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On the DC search

Written by Sam Werner on .

If it seems like ages ago since Dave Huxtable decided to leave Pitt for NC State, that's probably because it has been. It's been just over a month since his departure left a void at the defensive coordinator spot on Pitt's staff. The rest of the college coaching carousel (save for a few late spots like Oregon) has pretty much settled, which raises the question of what exactly is taking so long for Paul Chryst to hire a new guy. I know Chryst and the rest of the football staff has been conducting interviews, both before the BBVA Compass Bowl and since the team returned from Birmingham. I'm still working on confirming exactly who those interviews were, but it's safe to say the staff is looking. With that, I think we can deduce some things from the long wait.

First, I would hazard a guess that the eventual hire is probably NOT someone who is currently out of a job, for example, a guy like Todd Orlando. If the guy at the top of the Chryst's list was unemployed, there would be no problem naming him quickly and getting some staff stability in place.

I think there's at least a decent chance that we won't get an official announcement on the new coach until after National Signing Day (Feb. 6). If the guy the staff wants to hire is currently an assistant at another school, that would allow him to finish up recruiting at his current school before moving to Pitt. Notre Dame co-DC Kerry Cooks, a guy whose name I've heard bounce around, would fall under this category. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for Pitt, either. Phil Bennett, for instance, didn't get hired until after National Signing Day in 2008. From most of the defensive recruits I've talked to, they don't mind one bit that there's no DC in place right now. As long as Chryst is there, they're in.

There's also the chance, of course, that the staff is waiting to interview someone who's currently an NFL coach on a team still in the playoffs. Paul Chryst's brother Geep is the 49ers quarterbacks coach, and the Niners assistant secondary coach Greg Jackson coached with Chryst for one year at Wisconsin in 2010. I think this is probably a less likely scenario, though. Jackson has a decent amount of collegiate experience, but none as a coordinator. I would think Chryst would prefer someone more experienced calling the defense so he can focus on offense.

If I were a betting man (which I'm not) I would think scenario "A" of waiting until after Signing Day to hire another college coach is the most likely situation. I know it seems like a long time to wait to fill a void on the staff, but if it means they get the guy at the top of their list, it's well worth it.

On a side note, I'll be on vacation next week, so blog updates will likely be sparse (unless, of course, a hire is announced). I'll still be around on Twitter, though, so follow me there @SWernerPG.

 

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A few changes

Written by Sam Werner on .

Just a quick note: If you've checked the blog this afternoon, you've probably noticed that things are looking a little different. We're going through a change in our blogging software, and still in the final stages of making the transition.

All the content should migrate over to the new site, with the exception of your comments. Going forward, there are only a couple of changes that should affect your end of things. First, we're moving to Facebook commenting. There are some positive and negatives to this, but I hope we can still have some good discussions in the comments sections. Second, anyone who follows the blog on an RSS feed will need to update the address, as it has changed.

If you have any problems or issues, feel free to email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  and let me know. I'll do my best to get it resolved.

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Two new verbal commitments

Written by Sam Werner on .

Pitt added over 600 pounds of bulk to its 2013 recruiting class Tuesday, when Paul Chryst and company secured verbal commitments from two prospects along the offensive and defensive line.

First, the Panthers added West Catholic (Philadelphia) OL Jaryd Jones-Smith. Jones-Smith made the decision at his high school Tuesday afternoon, and chose the Panthers over his other finalist, Virginia. Jones-Smith also had offers from Arizona, Wisconsin, N.C. State, Temple, Michigan, UCF and Vanderbilt.

Jones-Smith is listed as a 2-star prospect on Rivals, and 3-star on Scout and ESPN. The biggest thing with him, though, is his size. His high school coach, Brian Fluck, says Jones-Smith is 6-foot-7, 320-pounds. The Pitt coaches will probably have him shed a little bit of that weight before he arrives, but that's still a giant frame to work with.

"I think he’s really going to blossom when he gets to the next level because he’s still young, still raw at times," Fluck said. "He has very good feet."

"When he hits the weight room, training, I think he’s just going to explode."

Fluck noted that Jones-Smith has only been playing on the offensive side of the ball since July of his junior year, so he has plenty of room to grow.

Jones-Smith was primarily recruited by offensive line coach Jim Hueber, a Philadelphia native. Fluck said Jones-Smith's connection with Hueber, as well as the rest of the coaching staff, was a big factor in his decision.

"In this process, he really connected with the coaching staff, really had confidence in them that they’ll make him a better player," Fluck said.

Jones-Smith is the fifth offensive lineman for Pitt in this recruiting class, which tells you something about how the coaching staff wants to build this team going forward. Chryst's successful teams at Wisconsin were built around giant offensive lines, so this is certainly a step in that direction. Offensive line is also one of the areas hurt most by all the coaching instability at Pitt, because it's a position where numbers are far more important than star power.

Here are some YouTube highlights of Jones-Smith if you're interested:

The second player Pitt received a verbal from yesterday was Kailua, Hawaii, defensive lineman Jeremiah Taleni.

Taleni is listed as a 2-star on Rivals and 24/7 but, by my search, doesn't have a profile on ESPN or Scout. He also had scholarship offers from UMass and Washington St.

Again, with him, the biggest thing is his size and raw physical ability. Taleni is listed at 6-foot-2, 315 pounds and should benefit once he gets into a college weight room.

Taleni is the sixth defensive lineman in this class for Pitt (including early enrollees Tyrique Jarrett and Shakir Soto) so, once again, it's an area that Chryst and his staff really think they need to stock up on in their first full recruiting class.

Here are some YouTube highlights of Taleni:

That puts Pitt at 21 commitments in this class, not including the four early enrollees. I've heard that Pitt wants to take as many kids as it can this year, so that leaves four spots available in the 2013 class (since they can backdate the early enrollees to last year's class). The problem is that Pitt only has 23 spots available on its 85-man limit (and Tom Savage still needs a scholarship, presumably), so they'll have to get a bit creative with some scholarship numbers. We've got three weeks until signing day, so plenty of time to let it all play out.

 

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