Sorting through the Rubble, aftermath of LOI Day ‘10

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Sorting through the Rubble, aftermath of LOI Day ‘10

Submitted by Charlie on February 4, 2010 – View Comments

As Gopher and Buckeye fans spent the day awaiting the result of the Henderson sweepstakes, and Dorsey let Michigan fans sweat it out for a couple of minutes, Nittany Lion fans watched as everything fell into place and on schedule on Letter of Intent day. Considering how we had to endure the Terrelle Pryor diva moment, the Vidal Hazelton mistake (now transferred to Cincinnati from USC despite his fathers’ preference of Penn State) and the Rich Rod / Michael Shaw switcharoo, this was a welcome change for both fans and coaching staff alike.

With little fanfare and even less drama, the coaching staff managed to put together the #12 class according to Rivals and #9 according to Scout nationally. With Michigan’s class ranked #20/#12 and Ohio State’s at #26/#20 nationally, this means Joe Paterno and his staff brought in the top class in the Big Ten for 2010. 2 Big Ten titles, 2 BCS games, and 4 bowl wins (2 against SEC teams) tend to help you do that.

So once the dust settles and the ink from the fax machine has cooled, let’s take a second look at one of the better recruiting classes for the Blue and White in over a decade.

So much for that mythical wall the Dave Wannstedt is building around the state. Remember when Wannstedt boldly claimed he wanted to build his “brick wall” around the WPIAL back in 2005? It was a statement Pitt fans (however many is left that is) should remember from former coach Walt Harris about Western Pennsylvania. It turns out that brick wall might actually be made out of smoke and mirrors.

Of Penn State’s 20 recruits, 12 rejected scholarship offers from Pittsburgh in favor of Penn State. 2 of which were actually considered near locks with immediate family employed at Pitt and/or played for Pitt.

Of Pittsburgh’s 24 total recruits, only 3 actually held scholarship offers from Penn State.

Of the 12 who picked Penn State over Pitt, 9 hail from the Keystone State. Of the 3 that picked Pitt over Penn State, 2 are from Pennsylvania.

Wannstedt might want to call somebody about that brick wall of his.

Raiding the SEC

Of the 42 Big Ten recruits that hail from SEC country (South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Kentucky), it is not surprising Ron Zook’s Illinois led the pack with 10 including 4 from Florida, 2 from Georgia, and 1 each from Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee.
Wisconsin led all Big Ten teams in the Sunshine State with 5 recruits followed by Purdue and Illinois at 4.

Pac 10 Country

Minnesota, Northwestern and Indiana all managed to sign 2 players each out of California.

Big 12 Country

Minnesota, Northwestern and Iowa leads the Big Ten in Big 12 country with 3 players each.
In the Longhorn State, Northwestern, Purdue and Minnesota all tied for tops with 2 recruits each followed by Penn State, Minnesota, and Iowa with 1.

Around the Big Ten

When it comes to in state recruiting, no one does it better than Michigan State, cleaning up the state with 10 players hailing from Michigan. Penn State came a close second, dominating the Keystone State with 9 in-state recruits. Followed closely by Ohio State with 8 recruits from the Buckeye State.
Northwestern performed the worst in-state. The Wildcats were only able to sign 1 recruit in-state. Michigan and Indiana are next with just 4 from their respective states.
Michigan raided the state of Ohio to the tune of 11 recruits. That’s 2 more than the 8 by in-state Ohio State.
Meanwhile, Ohio State only signed 1 player from the state of Michigan.
Even with the top (or close to it) player in this year’s class in Henderson, Minnesota remains the least recruited state in the Big Ten footprint with 4 players taken by Big Ten schools; 3 by Minnesota and 1 by Wisconsin.
The most recruited state(s) in the Big Ten footprint is Ohio and Michigan with its players headed to 8 different Big Ten programs each. Pennsylvania is a close second with players headed to 7 different Big Ten teams.
The most popular state(s) in the nation for Big Ten recruiters is Florida and Ohio. 9 different Big Ten teams raided the Sunshine State for 25 total players.
9 Big Ten teams signed a total of 45 players from the state of Ohio

And now to introduce you to the newest members of the Penn State football family.

