Freshmen Deliberations

We all know K'Wuan Williams is going to see time on the field. But we all figured Penn Hills star Aaron Donald was going to as well. There were glowing reviews all Fall, including this one:

"I'm going to have to change Mick Williams jersey, because to this point the Mick Williams of this training camp has been Aaron Donald. The guy has been in the backfield more than any player on our defensive line the whole camp. I will be real curious to see if he can keep that up. If he continues to perform and do what he's doing, we'll see if we can mix him in with some of the older guys in live scrimmage. He's off to a fast start."

And this one:

"I'm going to change his number to 95. I told him no more 59; I think I called him Mick (Williams) three times today.

But then there was this nugget out there today:

Of the two, what to do with Donald, a Penn Hills High School graduate, shapes up as a tougher decision.

He has been dominant throughout preseason practices in nearly every situation against nearly anybody who lined up against him.

But Wannstedt is hesitant to commit to Donald because the Panthers have three veteran defensive tackles ready to play and a couple others who have played well enough to show they can be productive.

"Donald is a possibility, Clemmings is a possibility," Wannstedt said. "[Donald] is a playmaker, he is kind of a mini-Mick [Williams, who starred at defensive tackle last season]. We'll see, but [once a freshman plays] there is no turning back. You don't want to waste a year because, once you play a kid, now you are trying to force him into the lineup.

"That decision [on Donald] has not been made yet; he's getting reps, he is getting prepared to play, we'll see how it plays out."

How does one go from the next Mick Williams to merely a possibility for playing time? Welcome to the world of spin.

Wannstedt seemed to back off of hyping Donald up too much, but I don't see how they keep him off the field based on the earlier assessments. The other side of the argument is that Wannstedt took a great deal of credit when he burned through Bostick's redshirt during his second season in 2008. That turned out to be a non-factor as he redshirted last year instead, but the move perhaps made him think twice about playing kids who might not see a lot of action. Wannstedt obviously wants to get a lot of usage out of Donald if he decides to play him this season as there'd really be no going back as was in the case of Bostick.

My prediction? He goes ahead and plays him this year. In the end, no way Wanny heaps that much praise on the kid and then doesn't even play him. I think he's committed to putting the best team out there and while most freshmen won't see the field this year, it will be a good thing for recruits to see a handful of guys be able to come in and play right away. It would also be frustrating for certain guys to see someone perform extremely well in camp, exceed expectations, and still not get on the field. I expect to see him suit up this season and play.

Then there's five-star recruit, T.J. Clemmings. Clemmings wasn't heard from as much as most probably expected this Fall. And when Bryan Murphy stepped up, we heard his name even less. It was pretty much assured that Murphy was going to see time this season until his injury. Clemmings wasn't mentioned as much of a possibility to factor in for playing time, but with the injury to Murphy, he could see the field this season. My guess is that it's not as much of a slam dunk as I think it is for Donald. Bottom line? I think if he deserves to, he'll play. I don't think Wannstedt is bent on redshirting him.

Lastly, you've got Todd Thomas. I already briefly mentioned the Curious Case of Todd Thomas earlier this week. Highly touted recruit that figured to factor in the discussion for playing time. The emergency of Devin Street and position change of Greg Cross changed all that. Thomas could play some this season, but I think it's unlikely. Behind starters Jonathan Baldwin and Mike Shanahan, you've got Street, Cross, and Cam Saddler all ahead of him.  I don't see the logic in burning his redshirt to serve as a fifth or sixth receiver.  I think Pitt sits him this year then waits for Baldwin and Cross to leave the program next year.  Thomas could then come in and compete for Baldwin's spot if Street can't hang onto it or serve as a third receiver if he can leapfrog Sadder.

Camp Broken

Well, Pitt's training camp is officially coming to a close. Camp actually has officially broken, even though there will be one more practice on Monday. After an off-day Tuesday, Pitt will get back to work on Wednesday and begin preparations for the huge opener vs. Utah.

Here are my top five developments from training camp:

1. Greg Romeus Injury - I'm not sure how big of a concern this should be, but Romeus only managed one full day of practice in pads throughout camp. All during camp, Dave Wannstedt has insisted his injury isn't all that serious. Still, Romeus was virtually absent from on-field action and with camp over, it will be interesting to see how much he actually participates this week. Pitt still has a few days of practice the following week, but Romeus will need more than that. For the record, Wannstedt still expects him to play in the opener:

“There’s nothing really new to report on Ray Graham and Greg Romeus except to say that they’re making great improvement, and day-to-day, they’re getting closer and closer. I expect Greg to be fine for opening day.

Pitt cannot afford to get into a shootout with Utah and to avoid that, will need to keep pressure on the QB. Romeus will be a big part of that and will be sorely missed if he's unable to suit up.

