The 3-2-1 Column: A new coordinator, a basketball commit, and more

MORE HEADLINES - Reaction: Cignetti set to be Pitt's next OC | Discussion: Pitt fans are talking about the Cignetti hire | PODCAST: Preseason rankings, transfers and more | In the film room: Likes and dislikes from the loss at Syracuse | Four-star DE in daily contact with Pitt | Former four-star Naquan Brown leaves Pitt | 2023 four-star DB Marshall hopes to visit Pitt in the spring

In this week’s 3-2-1 column, we’re talking about Pitt basketball’s game earlier this week in Syracuse. We also discuss a new commitment for Jeff Capel, and of course plenty about the Pitt football team.

THREE THINGS WE KNOW

A dreadful day in the Dome
The Pitt basketball team had taken on mantra recently of being a scrappy team that plays games until the end, whether they are outmatched or not. That hasn’t necessarily translated to wins, but the Panthers usually find themselves in games that come down to the wire with a chance to win. In Pitt’s first 15 games, the Panthers played 12 games decided by 10 points or less, including seven games decided by three points or less. Pitt’s first four conference games were all decided in the last possession, including the team’s lone conference win over Boston College by a score of 69-67 that came last Saturday.

The scrappy Panthers were nowhere to be found on Tuesday. Pitt lost to a Syracuse team with a below .500 record 77-61 in the Carrier Dome, and that sort of puts Pitt in a bit of a crossroads this season.

Pitt isn’t expected to be a tournament team, heck they aren’t even expected to finish in the top half of a very down ACC either. Pitt’s silver lining this season was the growth of John Hugley and being a competitive team throughout conference play, something that has eluded Jeff Capel’s team throughout his tenure. Pitt teams the past three years have had late season slides. The hope with the current team would be that they show growth and compete.

If Pitt can’t be that scrappy team against Syracuse, then what are they supposed to be this season?

Pitt’s chances this season have been dealt some bad blows with Nike Sibande injuring himself in the preseason, and Ithiel Horton’s ongoing off court saga that took a new turn last week. It’s part of their story, but this group had been playing better basketball of late. The Panthers upset St. John’s in New York before Christmas, they won an ACC game last week, and held up against better league teams Notre Dame and Louisville as well. Pitt sophomore John Hugley has been emerging as a force down low, and transfers Jamarius Burton and Mo Gueye started to find a comfort level.

The loss to Syracuse, and the manner in which they lost to the Orange sort of puts all that into question. Was this Syracuse loss a one-off night and the Panthers get back to being competitive tomorrow, or did that game reveal some notable issues with the team and their deficiencies?

Pitt did not make a field goal in the second half until 10:44 left in the game. The Panthers shot just 5-of-21 from the field in the second half, and let a one-point halftime deficit turn into a 16-point defeat. The hot start to the game where Pitt jumped out to a 7-point lead late in the first half to finishing with a dismal second half shooting display really showed all what this Pitt team is capable on a night to night basis.

Pitt needs to be the scrappy team that plays in close games. They need to show improvement throughout the year. This team can’t let a deflating loss to Syracuse turn into a run of bad play like they have the past three years. Despite Pitt’s poor offensive output in the second half against Syracuse, Capel cited defense as an area that needs improved. He thought the energy level and communication on that side of the ball was below the standard, and for a team that needs to be scrappy on defense, and been fairly successful on defense, Tuesday’s effort certainly left a lot to be desired.

Pitt has a chance to reprieve itself tomorrow with a 4:00 p.m. tip against Louisville, a team they just lost to by three points 10 days ago. The Cardinals, like most of the ACC, are struggling this season, and that gives Pitt a chance on Saturday, it’s just a matter of whether they take advantage of it.

Pitt gets a basketball commitment
Aside from the loss on Tuesday, the Pitt basketball program had a few days of positivity surrounding the program. The Panthers won an ACC game on Saturday, and picked up a four-star commitment on Sunday. Marlon Barnes Jr. of Cleveland, the 79th ranked player in the class of 2023, committed to Pitt to get the Panthers recruiting class going.