Brad Bars

DE (6-4) 200
Montgomery Bell, TN

NittanyWhiteOut
Rivals: 2 stars
Scout: 2 stars

Kyle Baublitz

DE (6-4) 255
Central York, PA

NittanyWhiteOut
Rivals: 4 stars
Scout: 4 stars

	Robert Bolden QB (6-4) 205 St Mary Preparatory, MI	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 4 stars
	Miles Dieffenbach C (6-2) 277 Fox Chapel Area, PA	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 4 stars
	Khairi Fortt OLB (6-2) 221 Samfort, CT	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 4 stars
	Luke Graham OG (6-5) 274 Penn Trafford, PA	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 3 stars Scout 3 stars
	Evan Hailes DT (6-2) 310 Oscar F. Smith, VA	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 4 stars
	Kevin Haplea TE (6-4) 230 North Hunterdon, NJ	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 4 stars
	Mike Hull MLB (6-0) 220 Canon-McMillan, PA	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 5 stars
	Daquan Jones DT (6-4) 300 Johnson City, NY	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 4 stars
	Paul Jones QB (6-3) 223 Sto-Rox, PA	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 5 stars
	Alex Kenney WR (6-0) 190 State College Area, PA	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 4 stars
	Khamrone Kolb OT (6-6) 300 Lake Braddock Secondary, VA	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 3 stars
	Levi Norwood WR (6-2) 170 Midway, TX	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 3 stars
	CJ Olaniyan DE (6-5) 230 Warren Mott, MI	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 4 stars
	Shyquawn Pullium CB (6-1) 175 Cathedral Prep, PA	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 3 stars
	Silas Reed RB (5-10) 190 King & Low-Heywood Thomas, CT	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 5 stars
	Tom Ricketts OT (6-6) 266 North Allegheny, PA	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 4 stars
	Dakota Royer OLB (6-3) 220 Manheim Central, PA	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 4 stars
	Zach Zwinak FB (6-2) 225 Linganore, MD	NittanyWhiteOut Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 3 stars

Releated Posts:

LOL

I still don't get why this Bill S. is bitching about reading stuff with a Penn State slant here. He is smart enough to realize this is a Penn State fan site right? But then again, being a Pitt fan, you might want to include that in your title just to make sure he is aware of it.

Bill S.

"I still don't get why this Bill S. is bitching about reading stuff with a Penn State slant here." You missed the answer in my previous post to Charlie: I just want honest reporting. Facts. My point is that they don't often show up here.

It's possible the intention in writing all the articles on here isn't to report facts. It looks like that is what Charlie is finally admitting. The PSU slant simply makes the reporting here biased and not factual. If this blog is just about hype, then that is all it is. So, it's fine.

Of course I am smart enough to figure out that this is a PSU blog. We're just waiting for Charlie's SAT scores. You can send yours too, LOL, if you want.

There is a big difference between talking ABOUT Penn State on a PSU blog and being BIASED when reporting on them.

psudevon

You want me to send you my 1510? I'm sure that's more than enough for me and Charlie. But I'm not here to brag about my SAT score, I'm here to talk about Penn State football, and how it's far superior to Pitt.

In the past 5 years, Penn State has 51 wins, 4 bowl wins, 2 BCS games, and 2 partial conference championships. Since coming to Pitt, Wannstedt has 35 wins (in 5 years), 1 bowl win, and no finishes in the Big East higher than 2nd. Don't bring up 2000. Don't bring up basketball. Try and show me one thing Pitt has done better than Penn State since Wanny came aboard.

Bill S.

Key point: Beating Iowa is a true statement. I didn't make that up or misquote some stats or forget a certain fact or try to force together a "logical argument" that isn't there.

Catch you fellas later.

Don't stop believin'..............

psudevon

Congratulations, you won an out-of-conference game. I hope that kept a smile on your face while you were collapsing down the stretch and losing the only two meaningful games of the year. But hey, great job winning the Meineke Car Care Bowl. That's almost as prestigious as the Capital One, right?

Charlie

Devon, there's really no point trying with Bill S. I don't even bother going through his dribble and some people just don't know how to play nice so he gets the ban hammer. He can come back as often as he wants on different computers, but for us its as simple as 2 clicks to remove and ban. SAT score? What juvenile argument/comeback is that. It's like a pissing match with the guy. Like I mentioned, just 2 simple clicks and we barely break a sweat.