2. Offensive Line Finalized - Even though this hasn't been officially confirmed, Greg Gaskins has been practicing heavily with the first-team at RG. But the line appears to be set with Alex Karabin (C), Jason Pinkston (OT), Lucas Nix (OT), and Chris Jacobson (LG). No matter how good the line may have looked in camp, it's still going to be a work in progress when it comes to actual game action. Pitt has extraordinary talent on offense with Dion Lewis, Jonathan Baldwin, and Ray Graham, but unless the line can block, it might not matter.

3. QB Progress Relatively Unknown - QB Tino Sunseri appeared to struggle a bit in camp, but really, I didn't get much indication of how he performed one way or the other. We all know he didn't fare well in either scrimmage, but other than that, we might be turning on the Utah game without having much of a clue as to how he'll perform. I expect that first game to include a heavy dose of running and shorter passes, but I'm really at a loss as to what to think he'll look like. I could see him throwing for three TDs or three INTs.

4. Devin Street Steps Up - Street had a good camp and he appears to have secured the spot as the fourth receiver:

"Devin Street has kind of emerged as the fourth guy," Wannstedt said. "He can play [flanker or split end]. He gives us the flexibility of playing with size with Baldwin or Shanahan. After that, it's been Greg Cross and Tinker. We've been very inconsistent. Other than the top four guys I couldn't tell you who is next in line."

On the flip side of that, I guess it's a surprise that Todd Thomas hasn't figured into the rotation. It almost makes you wonder if he'll redshirt if all those guys can stay healthy. After all, how many receivers does Pitt need to play? Wannstedt might be better served to go with Baldwin, Shanahan, Saddler, Street, Cross, and Tinker and hold onto an extra year of eligibility for Thomas.

5. (tie) Bryan Murphy Likely To Redshirt - Murphy was an absolute machine in camp and appeared headed for playing time this season. But his broken foot likely wiped out any hopes of getting on the field and barring any injuries to other key players ahead of him, should be redshirting.

5. (tie) Ray Graham Injured - Graham's injury doesn't appear to be too serious.  Still, he hasn't practiced recently and while Wannstedt indicated he expected Greg Romeus to be ready for the opener, he made no such claim about Graham:

Ray is running straight ahead right now, tomorrow will be the first day that he’ll start making cuts so we’ll see where he’s at there. He’s coming along, we just don’t want to do anything faster than what we need to.”

If Graham isn't ready for the opener, Jason Douglas will likely be thrown into backup running back duty. And it will become even more important for Dion Lewis to stay healthy.

Greg Romeus Returns. Finally.

After a nine-day absence, Greg Romeus finally participated in a full day's session at training camp - his first such day this Fall:

"It was very encouraging this morning with Greg," Wannstedt said Monday night before his team took the field for a rare night workout during camp. "He came out and took every snap in full pads, inside run, team, pass rush. He did everything from start to finish and felt good afterward. We're headed down the right road there."

The bad news is that plenty of guys are still banged up with minor injuries including Dion Lewis, Ray Graham, and Dom DeCicco. There's of course the Bryan Murphy injury, but there appear to be no major injuries to the starters so far. Hopefully it stays that way. With only about two weeks until Utah (yes, only two weeks), Pitt will need to get Romeus plenty of work.

The Panthers will again scrimmage Wednesday night.

Injury Updates From Training Camp

To start, Greg Romeus, while not all the way back, appears to be doing a little more:

"It was good to get Greg Romeus back today, and to see him working. He didn't do everything, but he came out in pads and worked. He got back in the middle of things, which was good. We expect to do more with him every day, getting him ready to go.

Andrew Taglianetti appears to be in the same type of situation.

Meanwhile, it sounds like we can all exhale with Ray Graham's injury being nothing more than a sprained ankle:

Ray Graham didn't practice today. He sprained his knee, so we held him.

At first glance, it didn't seem like his was a long-term injury. He tried to get back into the scrimmage yesterday, but was held out and carted off. Hopefully it's just a sprain as is being reported.

And imagine my mind when I saw this headline today:

PITT DEFENSIVE END OUT WITH BROKEN FOOT

I'd be lying if I said my thoughts didn't go immediately to Romeus and his lingering injury.  But it was freshman Bryan Murphy whose foot was stepped on in camp and subsequently broken. He'll be out for 6-8 weeks. Dave Wannstedt's decision-making on defense has probably gotten a lot easier - though I'm sure he wouldn't have preferred it that way. Even a timetable of six weeks would still cause him to miss the rest of camp and the first three games. Not to mention that it will probably take him a few weeks to get up to speed. Getting that far behind will likely derail his chances of getting playing time this season.

Fortunately, Pitt has some depth there this season.

Desimon Green Caps Off Successful Week For Recruiting

In a growing trend, Pitt landed a verbal commitment from a third recruit this week in three-star Rivals and Scout recruit, Desimon Green.

