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Christian Vellieux

How about watching football for 50+ years. You can tell pretty quick who has "it" and who doesn't. Allar hasn't had enough opportunity to show it yet but just like it was obvious the spark McSorley brought to the Lions in the 2015 Gator Bowl, Veilleux did the same against Rutgers in 2021. He played with poise, he managed well in the pocket. He moved well gaining key yardage with his legs as well as exhibiting nice touch with his passes. Sure he may not have the cannon arm that Allar has but there is more to be an effective and successful college QB. Where you around to see Fusina and how he brought spark to the offense in the 70s or Blackledge's first start on the road against Missouri where he won the game with his legs and good passes in key spots. Honestly when I watch Allar I see Hackenberg 2.0. A stiff pocket passer who will get pummeled behind an average offensive line. PSU has not had much success in the Big Ten over the past 20 years. A few titles along the way but mostly just 3rd or 4th best in the league. The years they have won the title they had good athletes at QB that could win games with their multi-dimensional skills as well as the intangible of having "it" that ability to lead teams to believe every game is winnable and high achievement likely. I believe Veilleux has shown that far more than any other QB on our roster including the inconsistent Clifford. Time will tell if my comment proves accurate. You can disagree but I have my reasons.
Based on what? One start against Rutgers? Gimme a break. Allar has already demonstrated he can make all the throws including swing passes which Hack couldn’t throw worth a damn. Allar is the one with the “it” factor.
 
I don't give a rats ass who will play in the NFL.....
Imagine the hysteria if it had been Allar in the portal and CV was the projected starter for next year.
Fans here want to keep every player on the roster.....no portal no early NFL draft entries, recruit 25 players and get every single player that enters the portal. All while keeping under the 85 limits.
Well there’s No way to measure. Take Sean and will. They have completely different programs which results in different stats. How would Sean do at Kentucky? How would will do at PSU? No way to know or even guess with any level of accuracy
 
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Well, it isn't unusual either. We can all point to the Joe Burrow situation. In the old PSU world, Jeff Hostetler. WE can all argue SC and Levis but as far as how they project to the pros, WL is much higher rated than SC. That doesn't mean that he's a better college QB, but it does mean that the "pros" feel he will be a better pro. Again, nothing is guaranteed. Hell, Baker Mayfield was released this week.
Hostetter lost the job to Blackledge on merit. I was actually hoping he would win the job but he literally fumbled it away. PSU won a National Championship with Blackledge as I recall. Levis is getting lots of hype because he has a big arm. I watched several Kentucky games this year and saw little from him to justify that. Lots of passes at or just beyond the line of scrimmage. Very poor pocket presence He also had 2 critical fumbles late in the game in a very winnable game against Old Miss. The first was due to lack of pocket presence and the second was on a running play. Clifford probably has no future in the pros and Levis might I will concede that. But based on what I saw any GM who drafts him in the first round is crazy or extremely desperate or both IMO What matters to me is who is the best QB for Penn State and Clifford played better this year than Levis did.
 
Well there’s No way to measure. Take Sean and will. They have completely different programs which results in different stats. How would Sean do at Kentucky? How would will do at PSU? No way to know or even guess with any level of accuracy
But we do know. Will wasn't good enough to beat out Sean. Unless someone takes the ridiculous premise that they know more than the entire PSU coaching staff.
I'm not concerned about NFL careers or how someone fits in at another college.
Will left because 3 different coordinators preferred Clifford. He did well at Kentucky and I'm happy for him.
If he has a lucrative NFL career even better.
 
I think what he’s referring to was that Pitt’s initial plan was to redshirt Pickett in 2017 until he was brought in during the Syracuse game. At that point, with his redshirt already burnt, they let him play in a few other games and start the final game of the regular season.

Him playing was a result of former USC QB Max Browne not panning out.. we should’ve learned our lesson then about bringing on USC quarterbacks! :oops:
Nardouche doesn't impress as one who is a lifelong learner.
 