Bill S.

Of course I would be embarrassed by posts like the ones that show up on this site.

I can tell by your reply that you have missed the point yet again. LOL. This doesn't have to do with Kevin Gorman being a legitimate journalist. It has to do with the way you construct your articles (and you being a legitimate writer).

The whole premise of this article is garbage. Please don't tell me you are trying to simply be informational here. I mean, the pie charts are neat and it is good to have your new recruits listed, but what does it prove? Your bitterness toward the SEC and Pitt is clearly apparent. I hope you are not trying to make some sort of point from this article. I don't see how it could really support anything. The new links you have posted talk of Pitt grabbing players out of PSU's backyard. So who cares about the wall over here when you are losing recruiting battles in Eastern PA? It's bologna.

Why don't we do a pie chart of the SEC raiding the Big Ten? It makes very little sense to me. Oh, and it is bizarre that Florida is even considered SEC country (these "conference blueprint" things are ridiculous) since more teams in the ACC hail from Florida than the SEC. If better high school athletes are in Florida, go get them. If you have to go to Texas or California, go get them. Sure, a fair share of quality athletes are found right here in PA and Ohio.

Really, is there a point to this article besides trying to bash Pitt or the SEC? Because even at that, you've done a poor job.

Charlie

You want to read articles with a Pitt and the SEC slant go to their blogs. Never have I ever claimed to be fair and balanced and I can play to my Blue and White biases as much as I like. The best part about this site being mine is I write about whatever issues I want. You don't like it? The back button is on the upper left hand corner. Doesn't Pitt have their own basketball issues to worry about, from that loss to WVU, I would say so. Plenty of other sites out there to troll buddy.

Bill S.

OK, at least you are man enough to admit that you are doing it with a slant against the SEC and Pitt. That's a step toward being real. I'll take it (but don't tell me you don't even think about Pitt--because that wouldn't be true). You have the right to write articles the way that you do. Just like I have the right to complain about how ridiculous it sounds. It's cool. You can hit the delete button as many times as you want too.

No, I am not really out to find articles with a Pitt and SEC slant. I just want honest reporting. Facts. My point is that they don't often show up here (but after your above post, maybe that isn't your intention in writing these articles).

Haha. Are you really trying to bust on Pitt basketball? LOL.

psudevon

I found that slightly comical, but then again, we're a football school. Your hoops teams have accomplished more than your football teams over the past couple decades.

We're reporting on Penn State and the Big Ten because we're a Penn State blog. I could name half the roster of any B10 team you give me, and I can tell you about our recruits, because those are the programs Penn State measures itself against. Sure, maybe our fathers and uncles cared about beating Pitt, but Charlie and I are the next generation. To us, a win over Ohio State makes our season, and we'd like to play Pitt like a big brother likes to go 1-on-1 with his little bro. Because it's a scenario where we're better than you at virtually everything, and even though winning (recruiting battles, in the rankings, in terms of attendance, fan enthusiasm) doesn't mean much, seeing y'all get so worked up makes it all worth it.

Bill S.

I love the attention you guys put on recruiting. The whole "smoke and mirrors" thing is funny. If you can't come to Heinz and beat us, then who cares about the number of "would be" Pitt recruits you get. LOL. I mean, really.

Do you discuss PSU basketball or is this just a football site all year round? LOL.

psudevon

Dude. If you were recruiting like we are, and we like you, you'd be the fanbase talking trash. Recruiting isn't a guarantee for success, but you've surely heard the adage "football is won in living rooms, not in locker rooms." Why is USC, Florida, Texas, et al. competing for the championship every year? Because they're bringing in every kid they want. When you recruit as well as we did this year, you've got something legitimate to brag about, especially when Pitt pulled in a very mediocre class. When Pitt and Penn State go after the same kids, kids from Pittsburgh with STRONG ties to Pitt (Rickett's dad played there, Dieffenbach's dad coaches there), and they pick Penn State, that says more about the state of each program, doesn't it, especially when Wanny just led you to your best season in a long time, than one game, that could go either way, right? I wish we played you every year, but to play once would be a travesty. No smoke and mirrors, just a reaffirmation that Penn State is on a different level than Pitt. Accept that and we can move on.