Green is a two-way star for Western Pennsylvania school, Clairton High School. In 2009 as a junior, he led Clairton to the PIAA Class A Title as both a quarterback and defensive end. On the offensive side of the ball, he totaled 1,600 passing yards, 900 rushing yards, and 23 TDs. The Clairton offense, which he directed, scored a team-record 634 points. On defense, he also had 87 tackles and a team-record 26 sacks.

He was recruited by Greg Gattuso and reportedly had offers from more than a dozen schools including West Virginia, Cincinnati, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, and others.

Pitt is clearly stocking up a bit at DE in anticipation of the loss of Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard. Green makes Pitt's fifth defensive end recruit over the past two years (so far) and makes DE one of the most heavily recruited positions on the team. Along with 2010 DE recruits T.J. Clemmings and Bryan Murphy, the position should be in good hands.

A Final Word on the New Recruits

Despite all the rumors swirling, Gary Nova wasn't scared off by the whole Big Ten Expansion issue and how it might affect Pitt:

"Pitt is a great school and a great program," Nova said. "We can compete with anybody, whether it is in the Big Ten or Big East or anywhere else so, really, Pitt will be fine no matter what happens. I'm not really worried about that at all."

This is precisely what I've been saying time and again. While it's nice to stir ourselves into a panic, and while Pitt may be financially better off with a move to the Big Ten, I really think they will be fine no matter what. Pitt brings enough to the table that they will land somewhere in a major conference. Of course Pitt wants to place itself in the best possible position, but I don't see a scenario where they can't get into a BCS conference.

And I love his attitude and the fact that he comes from a winning program:

The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder passed for 1,668 yards with 23 touchdowns and three interceptions as a junior in leading New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco Prep to an undefeated season and 12th state championship.

"I'm a leader, and I find a way to make plays," Nova said. "I can run. I can throw. The most important thing is to find a way to win games. You can have the strongest arm or be the fastest, but if you don't win games, it doesn't matter."

Meanwhile, Artie Rowell discusses his height, or lack thereof, for the position:

"His credentials are exceptional, with his NFL experience," said Rowell, a three-year starter on both sides of the ball who has a 3.7 grade-point average. "A lot of schools turned me down because I'm 6-2, but he embraced that. He's won with guys my size. He tells me it's not how tall you are but how good you can block people.

"I have good feet, and I think I play exceptionally hard. I go to the whistle. I get after it. That's what fits me with Pitt. That's how their offensive line plays. They're a bunch of hard-nosed football players, and that's the way I am."

But back to that attitude of Nova:

"If you perform at the level we play at, you’re going to get better," Nova said. "And I’ve gotten better because that’s all I’m focused on. Like [Don Bosco coach Greg Toal] says, you can get better every five seconds you play. You’ve got to want to get better and do everything to get there. I did that and I’m still doing that."

Love it.

He's also going to be joining up with some former teammates at Pitt:

"I built a good relationship with the coaching staff, and after a tour of the city [last month], I just fell in love with the place," said Nova, whose current Don Bosco teammates Bryan Murphy and Brandon Sacco signed with Pittsburgh in February. "I feel like I fit perfectly into what they do with their offense.

As Brian Bennett points out, Pitt has indeed done exceptional job reaching out into the New Jersey area and has been rewarded:

Pitt has really stepped up its recruiting efforts in New Jersey, an area where assistant coach Jeff Hafley has found tremendous success in the past couple of years. The Panthers' recent pickups from the Garden State include defensive end T.J. Clemmings, running back Ray Graham and athlete Jason Hendricks.

You can also add the biggest fish of all, Dion Lewis, to that list who attended Blair Academy in New Jersey.

Back on the Recruiting Trail

Pitt football's recruiting total for 2010 is now up to ten.

"Don Bosco Prep stars Bryan Murphy and Brandon Sacco committed to the Panthers early this afternoon, bringing the Panthers total to 10 commitments from the class of 2010."

Murphy, a DE from New Jersey, may have been the biggest pickup today. He was a highly-desired recruit, offered by Louisville, Michigan State, and many others.

Don't discount the other three, though:

"Sacco, an offensive lineman, chose Pitt over Big East rival Rutgers. Murphy, who was recruited as a defensive end, had offers from several schools, including Boston College, Colorado, Louisville, Maryland and Michigan State.

Weatherspoon had 57 receptions for 1,470 yards and 20 touchdowns while helping to lead Clairton to the WPIAL Class A championship and the PIAA title game. He is a member of the Tribune-Review Terrific 25.

Also, T.J. Peeler of Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Va., committed to Pitt. Peeler, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound running back, had offers from West Virginia and North Carolina State. He missed three games with an injury last season, but rushed for 1,145 yards and 18 touchdowns on 129 carries with an 8.9 yard average."

8.9 yard average? Man, you almost want to give him (Peeler) the ball every time.