed the world that anything can happen. We showed the world that our Panthers are not as far behind as people thought they were. This game should propel Pitt to a top 25 ranking next season. This game should give us reason to believe that the "benchmark" year that next season is, really can shape up to be a special one. Hardly any of the teams in the Big East will improve skill wise as we will. We get our 3 big games (wvu, louisville, and rutgers) at home. We have a chance to get redemption against Notre Dame for our embarrassing loss 2 years ago.
Our players did not quit. All season long there was reason to give up and pack it in, but we fought in each and every game. We saw the highs of upsetting Cincy. We were dejected after the rutgers and louisville games. Today, none of that matters. We are Backyard Brawl champions. While we do not have another game until opening night 2008, there are very few other ways that we as Panther fans can go into the offseason and feel great about where we are.
Thank you seniors, thank you coaches, thank you everyone else involved with this Panther team. Every year we could go 1-11 as long as we beat WVU. You have us on a great path and I can't wait to continue this ride.
Despite all of our weaknesses and handicaps, we found a way. We showed the world how the spread could be defeated. We showed the world that anything can happen. We showed the world that our Panthers are not as far behind as people thought they were. This game should propel Pitt to a top 25 ranking next season. This game should give us reason to believe that the "benchmark" year that next season is, really can shape up to be a special one. Hardly any of the teams in the Big East will improve skill wise as we will. We get our 3 big games (wvu, louisville, and rutgers) at home. We have a chance to get redemption against Notre Dame for our embarrassing loss 2 years ago.
Our players did not quit. All season long there was reason to give up and pack it in, but we fought in each and every game. We saw the highs of upsetting Cincy. We were dejected after the rutgers and louisville games. Today, none of that matters. We are Backyard Brawl champions. While we do not have another game until opening night 2008, there are very few other ways that we as Panther fans can go into the offseason and feel great about where we are.
Thank you seniors, thank you coaches, thank you everyone else involved with this Panther team. Every year we could go 1-11 as long as we beat WVU. You have us on a great path and I can't wait to continue this ride.
Disjointed Thoughts About 13-9
I don't know what to say other than its finally great to have something positive to write about. We are 5-7 but we have the marquee win of a generation to build on. Saturday in Morgantown feels like the start of something great. Standing on the steps of the Cathedral singing the fight song is the Pitt-centric sporting moment in my four and a half years here at Pitt, two weeks before I graduate.
All the credit in the world needs to go to Coach Wannstedt and Coach Rhoads. In one night Paul Rhoads may have destroyed the WVU Spread for good. His gameplan was perfect and played to every strength of our defense. For night we had the best defense in the entire country, WVU had no chance with the speed and physicality our guys brought to Morgantown. Coach Wannstedt exploded with enthusiasm and energy he looked like he wanted to jump on the field and make the tackles himself, I couldn't believe how ready our team came out looking.
Scott McKillop and Shady may have earned their place in the Panther Hall of Fame in one game. Shady has done everything he could possibly do in his first season as a Panther. On and off the field he is the perfect college player and we are in for two more years of greatness. He was a one man offense and it worked to perfection. Meanwhile, Scott McKillop has replaced an NFL player HB Blades and looks to be twice the player he was. I have never seen a college linebacker with his tackling ability, our defense was engineered to force WVU to go near McKillop because he would put them into the ground. I know everybody has crowned Dan Connor the Next Great Linebacker but McKillop needs to be considered for every post-season award.
Every member of our much-maligned Senior class played great and truly earned their spot. Jameel Brady and Mike Phillips made key players that I never thought either could make. Strong made the biggest catch of his entire life to save a drive. Mike McGlynn opened holes for Shady. I really don't know where these performances came from but if they were saving them up they picked the right time to unleash them.
I don't want to say anything about the officiating other than I hope those officials all lose their jobs. It was a disgrace to the conference the way they called the highest profile Big East game in years. Steve Pederson better have got on the horn to lodge an official complaint.
I don't know what else to say other than savor the moment Pitt fans. Our three years of mediocrity may finally be over and a new day has come. This one game I think has earned Wannstedt his contract extension and solidified Paul Rhoads' job. I still can't believe that it happened and the ramifications of this game will be felt for years.
I've never been more happy to be wrong about a game and a coaching staff. I already got what I want for Christmas!!!
