2022-2023 #22 Pitt Super Panthers (Football) Sports Thread

[Dickie Dunn]

John Morgan transferring.

[Stoosh]

Kyi Wright also transferring. Not surprising there at all. Man, I thought he was going to be really good here.

[nocera]

Pitt girls volleyball is in the semi finals of the NCAA tournament. Game is Thursday on ESPN at 9:30. They upset #1 Wisconsin to get in.

My wife played and coach volleyball. High stakes volleyball is a fun watch.

[willeyeam]

Kyi Wright also transferring. Not surprising there at all. Man, I thought he was going to be really good here.

Yeah he was pretty much an athletic freak that I thought they'd be able to just plug in wherever and he'd succeed. Was pulling for him being local to me too. Shame, not sure if the injuries early on put him behind the eight ball or if TE ended up being the wrong spot but it was a bummer.

[Stoosh]

John Morgan transferring.

I hate to credit Vuk but he ran an article interviewing Morgan, and Morgan said he didn’t want to take time away from the younger DEs next year.

There is also speculation that the coaches told most of the defensive super seniors/veterans with an extra COVID year that they’re planning on handing the bulk of the defensive snaps to the younger players next season.

At DE, Hayes is expected to start with the next three expected to be some combo of Nahki Johnson, Okunola, Brima, Temple, and Jimmy Scott. They really like Okunola. Expect most of them to play in the Sun Bowl, because it doesn’t sound like Morgan, Haba, and Alexandre will be playing in El Paso.

At DT, Kancey is already done and his next stop is the NFL Draft. It’s time to get Donald, Fitzsimmons, Ford, and Jules into the regular rotation. I’m not sure any of Danielson, Green, and Bentley come back, unless they’re willing to take reduced snaps.

All in all, I think this is the right way for Pitt coaches to play this. Narduzzi and Partridge can’t keep asking these kids to put their futures on hold.

[Stoosh]

Pitt girls volleyball is in the semi finals of the NCAA tournament. Game is Thursday on ESPN at 9:30. They upset #1 Wisconsin to get in.

My wife played and coach volleyball. High stakes volleyball is a fun watch.

That match last night with Wisconsin was one of the most incredible displays of athleticism I’ve seen in college sports. Absolutely nerve-wracking, too.

[nocera]

Pitt girls volleyball is in the semi finals of the NCAA tournament. Game is Thursday on ESPN at 9:30. They upset #1 Wisconsin to get in.

My wife played and coach volleyball. High stakes volleyball is a fun watch.

That match last night with Wisconsin was one of the most incredible displays of athleticism I’ve seen in college sports. Absolutely nerve-wracking, too.

Pitt definitely didn’t look like the better in the 5th set despite the early lead. They hung on for dear life. Volleyball is such a fun sport to watch though. We also enjoyed the Stanford/San Diego St match that followed Pitt. Good stuff

[meow]

mrs meow is a former Pitt v-ball player. This is the most excited I’ve seen her in a while.

[Dickie Dunn]

That's cause you weren't around when I came over.

[Dickie Dunn]

John Morgan transferring.

I hate to credit Vuk but he ran an article interviewing Morgan, and Morgan said he didn’t want to take time away from the younger DEs next year.

There is also speculation that the coaches told most of the defensive super seniors/veterans with an extra COVID year that they’re planning on handing the bulk of the defensive snaps to the younger players next season.

At DE, Hayes is expected to start with the next three expected to be some combo of Nahki Johnson, Okunola, Brima, Temple, and Jimmy Scott. They really like Okunola. Expect most of them to play in the Sun Bowl, because it doesn’t sound like Morgan, Haba, and Alexandre will be playing in El Paso.

At DT, Kancey is already done and his next stop is the NFL Draft. It’s time to get Donald, Fitzsimmons, Ford, and Jules into the regular rotation. I’m not sure any of Danielson, Green, and Bentley come back, unless they’re willing to take reduced snaps.

All in all, I think this is the right way for Pitt coaches to play this. Narduzzi and Partridge can’t keep asking these kids to put their futures on hold.

Interesting and probably the right play. None of the remaining upper classmen, expect maybe Huba when at his best (which he wasn't this year), are world beaters. Good, valuable, experienced. I'd be fine with any of them sticking around for depth, but new blood on the line is exciting.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

I hope Morgan gets a bit of cash wherever he plays

[Dickie Dunn]

Dude had 2.5 sacks this year. He ain't getting paid.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

I would have guessed he had much more than that.

