Pitt 2012 Recruiting

Pitt Panthers 2012 ... Head Coach: Paul Chryst

Pitt Panthers

2011 Record: 6-7

Sep. 3 Buffalo W 36-16
Sep. 10 Maine W 35-29
Sep. 17 at Iowa L 31-27
Sep. 24 Notre Dame L 15-12
Sep. 29 USF W 44-17
Oct. 8 at Rutgers L 34-10
Oct. 15 Utah L 26-14
Oct. 22 OPEN DATE
Oct. 25 Connecticut W 35-20
Nov. 5 Cincinnati L 26-23
Nov. 12 at Louisville W 21-14
Nov. 19 OPEN DATE
Nov. 24 at West Virginia L 21-20
Dec. 3 Syracuse W 33-20
BBVA Compass Bowl
Jan. 7 SMU L 28-6

2010 CFN Prediction: 9-3
2010 Record: 8-5

Sept. 2 at Utah L 27-24 OT
Sept. 11 N. Hampshire W 38-16
Sept. 18 OPEN DATE
Sept. 23 Miami L 31-3
Oct. 2 FIU W 42-17
Oct. 9 at Notre Dame L 23-17
Oct. 16 at Syracuse W 45-14
Oct. 23 Rutgers W 41-21
Oct. 30 Louisville W 20-6
Nov. 6 OPEN DATE
Nov. 11 Connecticut L 30-28
Nov. 20 at USF W 17-10
Nov. 26 West Virginia L 35-10
Dec. 4 at Cincinnati W 28-10
BBVA Compass Bowl
Jan. 8 Kentucky W 27-10
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Pitt Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. RB Rushef Shell
5-11, 215, Scout.com 4th ranked, five-star running back. Shell is a rare back that can do it all and he does. The bad thing is, since he plays on defense and special teams, we rarely see him at full strength. Wait until he gets to college and can focus solely on being an every down back. He is a franchise back that every team wants. He can run inside or outside. He is very patient and has outstanding vision. He has a thick build which allows him to be able to tote the rock 20+ carries.

2. TE J.P. Holtz
6-4, 235, Scout.com 10th ranked, four-star tight end. As a senior, Holtz ran for 337 yards on 72 carries. He caught 19 passes for 332 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. J.P. Holtz says he played mostly running back during his junior season and had 14 total touchdowns (rushing and receiving). He says he can bench 305-pounds.

3. QB Chad Voytik
6-0, 185, Scout.com 12th ranked, four-star quarterback. Voytik is a true game-manager who can throw and run. He gets rid of the ball quickly, he throws with very good accuracy, and he spins the ball well. He is a true consistent passer. He is barely six feet tall, so he seeing over the offensive line could be an issue. He can throw on the move and him rolling outside the pocket may give him better passing lanes. He brings good mobility, good pocket awareness, and smarts.

4. LB Deaysean Rippy
6-2, 200, Scout.com 18th ranked, four-star outside linebacker. Rippy is an exceptional and versatile athlete. Rippy is explosive off the edge in pursuit or when blitzing the quarterback. He is tough against the run and can play inside or outside. He is also as good in coverage as defensive backs. A lot of schools are looking at Rippy as a potential safety prospect.

5. DT Tyrique Jarrett
6-4, 315, Scout.com 28th ranked, three-star defensive tackle.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Keeping Todd Graham’s recruits. New head coach Paul Chryst is behind and has to rally, but first he has to make sure the key recruits from the former head man – like superstar running back prospect Rushel Shell – are happy. Why did Chryst succeed as Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator? Offensive linemen, but that’s going to be for the 2013 class. This year will mostly focus on simply getting the best players possible in an abbreviated recruiting cycle.

