PSN Recruiting Notebook: January 2

Keep updated on all the news and notes of the days concerning Pitt, Duquesne, Robert Morris and WPIAL athletes in the PSN Recruiting Notebook.  

UPDATE (9:43 PM)-

Top11 🤩 (recruitment is still open) pic.twitter.com/OhtqB6slaC

— Enzo Jennings (@_enzoj) January 2, 2019

UPDATE (7:15 PM)-

(Photo by: David Hague)

** Former Pitt defensive end Ejuan Price has been signed to a futures contract by the Baltimore Ravens.

Price spent 2017 with the Los Angeles Rams after he was drafted in the seventh round in the 2017 NFL Draft. He was waived by the Rams on Sept. 1 of this year.

Price suited up in one game for the Rams in 2017, and did not record any statistics.

Price was a consensus second-team All-American and a first-team all-ACC selection as a sixth-year senior in 2016 and is tied for fourth in Pitt history in career sacks.

UPDATE (4:35 PM)-

Oakland Zoo November 6, 2018 — David Hague/PSN

**Pitt has sold out Saturday’s men’s basketball ACC opener against North Carolina, the team announced with a video on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.

The game is the second game of the season to sell out for the Panthers, who have already sold out Jan. 22’s game against Duke. It will be the first time Pitt has played in a full house since hosting Duke on Feb. 28, 2016, a span of over 23 months.

IT. STARTS. NOW.

Pitt x UNC. Saturday. SOLD OUT.#ZooEra pic.twitter.com/Cf4U2uS6jS

— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) January 2, 2019

Fans still looking for tickets to Saturday’s game can find them on StubHub, where the get-in price for two tickets was $47 as of Wednesday afternoon.

UPDATE (11:30 AM)-

Both Pitt football running back signees finished their seasons ranked in the final CAC Top 25 of 2018.

#4 in the final @CACTop25 ranking of Catholic high school football teams across the nation is @HobanFootball who won the Division II state championship.
Full story: https://t.co/oI8dmkaiZe pic.twitter.com/ADf64EKPmR

— CAC Top 25 (@CACTop25) January 2, 2019

Daniel Carter’s St. Thomas Aquinas squad is ranked No. 9 in the final poll, while Vincent Davis’ Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs are ranked No. 19.

Regionally, Cathedral Prep in Erie, Pa. finished the season ranked at No. 25.

UPDATE (11:00 AM)-

Pitt Wresting Match January 21, 2018 — DAVID HAGUE

Pitt wrestling moved up in the first NWCA coaches poll of the year, with the Panthers coming in ranked No. 20 in the nation.

Great way to start 2019!#pinzburgh » #H2P pic.twitter.com/WlCU6BfsVe

— Pitt Wrestling (@Pitt_WRES) January 2, 2019

The 5-0 Panthers had been ranked No. 24. They’ve won their last three dual meets by a combined score of 110-10.

Up next, Pitt will visit Oklahoma on Sunday as the first leg of a three-meet road swing that will also include stops at North Dakota State and South Dakota State.

UPDATE (10:00 AM)-

Christian Kuntz (Courtesy Duquesne Athletics)

Former Duquesne and Chartiers Valley linebacker and long snapper Christian Kuntz has signed a future contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2019 NFL season.

We have signed WR C.J. Board, LS Christian Kuntz, OL KC McDermott, and TE Pharoah McKever to future contracts.

They will count towards our offseason roster. pic.twitter.com/v500XBz8zz

— #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) December 31, 2018

Kuntz had spent time with time with the Denver Broncos earlier in 2018, before the Jaguars signed him to their practice squad in December.

A three-time All-American at Duquesne, Kuntz was part of three Northeast Conference championship teams in 2013, 2015 and 2016 and was twice NEC Defensive Player of the Year.

UPDATE (9:37 AM)-

Texas DC Todd Orlando has called a great game tonight. His first coaching job? DC at Central Catholic. #WPIAL #HookEm

— Brad Everett (@BREAL412) January 2, 2019

UPDATE (7:00 AM)-

A potential Pitt target for the late signing period is off the board, as big Ohio wide receiver Tra’Von Morgan has committed to Michigan State.

I’M OFFICIALLY 100% COMMITTED TO MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY GO GREEN⚔️🔋 pic.twitter.com/XTMFbCZUoj

— Tre’Von Morgan™️ (@PrimeTre7) January 2, 2019

Morgan, who checks in at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, saw his recruitment take flight later in the process. Pitt extended an offer to the big target the first week of October, and at that point, the only other major schools showing interest were close-by Cincinnati, Missouri and Virginia.

Morgan eventually ended up picking the Spartans over offers from Iowa State, Ole Miss and Washington State as well as Pitt and his earlier interests.

It’s not clear if Pitt was still recruiting Morgan following the early signing day.

Pitt has two wide receivers signed in the Class of 2019 already, and the Panthers are currently only scheduled to have two depart, with the graduation of Rafael Araujo-Lopes and the transfer of Darian Street. Pitt also had V’Lique Carter move from cornerback to wide receiver in 2018, so the Panthers are currently plus-one at receiver, even if they don’t take another one in this class.