Town looks forward to new location, new competition

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Just like Pitt’s quarterback roster changed quickly this offseason, Ricky Town’s recruitment took similar unexpected - and abrupt - turns.

Those two situations intertwined when Pitt had two quarterbacks transfer in the last week of the contact period, leading to some hurried contact between the Pitt staff and Town, who was finishing up a year of junior college football at Ventura Community College.

In fact, Town was visiting Stephen F. Austin on the final weekend of official visits before the December signing period when he make a quick change and flew to Pitt for a visit.

Haste didn’t make waste in this instance, as Town left Pittsburgh as a committed recruit, and he enrolled at Pitt earlier this month.

“Pitt kind of came right at the last second, right before the dead period,” Town said Thursday. “It was pretty crazy: the official visit was pretty short but I got to see everything I needed to see. I met with Coach (Shawn) Watson and I met with Coach (Pat) Narduzzi and I was like, ‘This is the place I need to be.’

“It’s just a very unique opportunity. I knew this was a place where I could come in and compete and better myself as a person and as a football player. That’s why I chose Pitt.”

Town’s post-high school career has been defined by competition. He signed with USC as a four-star prospect in the class of 2015 and enrolled early, but he opted to leave the Trojans before the season started and transferred to Arkansas.

Town redshirted in 2015 and didn’t play in 2016, at which point he decided to make another move. That led him to Ventura C.C., where he was looking for one more opportunity at the FBS level. At every stop, Town ran into competition.

“It’s definitely something that’s not new to me,” he said. “I’ve definitely done this before. I’ve been into a new program and figured things out and got to meet the other guys and compete with a lot of different quarterbacks.”

At Pitt, he’ll have to face competition once again. The Panthers notably finished the 2017 season with an upset of then-No. 2 Miami behind the performance of freshman quarterback Kenny Pickett. So how did Narduzzi and Watson approach the topic of a potential multi-year starter at quarterback while trying to recruit a junior-college quarterback?

“They were very upfront about it, very honest with it, which I appreciated,” Town said. “They told me that Kenny was good; obviously, Kenny beat Miami so he’s a good player. I got to meet him and we’ve worked a lot with each other so far. We’ve thrown workouts with each other. I have a lot of respect for him, I’m looking forward to competing with him and just pushing each other.”

Pickett has the advantage of having spent the last year learning Watson’s offense; Town will have to play catch-up in that regard. But Town, who was ranked the No. 5 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2015, thinks he’ll do well in his fourth offensive system in as many years.

“Coming out of high school, I was definitely a pro-style kid,” he said. “I was definitely looking for that and I think I have the right spot. Just talking with Coach Watson on my official visit and what they’re doing X’s and O’s-wise, I’m very excited for it. I think I fit in the system very well.

For Town, competing with Pickett and learning Watson’s offense are just parts of the next step in his journey. After seeing what college football has to offer in a variety of locations, he’s looking forward to Pitt.

“My college experience has been a little unique, but I think it’s made me a better person. I’ve seen the west coast, I’ve seen the south, now I’m seeing a little bit of the east coast. Same with the Pac-12 and the SEC; now I’m seeing the ACC. I think I’m definitely well-rounded as a person and an athlete, so I’m excited.”