Team Concerns For 2012: The defensive front seven. Only two starters are back – end Aaron Donald and linebacker Todd Thomas – meaning the stars from the 2010 class have to start shining through. The offensive line needs a ton of work after losing three starters and both backups at tackle. This class isn’t expected to have any instant answers for either concern.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: New head coach Paul Chryst needs to upgrade an offense that sputtered and struggled way too often in a disappointing year under Todd Graham. Getting RB Ray Graham back healthy would be a great start, but QB Tino Sunseri needs to be better and more efficient. The line has work to do with three starters gone from a group that did absolutely nothing in pass protection. If Sunseri gets time, he could shine with a veteran receiving corps returning. The defense that was dominant at getting into the backfield loses Brandon Lindsey and three starters up front, but leading sacker Aaron Donald is back at one end. Five starters are gone from the front seven, but three starters return to the secondary including FS Jared Holley, who should be one of the Big East/s top tacklers.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Running back. New head coach Todd Graham needs receivers to get his passing game going, and he’ll hope that Darius Patton is worth the hype with his 4.4 speed able to stretch the field. The secondary got plenty of help with corner Jason Frimpong and safety Rodrick Ryles two talented prospects, and linebackers Nicholas Grigsby and LaQuentin Smith should be dangerous linebackers once they hit the weight room. The big question is if top recruit Lafayette Pitts will be the team’s No. 1 lockdown corner or if he’ll stick at running back. Either way, the Panthers loaded up in the backfield with Malcolm Crockett and Corey Davis two shifty runners who fit the Panther mold.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 33. That Class Was Heavy On ... Defensive linemen. T.J. Clemmings is a superior end prospect with 6-6, 260-pound size and the potential to be thrown into the mix right away, but he's hardly the only good defensive lineman signed with tackle Aaron Donald and end Bryan Murphy keeping the shelves stocked. Across the board there isn't a lot of sure-thing star power, but this is a diverse class with several strong prospect; because of the sheer numbers a few of these players will be better than originally expected. The secondary could be just as loaded as the line.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 26. That Class Was Heavy On ... backs. How do you answer the departure of star LeSean McCoy to the NFL after his sophomore season? You sign four young backs, who’ll be in a position to contribute in a year or two. There’s a nice blend of skills in the group. Dion Lewis and Jason Douglas provide the dash. At 205 pounds, Kevin Adams will bring the punch if he doesn’t move to safety. Raymond Graham, who was also pursued by Rutgers and Maryland, has a chance to be the best of the group.

SMU 28 … Pitt 6
- CFN Thoughts on the Game

SMU: The Mustangs made seven sacks … J.J. McDermott completed 16-of-25 passes for 239 yards and a score, and he ran for a touchdown. … Jared Williams caught 11 passes for 40 yards. … Darius Johnson caught seven passes for 120 yards and a score. … Matt Stone averaged 45.4 yards per punt putting three of the five inside the 20. … Ja’Gared Davis led the team with nine tackles with a sack and a forced fumble. … Margus Hunt made five tackle and three sacks.

Pitt: The Panthers finished with ten rushing yards … Tino Sunseri completed 19-of-28 passes for 183 yards with a pick. … Isaac Bennett ran ten times for 22 yards. … Ronald Jones caught six passes for 36 yards. … Max Groder made nine tackles with a tackle for loss. … Myles Caragein made six tackles with 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.

(AP) BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- SMU has not lost this season when it scores first or puts up at least 21 points.

The Mustangs were quick to check off both benchmarks to give coach June Jones his 100th collegiate win.

SMU put up three first-quarter touchdowns, including scoring runs and passes by J.J. McDermott, to beat Pittsburgh 28-6 Saturday in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

"I'm really proud of the defense," Jones said. "Really the defense has been that way all year. They've been the reason we've won eight games. We haven't been as sharp on offense as we've been in years past."

Rishaad Wimbley ran for two scores for SMU (8-5), which tied a school record by playing in its third straight bowl under Jones. Before Jones' arrival in in 2008, SMU had played in the postseason since beating Notre Dame in the 1984 Aloha Bowl.

Jones said he didn't talk to his players about his approaching milestone, but he said his 100th win as a college coach "means a lot to me."

"I'll never forget these guys for that win," he said.

McDermott completed 16 of 26 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown, to Darius Johnson early in the first.

Pittsburgh (6-7) was held without a first down and fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter. Kevin Harper kicked field goals of 32 and 34 yards.

The Panthers were coached by defensive coordinator Keith Patterson, who took over after Todd Graham left to coach at Arizona State. It was Patterson last game before he starts his new job as the defensive coordinator at Arkansas State.

