Stupid is Forever: PSU and Pitt 07 recruiting.

[The Ancient Enemy]

As everyone knows by now, Penn State shoe-in LeSean McCoy has committed to the University of Pittsburgh. But this is not the only strange occurance in the PSU '07 recruiting campaign. Let's take a look, kids.



MCCOY:
==========
- Big-time RB recruit from Pennsylvania.
- Initially a commit of Miami in 2006, sent to Milford Academy because he's a genius in the classroom, opens recruiting again in 2007.
- Meets and forms strong friendship at Milford with PSU commit JB Walton. He is projected by everyone as a Penn State lock.
- Commits to Pittsburgh.

This is just bizarre. I don't know what happened in the past few weeks, but I can make an outside-the-know guess. I would venture that a few things led to McCoy's strange decision.

- Austin Scott is virtually guaranteed a starting spot regardless of how hard Kinlaw works in the offseason.
- Lions landed 4-star RB last season in Brent Carter.
- Penn State seems to be handing out scholarships to whoever wants one.
- The very hard push for Broderick Green.

The Lions have made no bones about how bad they want Green, a very strong and fast RB from Arkansas, regardless of his verbal to USC. They at least managed to lure him to State College for a visit this weekend. With the hard push for Green, and the knowledge that McCoy was probably a guarantee, that probably turned McCoy off pretty quickly. I am surprised PSU is pursuing Green as hard as they are. He is a typical PSU-style running back, but we are in a battle here with USC, an annual powerhouse. However, USC has multiple young backs who share time. What that creates is depth, and experience. Can a new guy legitimately expect to win a position battle against them? These RB's are not 2 or 3 star players, USC gets 5 star running backs. At 6'0" 230, he certainly is similar to the Penn State power backs we all know and love. My worry with Green is, do we have a legitimate shot at stealing this kid from USC?

McCoy to Pitt is a strange decision. Certainly the case can be made that Pitt has had more NFL success with RB's than Penn State has. As we know, each draft and each player are subject to both placement and team system. Certainly, Larry Johnson has emerged as one of the best backs in the NFL, but there is a list of PSU backs who either ended up injured, or just did not pan out. Pitt, on the other hand, has had in the past Tony Dorsett, Curtis Martin, and Kevan Barlow is still right now getting carries. But selling Dorsett and Martin as examples of success is a fraudulent notion. These players (and also Barlow) did NOT play for a Dave Wannstedt and Matt Cavanaugh system. We have seen exactly what Matt Cavanaugh has done when given opportunities. I truly believe that he is the worst offensive coordinator I have seen in the years I have watched college football seriously, and I think this man has done nothing absolutely nothing to show any promise whatsoever of making any progress, whatsoever, in the annual debacles that have come to be known as Pitt offense. He is phenomenally incompetent, and I really have a hard time understanding the loyalty and evidence Wannstedt uses to keep this guy around. It would be a different story if Pitt was getting better, but they absolutely are not, at all, in any offensive capacity. Pitt has also kept Paul Rhodes, who strangely is very reminiscent of Cavanaugh, only on the other side of the ball at defensive coordinator. Objectively looking at Pitt's 2006 campaign, I am hard pressed not to say that if any spots show ANY signs of life, they are the emergence and overachieving of the wide receiving corps, and the pretty decent play from the linebackers. I have said that well before the recent firings, and strangely enough, instead of cutting the snake off at the head and firing the coordinators, Pitt fired the wide receivers coach and the linebackers coach, the best spot on the offense and defense. Make sense of that one, folks. Dave Wannstedt is hell bent on installing a "power ground game", and for some strange reason, he thinks LeSean McCoy is the gem that can fit that role? McCoy is not Larry Johnson or Jamal Lewis. He is a faster back who is a little smaller than the guys you classify as "power backs". I don't understand the mentality in Oakland.