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No way to know or even guess with any level of accuracy

Looking at the rushing stats and sack allowed, the team that did both better ended up with the better record in '21 and '22.

'22 rushing
Penn State 2185 yards 4.77 ypc
Kentucky 1443 yards 3.34 ypc

'22 sacks allowed
Penn State 18
Kentucky 42

'21 rushing
Penn State 1416 yards 3.29 ypc
Kentucky 2618 yards 5.45 ypc

'21 sacks allowed
Penn State 34
Kentucky 24
 
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Nardouche doesn't impress as one who is a lifelong learner.
In all seriousness, he was the best QB in the portal last year. On paper, it was a good move. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, it is what it is. I can forgive him for that considering his overall body of work.
 
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In all seriousness, he was the best QB in the portal last year. On paper, it was a good move. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, it is what it is. I can forgive him for that considering his overall body of work.
He's a poster boy for portal dependence. Why can't he recruit? Outside of the Clemson run....the ACC has been weak for some time. To me, that explains his above average results.
 
He's a poster boy for portal dependence. Why can't he recruit? Outside of the Clemson run....the ACC has been weak for some time. To me, that explains his above average results.
I disagree with your statement regarding recruiting; when looking at the All-Americans and NFL starters he has recruited and developed, he’s doing just fine. I can only recall a few games where the talent itself was a significant reason why we lost.

As for portal dependence, how is this a slight against him when it’s the world we live in? In fact, I’d argue that a coach isn’t properly doing his job if they’re not taking advantage of this resource. IMO, that is outdated thinking.
 
I disagree with your statement regarding recruiting; when looking at the All-Americans and NFL starters he has recruited and developed, he’s doing just fine. I can only recall a few games where the talent itself was a significant reason why we lost.

As for portal dependence, how is this a slight against him when it’s the world we live in? In fact, I’d argue that a coach isn’t properly doing his job if they’re not taking advantage of this resource. IMO, that is outdated thinking.
This class is about #50
....how is that good recruiting?
Portal discretion is advisable....dependence is dangerous.
 
This class is about #50
....how is that good recruiting?
Portal discretion is advisable....dependence is dangerous.
I’m not too worried about it. The last two times we had classes ranked in that area, they ended up producing several quality starters and All-Americans. I trust their evaluation. The two de-commitments hurt, though.

And may you please provide evidence for this reliance? From the data I’ve seen the past three seasons, our portal usage is no different than anyone else in the country. I think you’re just using this against him because he’s Narduzzi, no disrespect.
 
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I’m not too worried about it. The last two times we had classes ranked in that area, they ended up producing several quality starters and All-Americans. I trust their evaluation. The two de-commitments hurt, though.

And may you please provide evidence for this reliance? From the data I’ve seen the past three seasons, our portal usage is no different than anyone else in the country. I think you’re just using this against him because he’s Narduzzi, no disrespect.
You may have a point. I don't like the man at all. HIs statements like " let's move to the Big Ten and win it every year" and "We're undefeated.....we only beat ourselves".....rub me the wrong way. I don't think he's ever evolved from that position coach mentality. I just can't see him as the "face" of a D1 program. I guess Pitt was so starved for "stability" that they embraced him.
 
I’m not too worried about it. The last two times we had classes ranked in that area, they ended up producing several quality starters and All-Americans. I trust their evaluation. The two de-commitments hurt, though.

And may you please provide evidence for this reliance? From the data I’ve seen the past three seasons, our portal usage is no different than anyone else in the country. I think you’re just using this against him because he’s Narduzzi, no disrespect.
Pitt has never had a shortage of good individual talent. What Narduzzi struggles to do is get them to play as a team. His team has lost 5 or more games 6 out of 7 seasons even playing in a very weak division. That a terrible record that would have been unacceptable at any place other than Pitt where they embrace mediocracy. He the only coach dumb enough to claim he could win a conference every year that he has a 1-6 record against. He fits well at Pitt because he has the personality of a overly self important high school gym teacher/football coach.
 