Of course, Barnes Jr. is a 2023 recruit, meaning he won’t be joining the program next year, and it still leaves Pitt without any names on the commitment list for 2022. Capel and his staff will still work on adding talent for next year, but landing a top-100 junior commitment is still a big step for this coaching staff.

Barnes Jr. plays for Brush High School in Cleveland, the same high school program that produced current Panther John Hugley. Barnes and Hugley are close friends, and his commitment could be big on many levels. The newest Panther commitment cited a comfort level with the coaching staff following his announcement.

“They have been riding with me since Day One,” Barnes Jr. told Panther-Lair.com. “I trust their process and I believe in what they have going on and my parents do as well. They make me feel at home. It’s bigger than basketball, too. They can help me develop as a man and they’re great guys. It’s not just those two; it’s the whole staff. They all show love and care for their players.”

Now obviously it looks like Pitt is on its way to a sixth straight season without a postseason berth with the way this season is going. This will be the fourth one under Capel’s watch. His tenure has been marred with recruiting misses, late season collapses, and talented players not clicking in the court. It’s been a frustrating ride for both Capel and a fan base hungry to get back to relevancy in college basketball.

Landing a commitment was a much-needed win for this staff, and it is perhaps something they can build on for the future. Hugley is having a spectacular sophomore season and is emerging as one of the best players in the ACC. The worry is already there that he may be a candidate to enter the transfer portal, but landing a friend and a high school teammate certainly is a much needed step in keeping the talented big man around beyond this season. It’s unique that we are already thinking about transfer portal, but that’s how the game is played anymore.

Pitt needs building blocks to build around, and landing a commitment that is close to your star players is a nice recruiting win for several reasons. This program needs some hope for the future, and picking up a four-star commitment is definitely a positive.

Alexandre’s return keeps Pitt's defensive line a force
Shifting gears to football, we are going to discuss some week-old, yet relevant news for the Pitt program. Last Friday senior defensive end Deslin Alexandre announced that he would be using his extra year of eligibility and will be back at Pitt for one final season.

From an individual standpoint, Pitt is getting back a talented, and experienced defensive end for a bonus year. Alexandre has appeared in 50 games in his career. He has 23 career tackles for loss, and 11 sacks during his time at Pitt. Alexandre is a team captain and leader and the Panthers should only stand to benefit from his return.

The exciting thing for Pitt, he’s just one of many talented defensive linemen back for another season. The Panthers have employed one of the nation’s premier pass rushes for three seasons now, and Alexandre has been a big part of it, but only just one component of it as well. Over a three-year stretch Pitt has the most sacks in the country with 151, Clemson is the closet to that mark with 134 sacks. Pitt has a certain style on defense, and that’s getting after the quarterback as much as possible, and they have the personnel to continue to do it next year and beyond.

The Panthers also are projected to return second-team All-ACC pick Haba Baldonado at defensive end in addition to Alexandre, along with talented depth options like John Morgan and Dayon Hayes. Underclassmen with four-star pedigrees like Nahki Johnson and Samuel Okunlola will push for playing time.

Pitt also return five of its top six players at defensive tackle, led by third-team All-American pick Calijah Kancey. Veteran mainstays like Devin Danielson, Tyler Bentley, and David Green are also returning. Simply put, Pitt’s defensive line is, has been, and will continue to be loaded with depth. Charlie Partridge has developed one of the best defensive line rooms in the country and it looks like it won’t be slowing down anytime soon.

TWO QUESTIONS WE HAVE

Do the way-too-early rankings matter?
In the aftermath of Georgia’s 33-18 win over Alabama in Monday’s national championship game, we started to see an onslaught of ‘way-too-early’ top 25 predictions from just about every major national publication that covers college football.

