Some Pitt superfrosh may not see red

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, August 22, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Pittsburgh Panthers
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It turns out that Pitt's 2008 recruiting class wasn't just good on paper.

The Panthers reeled in a five-star recruit (Jonathan Baldwin) and a quintet of four stars, all from Pennsylvania, and four of them are making strong cases for avoiding a red shirt this season.

Baldwin has been spectacular at times in practice, pulling off a succession of acrobatic catches. True, he still needs to master the meat and potatoes of his position -- blocking, running routes -- along with the dessert, but he's already running second string at one wideout position.

Amazingly, this 6-foot-6, 220-pounder with 4.4 speed played a lot of tight end as a senior at Aliquippa. That seems a bit like assigning Michael Phelps to the synchronized swimming team.

Meanwhile, the MySpace page for linebacker Shayne Hall of Monroeville (the town that most recently produced LaVar Arrington) is titled "Pitt Panther '08," which doesn't sound like a guy who expects to be on the sidelines this season. As a senior at Gateway High School, where he played with another highly touted Pitt recruit in Cameron Saddler (out for the season with a knee injury), Hale had 114 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, nine sacks and three forced fumbles. He's 6-4, 240 pounds and quick.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt has already gone on record as saying freshman tackle Lucas Nix won't be redshirted. The big (6-6, 300) little brother of linebacker Nate Nix, Luke is pushing Joe Thomas for the starting job at right tackle.

"He just needs to get stronger," cautioned Wannstedt, who then went on to praise Nix's footwork and agility.

Finally, there's running back Chris Burns, who seems determined not to be an afterthought in the Pitt backfield. Obviously no one is going to unseat All-America candidate LeSean McCoy as the starting tailback, but Burns has barged into the mix behind him with a series of strong scrimmages.

"He's very elusive, he can move, and he has incredible balance," Pitt QB Bill Stull told the Tribune-Review of his new teammate.

A 5-11, 190-pounder, Burns rushed for 2,234 yards and scored 38 touchdowns at Wilmington Area High School in 2007. Deeply religious, he is taking his immediate playing future philosophically.

"If they need me, they are going to play me," he said.

His main competition has been Shariff Harris and Kevin Collier.

And finally, there is cornerback Jared Holley, whom Pitt beat writer Paul Zeise calls "a big-time talent with a big future."

Maybe that future is now.
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