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You may have a point. I don't like the man at all. HIs statements like " let's move to the Big Ten and win it every year" and "We're undefeated.....we only beat ourselves".....rub me the wrong way. I don't think he's ever evolved from that position coach mentality. I just can't see him as the "face" of a D1 program. I guess Pitt was so starved for "stability" that they embraced him.
Pitt has never had a shortage of good individual talent. What Narduzzi struggles to do is get them to play as a team. His team has lost 5 or more games 6 out of 7 seasons even playing in a very weak division. That a terrible record that would have been unacceptable at any place other than Pitt where they embrace mediocracy. He the only coach dumb enough to claim he could win a conference every year that he has a 1-6 record against. He fits well at Pitt because he has the personality of a overly self important high school gym teacher/football coach.
Oh no doubt he’s stubborn. Sometimes he can also be too arrogant and brash for his own good. But when you consider where our program was before he took over, an ACC championship and the most conference wins outside of Clemson is something we’d sign up for.

He’ll put us in a position to win the ACC (and a spot in the CFP) moving forward, so I’m content with him as coach.
 
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Leary should go pro.

Notre Dame​

Marcus Freeman is putting together a contender at Notre Dame. Adding an elite quarterback to the mix would accelerate that process exponentially. After losing
Drew Pyne
to the portal, Leary would give the Irish an established passer to go with its improving roster. Notre Dame could also be in the mix for Texas quarterback
Hudson Card
. However, Leary is more of a proven commodity.

Florida​

The Gators are looking for a future starter behind center as Anthony Richardson declared for the NFL Draft and Jalen Kitna was dismissed following his arrest. Leary would serve as a nice plug-in starter for a year, allowing Billy Nappier to rebuild at the position.

Alabama​

Could the Crimson Tide hit the transfer portal to find Bryce Young’s replacement? Alabama returns two Rivals100 quarterbacks in
Jalen Milroe
and
Ty Simpson
. It is also set to bring in two four-star passers in
Dylan Lonergan
and
Eli Holstein
. Still, an experienced option like Leary would be hard to turn down.

Illinois​

There are too many connections here to ignore. For starters, Leary’s younger brother, Donovan, is a freshman quarterback for the Fighting Illini. Donovan likely isn’t ready to take over the reins next year, so Devin wouldn’t be blocking him either.
Illinois wide receivers coach George McDonald served as Devin’s passing-game coordinator during his first two seasons at N.C. State. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is also close with N.C. State head coach Dave Doren, who worked under him at Wisconsin.

Missouri​

Speaking of coaching connections, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz helped recruit Leary to N.C. State and served as his offensive coordinator during the quarterback’s first year with the Wolfpack in 2018. Missouri is set to return starter
Brady Cook
and former Rivals100 member
Sam Horn
next season. However, Leary would be an upgrade on both and could inject some life into an offense 12th in the SEC averaging 212.75 yards per game through the air this season.
Marcus Freeman started 2022 between third base and home plate. He finished 2022 on 2nd base.
 
I disagree with your statement regarding recruiting; when looking at the All-Americans and NFL starters he has recruited and developed, he’s doing just fine. I can only recall a few games where the talent itself was a significant reason why we lost.

As for portal dependence, how is this a slight against him when it’s the world we live in? In fact, I’d argue that a coach isn’t properly doing his job if they’re not taking advantage of this resource. IMO, that is outdated thinking.
Success based on players in the NFL I think depends how you look at it. Pitt ranks 32nd for number of current players in the NFL with 19. That isn't that far out of line with HCPNs yearly recruiting rankings. For reference, PSU is 7th with 39. Sure, you can cherry pick AD for example, but isn't the whole body of work more telling? Would Pitt be happy to end the season ranked 32nd every year?
 
