Just followed Chaney (who presumably recruited him to ARK, where he is presently committed), WR Coach Kevin Sherman, and Mark Diethorn, who is an assistant recruiting director.
New commitment from 6'1, 205 lbs WR Gentry Ivery from Texas. Pretty much unranked and unrecruited, but was getting some looks from TCU. His 40 time is listed anywhere from 4.42 to 4.77. Decent size, decent athlete, decent (potentially more than decent) speed. Might never turn into something more than a depth player, but Pitt needs depth at WR. Coaching staff targeted him early and spent a good bit of resources recruiting him. Maybe they see something no one else has.
New commitment from 6'1, 205 lbs WR Gentry Ivery from Texas. Pretty much unranked and unrecruited, but was getting some looks from TCU. His 40 time is listed anywhere from 4.42 to 4.77. Decent size, decent athlete, decent (potentially more than decent) speed. Might never turn into something more than a depth player, but Pitt needs depth at WR. Coaching staff targeted him early and spent a good bit of resources recruiting him. Maybe they see something no one else has.
ESPN had him unranked, smaller, and 4.77 40 time. Thought I read that his Junior yr he was undersized and a step slower than he was his senior year and he fell off a lot of radars, which local schools like TCU love.
Any influx at the WR should help. Need someone to come along that can at least help Boyd out a bit. Would be nice to hit on a "diamond in the rough" situation.
Ivery could be a sleeper candidate....sneaky/impressive grab by Narduzzi. He's definitely making a splash.
I've had my eye on Ivery for awhile. Two-sport athlete, and can haul in some balls despite his smaller statue. Very similar frame to ODB Jr., but can elevate himself if need be.
In that regard, the most interesting names here are the unexpected ones. Paul Chryst, recently hired away from Pitt by Wisconsin, underachieved by about a game per season at Pitt: -1.02 in 2012, +0.28 in 2013, and -2.29 in 2014
Unexpected to anyone but Pitt fans. I really like being free to hate Chryst.
In that regard, the most interesting names here are the unexpected ones. Paul Chryst, recently hired away from Pitt by Wisconsin, underachieved by about a game per season at Pitt: -1.02 in 2012, +0.28 in 2013, and -2.29 in 2014
Unexpected to anyone but Pitt fans. I really like being free to hate Chryst.
It really is a nice feeling. I like taking periodic looks at Wisconsin message boards and enjoy seeing their fans wondering why they haven't hired a WR coach yet and concern over a string of recent decommitments and shock that Anthony McKee chose Pitt over Wisconsin. Chryst seemed like a nice enough guy, but I'm glad he's someone else's problem now.
It's also not surprising to see Ken Niumatalolo at the top of the positive side of that list with 1.22. He's done an excellent job maintain the momentum Paul Johnson started at Navy and gets every last drop out of his players.
Just wanted to see how you guys see Chryst competing in recruiting and on the field with elite B1G coaches (Meyer, Dantonio, possibly Harbaugh???). Do you see him being able to win some recruiting battles against these guys and beat them on the field?
Recruiting will be better. Success on the field may not be that noticeable but we will beat teams like MSU, UM, and PSU as often as not.
9/5: Youngstown State
9/12: at Akron
9/19: at Iowa
10/3: at Virginia Tech
10/10: Virginia
10/17: at Georgia Tech
10/24: at Syracuse
10/29: North Carolina (Thursday night)
11/7: Notre Dame
11/14: at Duke
11/21: Louisville
11/27: Miami (Black Friday)
Not an easy road to hoe by any means. I expect a better defense (can't get worse), but success this season is going to hinge on an improved Chad Voytik.
4 out of the last 5 at home is nice. All those road games early though will show this team is made of. I agree Voytik is the x factor right now on offense. The D has to be better because they were so bad. We shall see how things go. Expect the worst and hope for the best is what I always do with Pitt.
4 out of the last 5 at home is nice. All those road games early though will show this team is made of. I agree Voytik is the x factor right now on offense. The D has to be better because they were so bad. We shall see how things go. Expect the worst and hope for the best is what I always do with Pitt.
Road games at Iowa, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech all make me unhappy.
9/5: Youngstown State - W
9/12: at Akron - W
9/19: at Iowa - W
10/3: at Virginia Tech - L
10/10: Virginia - W
10/17: at Georgia Tech - L
10/24: at Syracuse - W
10/29: North Carolina (Thursday night) - W
11/7: Notre Dame - W
11/14: at Duke - L
11/21: Louisville - W
11/27: Miami (Black Friday) - W
Not an easy road to hoe by any means. I expect a better defense (can't get worse), but success this season is going to hinge on an improved Chad Voytik.
