Recruiting Notebook
Monday Recruiting Notebook
I apologize for the inactivity on the site yesterday but it was a slow day and also I wanted to have a mostly “electronics free” day with my family. Can’t always do family activities with a cell phone in your hand!
** I wanted to start off by letting you know that we’re considering “expanding” our coverage on the site. If we go through with it, obviously we’ll give you full details, but we wanted to make you aware of the possibility. What I can tell you, is that if this happens, it won’t impact our Pitt coverage at all. We would likely add a writer who would focus on this “new beat.” If this happens, it’s being done because it will improve the site and add more readers. For those wondering, no it isn’t going to be the college team on the other side of the state. LOL.
UPDATE (6:33 AM)-
** Washington DC 3-star defensive end Tyree Johnson (6-4, 215) updated his recruiting and he’s still interested in Pitt. Johnson released a “Top 12” that included Pitt, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Virginia Tech, Texas AM, Iowa, Rutgers and South Carolina.
https://twitter.com/Tyguwwop_/status/754737550758121473
Following this announcement, I briefly caught up with Johnson and asked him about Pitt and why they made the cut.
“The coaches are awesome and its a great place to be. I just love what Coach Narduzzi brings to the table there at Pitt and they’re just recruiting me very hard,” said Johnson. “Coach Powell and Coach Sims are the two recruiting me for Pitt. I love the Pitt coaches, they’re great people and they just want the best for you honestly man and I love that.”
Johnson told me that the way things stand right now, Pitt would get one of his official visits.
UPDATE (6:50 AM)-
** The business of recruiting isn’t always fun and happy, sometimes disappointing and difficult decisions have to be made. Yesterday, we learned of another example of that.
Defensive tackle Ellison Hubbard (Logansville, Georgia) informed me yesterday that he won’t be making a trip to Pittsburgh this Friday. Last time I talked with Hubbard, it was pretty clear that he planned on giving Pitt a verbal commitment following or even during his visit. However, circumstances have changed and that won’t be happening.
“Yeah, Coach Sims called and told me about Pitt’s defensive line situation and how they might need more defensive ends than defensive tackles (in this year’s class),” said Hubbard.
Basically, Hubbard is saying that Pitt is likely to use the scholarship that was available to him on signing another defensive end. I’m not totally sure on what’s developed in the past week or so to change this situation. I can tell you that Pitt’s top defensive tackle target is Beaver Falls Donovan Jeter, who will always have a scholarship available to him. I want to wish good luck to Ellison Hubbard, who’s a good kid and was always cooperative and polite with me.
By the way, Hubbard is one of the players that I’ve been hinting at when I said, Pitt could be getting a commitment this weekend.
Picture courtesy of Ellison Hubbard
UPDATE (10:14 AM)-
** Some basketball recruiting news. Last weekend Pitt offered a scholarship to Baltimore shooting guard Darryl Morsell. Since then, Morsell has received a bunch of offers, the latest being from Notre Dame. Now, Morsell has come out with a Top 7 and Pitt has made the list. The Panthers are joined in the list by Maryland, Notre Dame, TCU, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
UPDATE (12:23 PM)-
** Pittsburgh Sports Now.com has learned that the Jackson twins from Allderdice plan on enrolling in Toledo this fall. James Jackson had originally committed to Toledo last summer, but then they decided to try a JUCO and then eventually attend Pitt or Iowa State.
Finally, James and Tim have decided they don’t want to go that route and both are enrolling in Toledo this fall and will be able to play in the 2017 season. Keep in mind, local products Corey Jones, Jaylen Coleman and others have done the same at Toledo and excelled there.
UPDATE (8:58 PM)-
** A player from New Jersey that Pitt was recruiting gave a commitment to another school today. New Jersey WR Evidence Njoku made a verbal commitment to Mark Richt and Miami (Fla.).
Photo courtesy of Evidence Njoku
UPDATE (9:04 PM)-
** I was informed of a pretty cool idea by Pitt head coach Kevin Stallings. On July 30th, the Pitt basketball program has invited former players to town in order to meet the new staff, watch a team workout and have a meal with current members of the team. The 2016 players also might play a pickup game against the former players. It’s a tremendous idea by Stallings, embracing former Panther players like that.