Bill S.

No, you missed the point. The reporting is all one-sided. You speak of PSU taking guys away from Pittsburgh (with Pitt ties or not), but you don't mention us coming to the eastern side of the state and picking up guys in your area. So how in the world can you formulate something about the state of each program from that? It sure is easy to look dominant when you are only telling one side of the story. That's why the reporting here is bogus. Go click on Charlie's NYTimes link. It speaks of us snatching prime recruits from your side of the state. No wonder Charlie didn't include it in the original article concerning "the Wall".

psudevon

Bill, find me recruits that Pitt got that PSU really wanted. You guys got Anthony Gonzalez because you would recruit him as a QB, and we did as a safety, and all reports were that if we'd given him a shot at QB, he'd have picked PSU. Andrew Carswell? Didn't have a Penn State offer. The only guy I see from this year was TJ Clemmings. And I can't think of anyone with PSU ties who hasn't picked PSU while your kids have gone to Pitt's biggest rival. When it comes to recruiting, you can't claim to compete with Penn State.

psudevon

This is funny. 2000 is your argument? 2000? You're aware that Penn State went 5-7 and lost to Toledo, right? Hell, TOLEDO BEAT US WORSE THAN YOU DID, 24-6 as opposed to 12-0. Penn State in 2000 was just an awful football team. And again, I don't get why that matters if we're talking about the games being played NOW. Bill, if you're bringing up 2000, then it makes just as much sense for me to say "1981" or to say that before 2000, we'd won 7 in a row. I don't get how you can remotely claim bragging rights when you haven't won the Big East outright in decades, when your recruiting classes stink, and when you're losing the sons of alumni and Pitt coaches to Penn State. You're about as delusional as the Obama birthers and 9/11 conspiracy nuts, times the people who think LBJ killed Kennedy.

Bill S.

Where is there a single quote from Wannstedt in that article? Seriously. Please show me. Talk about using "journalistic liberties". If you actually read and comprehended the article, the only person "claiming" anything is Walt Harris (and maybe the writer Kevin Gorman, second).
Let's see: "Former Pitt coach Walt Harris once vowed to build a fence to keep prospects from leaving the region." OK, Walt Harris vowed to do something. We'll take the writer at his word and believe that Harris must have actually said this.
"The new Panthers coach is in the process of building a brick wall around the WPIAL." I don't see Wannstedt boldly claiming anything. Is that how you interpret this? I see Gorman making a statement that Wannstedt is doing something. I mean, if you interviewed Wannstedt and he made that statement, then please post that as evidence and not some link that includes the opinion of a Trib writer--which somehow leads you to the assumption that Wannstedt "boldly declared" something. All I am saying is that if you have better evidence, then just post it. That's all.

No, I did not go to Pitt (but nice try). You should post your SAT score and then we'll see if you are even an average student at the place I attended college. Based on the many falsities posted on this site, however, I wouldn't be inclined to believe you unless you provided some sort of "real evidence".

Come on, you've got to do better than this, Charlie. Yes, you can delete the post to avoid embarrassment.

psudevon

How about this one:
http://msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?story=9477&cat...
"A few years ago when Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt issued his challenge of building a wall around Pittsburgh’s top football prospects, that raised more than a few eyebrows"

Just google "Wanny's Wall." It's something he'd talked about extensively, every coach does. Wanny wanted the WPIAL to be a stepping stone to playing at Pitt. That didn't turn out the way he expected, did it?

Charlie

I am amused you think I can be embarrassed by anything posted online, especially anonymously. I actually enjoy your comments for the most part, and like I said before if there is a legitimate argument I appreciate the feedback even if I don't agree with them.

Here's a New York Times article referring to one of Wannystache's original promises of erecting the figurative fence around Western Pennsylvania. Or are they not legitimate journalists there too?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/sports/ncaafo...

And an op-ed at Pitt's local newspaper referring to the very same fence
http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/bobsmiz...

Bill S.

I love this reporting. LOL. Don't you worry, the Pitt fans are still here.