All the credit in the world needs to go to Coach Wannstedt and Coach Rhoads. In one night Paul Rhoads may have destroyed the WVU Spread for good. His gameplan was perfect and played to every strength of our defense. For night we had the best defense in the entire country, WVU had no chance with the speed and physicality our guys brought to Morgantown. Coach Wannstedt exploded with enthusiasm and energy he looked like he wanted to jump on the field and make the tackles himself, I couldn't believe how ready our team came out looking.
Scott McKillop and Shady may have earned their place in the Panther Hall of Fame in one game. Shady has done everything he could possibly do in his first season as a Panther. On and off the field he is the perfect college player and we are in for two more years of greatness. He was a one man offense and it worked to perfection. Meanwhile, Scott McKillop has replaced an NFL player HB Blades and looks to be twice the player he was. I have never seen a college linebacker with his tackling ability, our defense was engineered to force WVU to go near McKillop because he would put them into the ground. I know everybody has crowned Dan Connor the Next Great Linebacker but McKillop needs to be considered for every post-season award.
Every member of our much-maligned Senior class played great and truly earned their spot. Jameel Brady and Mike Phillips made key players that I never thought either could make. Strong made the biggest catch of his entire life to save a drive. Mike McGlynn opened holes for Shady. I really don't know where these performances came from but if they were saving them up they picked the right time to unleash them.
I don't want to say anything about the officiating other than I hope those officials all lose their jobs. It was a disgrace to the conference the way they called the highest profile Big East game in years. Steve Pederson better have got on the horn to lodge an official complaint.
I don't know what else to say other than savor the moment Pitt fans. Our three years of mediocrity may finally be over and a new day has come. This one game I think has earned Wannstedt his contract extension and solidified Paul Rhoads' job. I still can't believe that it happened and the ramifications of this game will be felt for years.
I've never been more happy to be wrong about a game and a coaching staff. I already got what I want for Christmas!!!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Pitt vs the Hoopies Live blog
Well this should be pretty interesting. We got myself, Jones, Scudzy, and the hoopie lady in attendance tonight at the DPJ household for the game.
7:55 - Turner didn't turn around for the ball and it led to a bad INT. WVU gets the ball and of course we can't stop them on 3rd down. Hopefully this doesn't turn into 7.
8:00 - McAfee misses the FG. Good for us. The hoopie is pissed.
8:12 - A lot of punts going on. Jason and the hoopie are getting into some good debates. I feel another 3 and out is in order, but we will see.
8:21 - Nice to see Thatcher listened to my advice and hit the shit out of White. And McAFEE WITH A MISS! Time to score here Pitt. Hoopie anger level reaching new highs.
8:48 - Bostick with another pick. That was a hell of an interception though. No worries though, Bostick will get his chance. Is it too early to say wildcat with Mo Williams?
8:58 - White hurt with a thumb injury. I'm not too excited. Last big game I saw a qb get injured, Drew Bledsoe beat the Steelers in the AFC championship. I hope this doesn't happen again.
9:03 - Looked like a flop to me. Thats a bull shit call and then a TD. Fucking bullshit.
9:16 - Well this should be 3-3 at worst, but a crap call here and a crap call there and we are down by 4. I can live with that. I hope we can make the required adjustments and win this game.
9:46 - OH NOOOO!!!!!!!! PITT IN THE LEAD!!!! CAT BASKET HIMSELF!! Way to go Bostick. We are up 3. If we win, the hoopie may never talk to me again, but that's something that I'm ready to take. We need this. Lets keep going.
9:51 - Oh boy, 3 and out but a sideline warning. Oh my. Hoopie and Jones are getting in a fight. Interesting stuff at the 305 MIA. C'mon!!
10:04 - Bullshit holding call. This game should be 17-7 but the big east officials fuck it all up. I'll say this. The Big East officials have fucked more than any coach ever. And connor lee misses the field goal. This is bullshit. It is obvious who the refs want to win. BULLSHIT!
10:15 - Berry with a dumb penalty. It is ok though because this drive can take time off the clock. Lets see what we can do.
10:18 - Strong with the play of the game. Way to keep this drive alive. In case you want a hoopie update. Well this might be the end of the relationship despite me giving her free steeler sideline passes for tomorrow. Let's see what happens.