Preseason rankings are subjective as it is, let alone ones made just seconds after the national champion is crowned. There are still transfers and recruits that could affect the rankings, spring ball to watch, and of course the AP voters may see things differently than a few individual writers that produce these type of lists.

More less, things can change between now and when the season starts. Rankings that come in just seconds after the season are simply content fillers. As a college football writer trying to navigate the offseason myself, I can sympathize. You always want to be writing something, and these lists get clicks. It’s part of it.

As for actual meaning, the lists are varied in a lot of ways. One list has Pitt as high as No. 11, some don’t even rank Pitt at all, while others have been Pitt just sneaking into the top 25. It is all over the map, which helps kind of prove they don’t mean anything.

Now, I will say I get the argument the preseason top 25 rankings actually do matter. There is no doubt teams looking to make a push into the college playoff benefit from a starting spot in the rankings. It’s easier to climb up if you are in there and start winning, rather than trying to win just to move into the rankings. It matters. I’m not sure if it should matter, because it is probably fair to play a few weeks before ranking teams, but it has always been this way and it’s not going to change. So if you view these way-too-early rankings as a way to look into the mind of a voter, you’ll see people are all over the place when it comes to Pitt right now. Basically, everyone wants to know if this team had one special year behind a brilliant year from Kenny Pickett, or if they have staying power. In fairness, that’s a legitimate question.

Pitt has a chance to be in that preseason AP poll next year, however. The Panthers also have a chance to make a lot of noise again in the ACC with 17 starters returning and one of the top transfer quarterbacks in the country joining the program. The team gets a showcase right off the bat with two early non-conference games against West Virginia and Tennessee to start the season. A 2-0 start could vault Pitt up the rankings, and quickly.

A preseason ranking in January doesn’t mean much, but the one in August — for better or worse, does. The Panthers don’t need to lost sleep over what is being written now, these articles just help pass the time until spring ball starts. Of course, then we can start to bicker about the post-spring top 25’s that will come out in a few more months.

Is college football ready for a change?
What did everyone think of the national championship? The two best teams in the country accounted for zero first half touchdowns on Monday night, but Georgia pulled away late for a 33-18 win. It was a game that featured multiple future NFL Draft picks. Georgia and Alabama both recruit at insanely high levels, and the talent on the field was evident, if not overwhelming at times.

The whole thing just felt stale though.

It was the second-lowest rated championship game for television (2020 being the first) in the eight-year history of the College Football Playoff era. Alabama played in the title game for the sixth time in eight years. Georgia finally won a title, but the Bulldogs had previously played in the title game back in 2017 — a loss to, you guessed it, Alabama.

Monday really just reiterated the point that only a select few teams can actually win one of these things under the current structure. In the eight year history of the event, only 13 teams have broken into it, with five schools playing in the playoffs at least four times. It’s a top heavy sport, and really the games are never that exciting. There’s been moments, but in the games featured the most for the sport, they tend to come up short in the excitement category each year.

College football is working towards a 12-team playoff, and that system would infuse some more excitement. The non-power five teams can make the playoffs more regularly. More teams feel like they have a chance, and less players opt out of what were once considered prestigious bowl games.

The sport hit a snag recently, and it looks like the four-team system is in place for the foreseeable future, which means more Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, and Georgia rock fights in the playoffs. There are a lot of changes happening with this sport from the NIL legislation to the impact of the transfer portal. College football is at crossroads, but also still incredibly popular. The NCAA needs to figure out a way to have the postseason shine a little brighter. The bowl games are losing steam.

In the end 12 teams means more games, more television contracts, more sold out stadiums, and more attention. The same four teams may rise to the top, but like the basketball tournament there may be some drama and early round upsets to keep everyone engaged.

The NCAA has to like the sound to all of that, and they’ll get there eventually, but we might have to watch Alabama a few more times before it happens.

ONE PREDICTION

Frank Cignetti keeps Pitt’s offense rolling
Yesterday afternoon Chris Peak reported on the Panther-Lair.com message boards that Boston College offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. was a name generating serious interest for Pitt’s vacant OC position. Hours later Yahoo’s Pete Thamel reported that Pitt is expected to hire Cignetti as its next offensive coordinator.