I am trying to figure out the relevance of the link you provided. Was it to prove that "Wannstedt boldly claimed he wanted to build his “brick wall” around the WPIAL"? I'm curious. You'll have to let me know.

Yeah, it sounds like you don't really think about us (Pitt) at all. This article proves it. LOL. Feel free to delete this post, if necessary.

Charlie

I really have to ask. What are you smoking? The relevance of the link I provided? Did you read the article at all or just scan for the word Pitt? I understand the degree from Pitt is as useful as toilet paper, but if the article points to a quote from Wannystache in 2005 and links to it, that would be relevant. But feel free to keep commenting, we could always use a few chuckles while at work.

David Gold

Don't count Vidal Hazelton out yet. He is the REAL DEAL. He was one of the main reason that the Bearcats was so successful. Brian Kelly awarded him the Scout Team MVP prior to leaving for ND. I believe Vidal was hindered by Steve Sarkisian at USC. It is one thing to have competition but the real question is: Will they allow you to compete. USC is notorious for this. Vidal's dad did not get along with USC and was caught in the middle of a dog fight. Because the can do it with the stable of players they recruit.This kid was by far the best player at USC but wasn't allowed to be the BALLER he is. What Pete Carroll and company tried to do was very petty. I look for Vidal having a great year and the NFL boards drafting him high in 2011. Maybe you should go take in a Cincy practice and see the TRUTH. Vidal is the REAL DEAL. 6' 3"" sub 4.4, Runs crisp and precise routes, VERY Physical and probably the best blocker I've seen in college football. Lane Kiffin was the man that recruited Vidal and he knows his stuff. I think SC is in so much better hands with Lane Kiffin calling the shots. That is why USC lost so much game. USC wasn't playing the best players. Lane Kiffin won't stand for that. He's all about business. Pete Carroll was a happy go lucky dude that won't last 2 years in the NFL if shorter. Nice guy but not NFL material. Go Trojans

Charlie

@David Gold, Penn State fans would have loved for Vidal Hazelton to matriculate here at Penn State instead of going to Southern Cal. Especially against his father's public wishes. It was his ability as a game changer that we coveted and was clearly disappointed when he signed his LOI with Pete Carroll instead of Joe Paterno.

I simply find humor in the fact he spurned his father's advice for the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles only to transfer out to Cincinnati, Ohio afterwards. I am not familiar with the system Pete Carroll and his coaching staff runs at USC, but even during his recruitment, Hazelton's father publicly described Carroll as a shark and strongly preferred the program run by Joe Paterno. Unfortunately for us, that still wasn't enough to sway Vidal who could have made a huge impact in Happy Valley. But such is life when 18 year olds are allowed to make their own life choices and in turn, mistakes.

David Gold

Why is Cincy ranked higher that USC in the Polls

Why? Because USC has all the 5 Stars? Cincy has all the 2 Star players> Answer: Bad coaching decisions at SC and GREAT coaching at Cincy. I think USC will do very well this year. Kiffin will make good business decisions and not base his decision on a father disagreeing with the USC staff. Who made Pete Carroll God. Vidal’s dad wasn’t getting the result from Pete so take the fight public. Pete Carroll is not use to dealing with strong black men but he got one from Mr Hazelton. Pete hires a guy name Joe Mendes for SC. Cornerstone Consulting. Remember this name folks. http://cornerstonesports.com/jmbio.html Ask Mike Garrett if this guy is not on their payroll. Former VP for the Redskins. His job is to help Pete prevent kids from leaving for the draft and push them in the direction of certain agents. They tried this with Mark Sanchez. Didn’t work. Tried it with Ray Mauluga. Didn’t work. Who knows who else kid they tried this with. LOOK people. I hate to bust your bubble but Pete Carroll is no saint. I saw an interview with Mark Sanchez on the NFL network. They asked him what advice does he have for Pete Carroll going to the Seahawks? He replied “Stay in school” Pete laughed when they played the clip for him. It is very easy to play nice guy on TV and in the public eyes. BUT. Do you folks ever wonder what really happens behind closed doors. There was a lot about to come down at USC. I got the inside scoop. Pete got out fast and boy did he run that 40 in a sub 4.3. THIS IS AN EXCLUSIVE. STAY TUNED FOLKS