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Success based on players in the NFL I think depends how you look at it. Pitt ranks 32nd for number of current players in the NFL with 19. That isn't that far out of line with HCPNs yearly recruiting rankings. For reference, PSU is 7th with 39. Sure, you can cherry pick AD for example, but isn't the whole body of work more telling? Would Pitt be happy to end the season ranked 32nd every year?
That’s a fair argument. For me, I’ve always looked at Pitt’s success based on the caliber/quality of the players we’ve produced; perhaps this is because we’re never one of the schools with the most players in the NFL, such as Penn State.

As for our rankings, I actually don’t think 32nd is too bad for us. I’ve always thought that 8 wins should be the baseline for us, with the occasional 10+ win season like we had in 2021. Gives us a chance to contend for a conference championship and/or finish the season ranked. Nothing wrong with that, but that’s just who we are.
 
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My view of the Pitt teams of the last few decades is that they often had that one superstar that every team would covet, who would eventually be NFL HOF worthy; but, as a team, they never have enough surrounding talent to accomplish much. Sort of an unusual mix.
 
My view of the Pitt teams of the last few decades is that they often had that one superstar that every team would covet, who would eventually be NFL HOF worthy; but, as a team, they never have enough surrounding talent to accomplish much. Sort of an unusual mix.
And that’s what been so frustrating as a Pitt fan. Our all-time team can line up and beat anyone else’s, yet we’ve had two 10-win seasons since 1982… ain’t that a kick in the head!
 
That’s a fair argument. For me, I’ve always looked at Pitt’s success based on the caliber/quality of the players we’ve produced; perhaps this is because we’re never one of the schools with the most players in the NFL, such as Penn State.

As for our rankings, I actually don’t think 32nd is too bad for us. I’ve always thought that 8 wins should be the baseline for us, with the occasional 10+ win season like we had in 2021. Gives us a chance to contend for a conference championship and/or finish the season ranked. Nothing wrong with that, but that’s just who we are.
I don't know what sadder that 8-5 is acceptable of the fact that Narduzzi has failed to even meet those low expectations 3 out of 8 years.
 
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What matters to me is who is the best QB for Penn State and Clifford played better this year than Levis did.
Truth. We need to play the player that helps us win. I agree, we did that with Clifford. Levis may have a higher ceiling in the pros but that doesn't matter to me. In 05, there were a lot of folks that wanted MRob at receiver while completing ignoring the common knowledge that he won the job three straight years but rode the bench so Ganter could start Mills. In 08, a lot of folks wanted Devlin but, for a two year period, Darryl Clark was the best QB Penn State has had since Kerry Collins and number #2 (MRob for as great as he was) was well behind DC. But, that isn't to say that coaches always make the best decision. By most accounts, Tommy Stevens won the job in camp in 16 but never started a game much like MRob in 03 and 04. We'll never know.
 
Ugh. He seems like such a nice young man and I really wanted to root for him. The best I can offer him now is neutrality.
 
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Cool. Now hopefully we can go several years before hearing western pa people who care about a long dead rivalry. I wish the QB and Pitt well.
From my anecdotal experience, most Pitt fans have moved on. We just wanted one game from the old days when we moved to the ACC. WVU wants to play us, you guys don’t. Nothing wrong with that, but no sense in us dragging our feet now.
 
Sad but the reality is that these guys have to go where the perceived snaps are going to be available. We can only assume the coaches see enough in practice and in the film breakdowns to decide who gets a chance and who doesnt. Seems an odd choice, but I'm guessing that staying in the Northeast gives his family a better chance of seeing him rather than traveling south or west.
 
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From my anecdotal experience, most Pitt fans have moved on. We just wanted one game from the old days when we moved to the ACC. WVU wants to play us, you guys don’t. Nothing wrong with that, but no sense in us dragging our feet now.
Moved on? Does the anti-PSU chant still happen at all Pitt athletics contests? Thought so.
 
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