""The one thing I kept challenging everybody on the team to do is to finish," Patterson said, adding there were many distractions for players and coaches.

"But I felt really good about the effort that they gave," he said. "They represented as well as they possibly could."

Pittsburgh's newly hired coach, former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, flew into Birmingham on Saturday and watched the game from the press box level.

Chryst visited with Pitt alumni and fans before the game. He said he wanted to maintain a respectful distance from the team until the game ended, signaling the start of his era.

"This is the culmination of their season," Chryst said. "This wasn't me."

Chryst said he has "a lot of appreciation for how they're finishing things out" after Graham's unexpected exit.

McDermott beat Pitt's blitz when lobbed a 50-yard touchdown pass to Johnson for the Mustangs' first touchdown.

Johnson had seven catches for 120 yards and was named the game's MVP. The 50-yard catch was the longest in the six-year history of the bowl.

"We talked about it on the sideline and we knew it was going to be open, Johnson said. "I just had to make the catch."

After McDermott's 1-yard run capped an eight-play drive to push the lead to 14-0, Ja'Gared Davis hit Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Taylor Reed at the Panthers' 27.

McDermott's 19-yard pass to Cole Beasley set up Wimbley's 2-yard touchdown run.

Wimbley added a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Pitt was making its second straight appearance in the bowl after beating Kentucky in last year's game.

A series of key plays went against Pitt in the second quarter. Following the field goal, Pitt recovered an onside kick, but the officials said there was an inadvertent whistle before the ball was recovered. Pitt fans booed as the officials said another kickoff was necessary.

"Both officials came over and apologized to me and said they made a bad call," Patterson said. "They were very apologetic. There's nothing you can do about that. But that was a big momentum-changer. It kind of got us into the game a little bit. We were fired up from that point on."

With SMU still leading 21-3 later in the quarter, Pitt drove from its 16 to a first and goal at the Mustangs' 10. On third down from the 5, Sunseri's pass bounced off tailback Isaac Bennett. The deflection was caught by SMU linebacker Stephon Sanders for an interception.

The half ended with Pitt again coming away with no points at the end of a long drive. Harper's 47-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright to end a 14-play drive.

Jones said SMU running back Jared Williams suffered a probable broken left leg in the fourth quarter. Williams' left leg was placed in a brace before he was placed on a stretcher.

"That's probably a better injury to have than tearing up a knee," Jones said.

Williams led the Mustangs with 11 carries for 40 yards before the injury.

Sunseri was 19 of 28 passing for 183 yards with an interception.

Attendance was 29,726.

Nov. 25 at West Virginia 21 … Pitt 20  

Nov. 12 Pittsburgh 21 … at Louisville 14
CFN Analysis: And there’s the running game. The Panthers haven’t gone into the tank after losing Ray Graham for the season, but the offense hasn’t been the same. Isaac Bennett picked up the slack against the stout Cardinals with 69 yards and a score while former Wisconsin Badger Zach Brown added 86 yards on 15 carries. … Tino Sunseri connected on 16-of-22 passes for 196 yards and a score, and he ran for 41 yards and a touchdown doing a great job of keeping the chains moving. Pitt was great on third downs and Louisville wasn’t. … No penalties. A problem a few games ago, the mistakes have slowed to a crawl. … A winning season is back in the equation now. Losing this week would’ve made a win at West Virginia a must, but now the Panthers have to split the final two games against WVU and Syracuse to go bowling.  

Nov. 5 Cincinnati 26 … at Pittsburgh 23
CFN Analysis: Pitt is a lot of things, but it’s not boring. The Panthers have lost three of their last four and five of their last seven, and there’s no consistency whatsoever, but it’s not like the team is playing all that poorly. The pass protection continues to be awful, allowing three sacks to continue to rank dead last in the nation in sacks allowed, but the line did a decent job for the Ray Graham-less ground game with 179 yards. Tino Sunseri took off for 64 of the yards and he threw for 218 yards, with Devin Street coming up with a huge game catching eight of the passes for 118 yards, but the offense fell flat in the second half. Kevin Harper was fine, hitting field goals from 42, 24, and 42 yards out, but he couldn’t hit the 50-yarder to force overtime. That was makeable for him, but it’s still asking a lot to connect from 50 yards out. It’s going to take two wins in the final three – against Louisville, West Virginia, and Syracuse – to get to six wins.