10:26 - First down McCoy following the crazy fumble. I think the hoopie may never talk to me again. I hope she realizes it is just football, but if Pitt can win this would be great C'mon Pitt! Time out Pitt. This is a good time out. Get that time out in and calm this team down. This could be the change in the Pitt program we have all wanted. The Defense has been great. Keep it up Rhoads. Like we said earlier in the week, your job is safe. Lets win this damn game!!
10:32 - Pitt up 13 to 7. I wish it were 20-7 but we do what we have to do. I just hope we can win this game.
10:36 - Mr. White back after a big Noel "Not your christmas" Devine return.
10:38 - SCOTT MCKILLOP FOR HEISMAN! HE SAVED THE GAME!
10:44 - MORE FUCKING HORSE SHIT!!! THAT IS A BULL SHIT FUCKING CALL! We have been critical against Turner, but he has been ripped off twice this game. This is fucking bullshit. C'mon refs. The refs didn't even call holding against the DB which was completely obvious.
10:51 - WE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVER!!!!!!! LIFE TIME CONTRACT FOR WANNSTEDT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Paul Rhoads may have just got himself a head coaching position somewhere with that amazing performance.
7:55 - Turner didn't turn around for the ball and it led to a bad INT. WVU gets the ball and of course we can't stop them on 3rd down. Hopefully this doesn't turn into 7.
8:00 - McAfee misses the FG. Good for us. The hoopie is pissed.
8:12 - A lot of punts going on. Jason and the hoopie are getting into some good debates. I feel another 3 and out is in order, but we will see.
8:21 - Nice to see Thatcher listened to my advice and hit the shit out of White. And McAFEE WITH A MISS! Time to score here Pitt. Hoopie anger level reaching new highs.
8:48 - Bostick with another pick. That was a hell of an interception though. No worries though, Bostick will get his chance. Is it too early to say wildcat with Mo Williams?
8:58 - White hurt with a thumb injury. I'm not too excited. Last big game I saw a qb get injured, Drew Bledsoe beat the Steelers in the AFC championship. I hope this doesn't happen again.
9:03 - Looked like a flop to me. Thats a bull shit call and then a TD. Fucking bullshit.
9:16 - Well this should be 3-3 at worst, but a crap call here and a crap call there and we are down by 4. I can live with that. I hope we can make the required adjustments and win this game.
9:46 - OH NOOOO!!!!!!!! PITT IN THE LEAD!!!! CAT BASKET HIMSELF!! Way to go Bostick. We are up 3. If we win, the hoopie may never talk to me again, but that's something that I'm ready to take. We need this. Lets keep going.
9:51 - Oh boy, 3 and out but a sideline warning. Oh my. Hoopie and Jones are getting in a fight. Interesting stuff at the 305 MIA. C'mon!!
10:04 - Bullshit holding call. This game should be 17-7 but the big east officials fuck it all up. I'll say this. The Big East officials have fucked more than any coach ever. And connor lee misses the field goal. This is bullshit. It is obvious who the refs want to win. BULLSHIT!
10:15 - Berry with a dumb penalty. It is ok though because this drive can take time off the clock. Lets see what we can do.
10:18 - Strong with the play of the game. Way to keep this drive alive. In case you want a hoopie update. Well this might be the end of the relationship despite me giving her free steeler sideline passes for tomorrow. Let's see what happens.
10:26 - First down McCoy following the crazy fumble. I think the hoopie may never talk to me again. I hope she realizes it is just football, but if Pitt can win this would be great C'mon Pitt! Time out Pitt. This is a good time out. Get that time out in and calm this team down. This could be the change in the Pitt program we have all wanted. The Defense has been great. Keep it up Rhoads. Like we said earlier in the week, your job is safe. Lets win this damn game!!
10:32 - Pitt up 13 to 7. I wish it were 20-7 but we do what we have to do. I just hope we can win this game.
10:36 - Mr. White back after a big Noel "Not your christmas" Devine return.
10:38 - SCOTT MCKILLOP FOR HEISMAN! HE SAVED THE GAME!
10:44 - MORE FUCKING HORSE SHIT!!! THAT IS A BULL SHIT FUCKING CALL! We have been critical against Turner, but he has been ripped off twice this game. This is fucking bullshit. C'mon refs. The refs didn't even call holding against the DB which was completely obvious.
10:51 - WE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVER!!!!!!! LIFE TIME CONTRACT FOR WANNSTEDT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Paul Rhoads may have just got himself a head coaching position somewhere with that amazing performance.
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