[NAN]

That's cause you weren't around when I came over.

[Stoosh]

I would have guessed he had much more than that.

Both Haba and Morgan had down years. In 12 games, Morgan was credited with 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for losses. In 9 games, Haba had 2 sacks and 5 TFLs. I know injuries were a factor, especially for Haba, but I think it's fair to say more was expected from both. Morgan did have the unreal WVU game, and then the game-changing forced fumble against VT. JMO, but Baldonado was frustrating to watch at times this year with the amount of post-whistle BS he tended to get into, especially in some losses.

[NAN]

I would have guessed he had much more than that.

Both Haba and Morgan had down years. In 12 games, Morgan was credited with 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for losses. In 9 games, Haba had 2 sacks and 5 TFLs. I know injuries were a factor, especially for Haba, but I think it's fair to say more was expected from both. Morgan did have the unreal WVU game, and then the game-changing forced fumble against VT. JMO, but Baldonado was frustrating to watch at times this year with the amount of post-whistle BS he tended to get into, especially in some losses.

Baldonada was very frustrating with his post whistle stuff, especially when he wasn't doing anything special. Williams is the same way.

[willeyeam]

Williams is an awesome CB and I'm happy he's back next year

[Stoosh]

Could be a really interesting and really good week for Pitt in the transfer portal.

Pitt is believed to have the inside track in landing former Florida safety Donovan McMillon. McMillon was a former 4-star DB in the class of 2021 from Peters Township. Played mostly special teams and was a reserve safety in his two years at UF, but saw increased work on defense in the latter half of this past season.

And as big as McMillon's commitment would be, there's another that may be better. There are also rumors (mostly via 247Sports) that Derrick Davis - the former 2021 4-star/5-star RB/DB from Gateway - is close to entering the portal and leaving LSU, and that Pitt would be the leader for his services as well. Davis was mostly a safety there, but he transferred to RB earlier this season to help mitigate injury issues at that spot for LSU. Not sure until he officially enters the portal, but that could come as soon as tonight or tomorrow and this may be something to really keep an eye on as it could happen very quickly.

I think both players would have at least two and maybe three years of eligibility left.

Pitt is really after McMillon because the coaches reportedly think that at least one of Hill and Hallett won't be back next year, and there's a chance they'll both leave. McMillon would factor in to either of those safety spots. He's also big and athletic enough to add a little bit of weight and move up to LB, a la Solomon Deshields. I haven't seen him play but he's reportedly a terrific tackler.

Davis would be intriguing because he can play safety, linebacker, or RB. It's believed Pitt wants him at either safety or RB, or maybe a little bit of both (think Jordan Whitehead jet sweeps), and the dude has Devonshire/Abanikanda track speed.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Isn’t pitt’s track record pretty bad with local guys who think they are big sht, go somewhere “top tier”, see no playing time, then return home

[willeyeam]

Devonshire? Who else..

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Devonshire wasn't quite hot sht like Davis. Davis was getting big time offers as a sophomore.

Cullen Christian comes to mind

[Stoosh]

Isn’t pitt’s track record pretty bad with local guys who think they are big sht, go somewhere “top tier”, see no playing time, then return home

Trying to think back a bit…

Devonshire has worked out well. Petrishen was surprisingly good. After that had to go back to 2015 with Ejuan Price (originally went to tOSU) and Dontez Ford (Syracuse). Price was good when he was healthy. Ford was meh. Before that, in 2014-ish, there was Reggie Mitchell and Manasseh Garner, though I don’t really recall them being big-time recruits.

Prior to that, in 2013, they had Brendon Felder and Cullen Christian, but neither of them did much here.

Another one I remember from the Graham/Christ transition was Tom Ricketts, who was a highly-rated legacy OL from North Allegheny that Pitt initially lost to UPS. IIRC, he transferred back to Pitt after Chrystal was hired, a bunch of local media guys lost their $hit because they remembered his dad and talked about what a great pickup it was for Pitt, and then he never played a down here because I think he got hurt in fall camp.

Transfers have been a mixed bag for them in general, but I think all in all they’ve done well recently with the local kids that have come back.

[Dickie Dunn]

He'll be missed. I hold him in the same regard as the likes of Scott McKillop and HB Blades. Gonna need some LB transfers.

[Joegap]

McMillon to pitt

[willeyeam]

Volleyball is fun