Oct. 26 at Pitt 35 … Connecticut 20
CFN Analysis: The Panthers won the battle but might have lost the war. Tino Sunseri was brilliant, throwing for 419 yards and two touchdowns as he pushed the ball down the field without a problem, and there wasn’t any problem coming up with a win after getting off to a hot start, but Ray Graham was lost for the year with a knee injury. After two straight losses, this was one of the team’s best performances of the year, going along with the win over USF. Now the Panthers have to show they can win on Saturdays like they do in the week – the win over the Bulls was on a Thursday – and they have to do it without Graham. If Sunseri can keep throwing like this, they might be able to pull off a key win over Cincinnati.  

Oct. 15 Utah 26 … at Pitt 14
CFN Analysis: The Utah offensive line couldn’t keep Jon Hays from getting popped, but it was able to pave the way for a huge day from John White to go along with a great day from the defense. White ran for 171 yards on 36 carries to make up for the problems in the passing game, but both teams have problems with the wind, as well as the big pass rushes. The Utes didn’t turn the ball over and did a great job at hanging on to the ball, keeping it for close to 38 minutes, but the ten penalties were a bit too many and the offense settled for too many field goals. Even so, the D didn’t allow any points after getting down 14-3 late in the first quarter, and Coleman Petersen came through with a great game hitting four field goals. After the blowout losses against Arizona State and Washington, and after scoring just 14 points in each of the first three Pac-12 games, this was exactly what the team needed going into the road trip to Cal.  

Oct. 8 at Rutgers 34 … Pitt 10
CFN Analysis: Ray Graham ran for 165 yards, but Tino Sunsieri was awful, throwing three picks and only finishing with 127 yards. There was a reason, though; the line couldn’t keep the Scarlet Knights out of the backfield. The Pitt defense didn’t exactly hold firm, but it did a decent job overall considering the offense put it in a bad position time and again. Dead last in the nation in sacks allowed coming into the game, the holes and the weaknesses were even more glaring this week. There’s no worry next week against a Utah defense without a pass rush, but to get back into the Big East hunt the Panthers have to beat UConn, but the Husky defense has been terrific at getting to the quarterback. 

Sept. 29 at Pitt 44 … South Florida 17
CFN Analysis: Pitt wasn’t quite hitting on its down field throws early on, and the defense struggled a wee bit early on to stuff the USF offense, and then Ray Graham took over the defense turned its intensity up a few notches and the shocker was on. Call this a phenomenal gut-check moment for new head coach Todd Graham’s program. After losing heartbreakers to Iowa and Notre Dame, the Panthers could’ve hung their head a little bit, but instead they came out focused, aggressive, and very, very, sharp. Ray Graham will get all the headlines after his amazing 226-yard, two score day, but Tino Sunieri had a strong game, too, completing 22-of-33 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown, while running 12 times for 35 yards and a score. The first part of the season might have been a disappointment, but Pitt is 1-0 in Big East play with a trip to Rutgers up next. 

Sept. 24 Notre Dame 15 … Pitt 12
CFN Analysis: Pitt played its heart out over the last two weeks and didn’t have a win to show for it. The collapse against Iowa last week was bad, but not being able to hold up after playing so well defensively will really hurt. Pitt outplayed the Irish in several ways with Tino Sunseri sharp and the defense stuffing the Notre Dame passing game for three quarters. Allowing the 79-yard Jonas Gray touchdown run hurt, but that was about it for giving up big plays. The team is playing well enough to be 4-0, but all of a sudden the game against South Florida next week is for more than just getting off to a good start in the Big East. 2-3, no matter how it happens, won’t look good. 