Then we have this nugget: the West Virginia recruiting class for 2007 is dismal at best, as well was the '06 class. Louisville lost its coach to the Atlanta Falcons, and may or may not have hired the right guy to keep the ship straight, as only time will tell with any new coaching position. The Big East is about to take a step backwards from the small step forwards they took in 2006. So with all that being said, the situation in the Big East and the odd decisions made by Pitt, why in God's name would LeSean McCoy go to Pittsburgh?



But he is not the only Penn State miss this offseason. As noted many times on here, Penn State has given multiple scholarships away to either risky junior college kids, even more un-needed linebackers, or straight nepotism. One kid left out in the cold is Henry Hynoski, a very strong fullback from Southern Columbia that won a state title in atleast '06, while shredding people all season. Penn State has a history of quality fullbacks. Hynoski is one of the top fullback recruits in the country, has known toughness, his bench was 370, he runs a 4.8, and has a 3.9 GPA. He also made it publicly known that he wanted to play ball for Penn State. Well, for some ungodly reason, that scholarship never came, and neither did any interest. You figure that one out, because I sure as hell can't. It's not like the kid's film wasn't seen... Josh Marks, SC lineman and Penn State commit, is one of the people who blocked for Hynoski. Hynoski has given his commitment to Pittsburgh.

It's been strange to say the least, as a Penn State fan. More and more defense, less and less offense. For the first time since I can remember, the Lions chased JUCO's to fill the holes on the offensive line, and I was not surprised to see Suhey get a scholarship, solely because of how I sadly know Paterno runs things. But the Lions did sign numerous kids who have tremendous potential, as usual, so we will see how it turns out on the field. I just wish that the fans did not have to sit and take it on the chin and watch quality players slip through the grasp because of oddball decisions and flighty pursuit.

[El-Moldo]

I heard that PSU wants Green to visit.....when their men's basketball team is not at home that weekend!!!!!!!! Why show the kid an arena that's two-thirds empty, and a team that hasn't had a winning season in years??? Take him to the Creamery instead.

[BisonBlue07]

As a football prospect, I would be less bothered about an empty basketball gym then an empty FOOTBALL stadium like Pitt brings every week during the season. Now i know Green isn't interested in that pathetic excuse for a football program, but you have no room to talk about attendance moldo.....

PSU knows they're basketball team isn't that good, so why would you hurt your own chances of getting a top notch player?

[El-Moldo]

Ah, but when you bring in a kid for his OFFICIAL visit AFTER football season is over, wouldn't showing him a good time at a HOME basketball game be a big selling point? Pitt seems to have had good success bringing in kids to the Peterson Event Center while on their official visit. It's a great selling point. Maybe that's why PSU has stalled right now in recruiting while Pitt has been hot as of late. I mean, when you bring in a recruit to PSU in January, what do you do to show him a good time? Sure don't want to take him to an empty BJC do you?

[El-Moldo]

Hazelton!!! Hazelton!!! Hazelton!!!

[ham55]

I partied with Dorin Dickerson last night.

[#1_plumber_coach]

I guess taking him to a home wrestling match would be out of the question??? Not every big time hs football player plays or likes basketball...

[El-Moldo]

Ya. Wrestling is real big in Arkansas. That'll thrill him (Green). You're supposed to entertain the kid, not punish him!!!! Besides, the PSU wrestling team is in Minnesota this weekend, taking on the #1 team in the Big Ten. So yesterday I guess Green took in the Michigan State game, then walked around the campus in 8 degree weather. Those are real selling points. I also noticed in the Photo Gallery on Blue White Illustrated that Green was in the BJC yesterday wearing a Kansas City Chiefs hooded sweatshirt. And by coincidence, Larry Johnson and Tamba Hali were at the game too. Isn't that kind of illegal? I also noticed that Hali's mother wasn't there. Is she still stuck in Liberia or something? He's been a millionaire for almost a year now. You'd think she'd be with her son in America by now. Oh well.

[The Ancient Enemy]

She's still packing all her belongings. Liberians are wealthy people.

Wrestling is huge in Arkansas. So is incest. You sure we want this kid?