After over a month of waiting with little information leaked, a name surfaces early in the day and a few hours later it is all but confirmed. If nothing else, Pat Narduzzi knows how to run a quiet coaching search.

None of that matters now because Pitt has its guy.

Cignetti was born in Pittsburgh and is a graduate of IUP. He is the son of legendary IUP coach Frank Cignetti Sr. The new Pitt offensive coordinator started in the coaching game since 1989. Cignetti started out as a graduate assistant at Pitt before climbing the ranks all through college football and the NFL. He’s had stops with six NFL franchises. He’s been an offensive coordinator at the college level at Fresno State, Cal, North Carolina, Rutgers, and most recently Boston College.

Oh yea, there was that second stop at Pitt, when he was the offensive coordinator for Pitt’s 10-win season in 2009. Cignetti’s offense in 2009 showcased Pitt’s best players in a big way with Dion Lewis, Jon Baldwin, Dorin Dickerson all producing at high levels that year on the way to Pitt’s best season in decades.

Cignetti checks a lot of the boxes Pat Narduzzi typically looks for in an offensive coordinator. He is, after all, Narduzzi’s fifth offensive coordinator since he took over at Pitt in 2015 so he’s had some practice. Cignetti has plenty of play calling experience at the power-five level, something Narduzzi tends to value in his searches. He is a quarterbacks coach as well, and noted for bringing players along through development. Basically, Cignetti is a veteran coach that Narduzzi can trust to run the offense, while he oversees the entire team. The Pitt head coach values experience and trust at this position, and that seems to be reflective in his reported hire.

Cignetti might not be an exciting up and coming coach that some Pitt fans may have coveted in this new hire, but what he is is an experienced, steady play caller that knows how to run an offense. In his most recent stop at Boston College, he turned an anemic passing offense to a very good one in 2020 in his first year with the program as the Eagles ranked 24th in passing yards per game.

Cignetti also seemed to really improve the play of Phil Jurkovec almost right away. Boston College struggled this year on offense largely due to injuries with its starting quarterback, but 2020 still was an impressive showing for what Cignetti could do as a play caller and also as a quarterbacks coach.

Pitt fans should have a good understanding of what he can do first hand. He turned Bill Stull into a very good quarterback, raising his completion percentage from 57% to 65% in one year. Cignetti helped design an offense to allow freshman Dion Lewis turn into the Big East Player of the Year, while also featuring players like Jon Baldwin and Dorin Dickerson in the passing game. It was a balanced offense with a strong rushing attack, and big play potential in the passing game. This offense is a pro-style look, which resembles the identity Pitt wants to have.

I look at what he has done in the past, and look what Pitt has coming back, and there’s a lot to like about what Cignetti can do with the Panthers’ offense in 2022. Pitt has a legitimate All-American in Jordan Addison to showcase, plus a freshman All-American wide receiver transfer in Konata Mumpfield on the other side of him. There are also three running backs that have plenty of game action with seven offensive linemen with significant starting experience blocking for them. Throw in a transfer quarterback from USC in Kedon Slovis that was a one-time Heisman candidate before last season and has 7,500 career passing yards?

Yea, I think Pitt has the weapons to be very effective again on offense.

I think the Cignetti hire does come with reservations, and it is not a sure thing. He's bounced around a lot. The 2021 results weren't overly inspiring. There are concerns, like with any hire. But I kind of look at it like this: Pitt has a lot of talent on offense, they don't need to reinvent the wheel and hiring a veteran play caller somewhat assures that.

Pitt brought back just about every significant player it could off of its ACC Championship team. The coaches went out and reeled in transfers ready to help the team immediately. Now, Narduzzi has landed a coach he can trust to make it all work. Pitt is playing this offseason like it has to win right now, and that’s the right approach to have given the team’s and league's circumstances.