Sept. 17 at Iowa 31 … Pitt 27
CFN Analysis: Pitt has to put this one in the rear-view mirror in a big hurry. After struggling and sputtering against Buffalo and Maine, the offense worked in the first three quarters even though Ray Graham was being bottled up. The nation’s leading rusher came up with 97 yards, and Tino Sunseri threw well, completing 23-of-33 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns, but he threw two picks and Pitt ended up losing the ball three times. The pass rush was non-existent in the final quarter and the secondary didn’t have any answers, but just as bad was the offense that didn’t go on any marches to help stop the momentum. With Notre Dame up next, the Panthers have to show more mental toughness than they displayed in the final ten minutes in Iowa City. 

Sept. 3 at Pitt 36 … Buffalo 16
CFN Analysis: This couldn’t have been the way Todd Graham wanted to kick off his era, but the offense perked up in the second half just in time to put the game away. QB Tino Sunseri was fine, and Ray Graham was tremendous with 201 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries, but the offense almost never had the ball. Buffalo controlled the clock for almost 39 minutes with third down conversion after third down conversion, and while the Panther defense stiffened when needed, this wasn’t a good sign with Iowa coming up in a few weeks. The front line has to get more of a pass rush, and while Brandon Lindsey got a sack and seven tackles, there needs to be more pressure from the front line. 

The 2011 Recruiting Class Is Heavy On … Running back. New head coach Todd Graham needs receivers to get his passing game going, and he’ll hope that Darius Patton is worth the hype with his 4.4 speed able to stretch the field. The secondary got plenty of help with corner Jason Frimpong and safety Rodrick Ryles two talented prospects, and linebackers Nicholas Grigsby and LaQuentin Smith should be dangerous linebackers once they hit the weight room. The big question is if top recruit Lafayette Pitts will be the team’s No. 1 lockdown corner or if he’ll stick at running back. Either way, the Panthers loaded up in the backfield with Malcolm Crockett and Corey Davis two shifty runners who fit the Panther mold.

Five Pitt Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. CB/RB Lafayette Pitts
5-11, 180, Scout.com’s 12th ranked corner. A running back for his Woodland Hills team, Pitts is comfortable with the ball in his hands, but at his size, it's not hard to project him at corner. He's a fluid athlete with an easy change of direction. He is extremely calm and poised on the field, which will serve him well on his island at cornerback. He has a good frame and should be able to carry a lot more weight in muscle as he's thin. Could see time as a return man.

2. RB Malcolm Crockett
He says he can bench 245-pounds and squat 425. Crockett also runs track and may do both sports in college. He runs a 10.9 100m and a 22.7 200m.

3. RB Corey Davis
5-11, 180, Scout.com’s 63rd ranked running back

4. WR Darius Patton
5-9, 170, Scout.com’s 172nd ranked receiver

5. C Artie Rowell
6-3, 280, Scout.com’s 14th ranked center

2011 Entire Recruiting Class

Isaac Bennett RB 5-11 190 Tulsa, Okla./Booker T. Washington
Jeremiah Bryson RB 5-10 180 Smyrna, Tenn./Smyrna
Lloyd Carrington DB 6-0 180 Dallas, Texas/Lincoln
Sam Collura TE 6-3 Elkridge, Md./DeMatha Catholic
Devin Cook LB 6-4 230 Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver Falls
Malcolm Crockett RB 5-10 180 Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate Academy
Corey Davis RB 5-11 180 Gladewater, Texas/Gladewater
Zenel Demhasaj OL 6-7 320 Brooklyn, N.Y./New Utrecht H.S./Nassau C.C.
Jason Frimpong DB 5-10 180 Irving, Texas/MacArthur
Nicholas Grigsby LB 6-1 210 Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison
Justin Jackson WR 6-3 185 Daphne, Ala./Daphne
Ronald Jones WR 5-8 165 Fort Meade, Fla./Fort Meade
Khaynin Mosely-Smith DL 6-0 Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills H.S./Milford Academy (N.Y.)
Darius Patton WR 5-10 170 Poland, Ohio/Poland Seminary
Jevonte Pitts DB 5-10 175 Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills
Lafayette Pitts DB 5-11 180 Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills
Artie Rowell OL 6-2 275 Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin
Roderick Ryles DB 6-1 185 Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips
LaQuentin Smith LB 6-2 225 Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips
Steve Williams DB 6-2 200 Savannah, Ga./Calvary Day School