Recently, there'd been some discussion on satellite camps in college football. The NCAA first decided to ban them this offseason and then reversed course, allowing them again.
Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi had already stated that he's not a fan of them and that didn't change with the reinstatement. But the Panthers really have little choice here - get on board or get left behind.
Narduzzi was recently at one in Georgia, a place you wouldn't expect Pitt to invest much time in when it comes to recruiting since it's largely SEC country. But the head coach is vowing to help spread the Pitt brand as well as expand his recruiting base:
"In the past, where I’ve been, we’ve always gotten guys from Georgia," Narduzzi sai. "Darqueze Dennard was a great one that we had that came up to Michigan State and they are out there. He was a two-star guy that we evaluated and said we liked him and maybe not a lot of people did, but he was a first-rounder with the Bengals. So I know they are out there, it’s just a matter of finding them."
As Narduzzi aludes to, this isn't so much about trying to wrangle five-star guys away from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida as much as it is about finding diamonds in the rough. Plenty of capable two-star recruits have been found and to guys that may be getting lower D-I offers, a place like Pitt could definitely be attractive despite the distance.
I also liked Narduzzi's stance that while the Panthers will participate in the satellite camps, they won't go overboard:
"It’s tough, we aren’t going to do so many of these camps," Narduzzi said. "You can get to the point where you are wearing your staff out and you’re not fresh as a staff.
As I said at the time, I appreciate the earlier comments from Narduzzi and athletics director Scott Barnes in that the staff needs to ensure they meet the needs of their current players. And while there's no question that Pitt needs to be involved in the satellite camp stuff to keep up with the rest of the college football landscape, the coaches also need to meet current obligations and keep the emphasis on traditional recruiting methods.
My motto for recruiting has always been to go where the talent is. I don't particularly care where the school plucks talent as long as they find it. And while Pitt needs to protect the home area of western Pennsylvania as best they can, branching out to southern states and elsewhere will only help the school gain name recognition and can help build a recruiting foundation for the future outside of the immediate area.
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