PSR SHOWDOWN
Who is the best local recruiter?
By Tony Greco,
Rivals.com

Greg Gattuso

Pitt defensive line coach Greg Gattuso does everything from play video games to trade text messages with the local high school kids he recruits. One high school player-one of the state's top athletes-said that having Gattuso at his house "is like having a friend over."

One player's list of five finalists included Florida State, Tennessee, North Carolina, Penn State and Pitt. Tennessee is a perennial 10-win team. Neyland Stadium is packed with 106,000 fans. Florida State is not the program it used to be, but they have so much talent. With 34 players suspended for the Music City Bowl, Kentucky only beat them by a touchdown. North Carolina has as nice a campus as anywhere, with facilities abound thanks to its basketball program. Penn State plays in front of over 100,000 fans in one of the best atmospheres, with a legendary coach whose face is all over the town.

Pitt's response to all of that? They went 5-7 this year, played in front of 20,000 fans, and had a lot of noon kickoffs. Most local recruits in the area have film and weight room duties on Saturday mornings, making it nearly impossible to attend home games. So how does Pitt get on the A-list with these other schools?

Because of Greg Gattuso.

While these other programs have winning records, packed stadiums and national-television exposure, Gattuso doesn't have those luxuries. Aliquippa's Jonathan Baldwin chose Pitt over Michigan and Miami. Thomas Jefferson's Lucas Nix was a Panther all along, but he had close to 40 offers from around the country. Gattuso recruited Nix so well, that Nix was able to give other prospects tours of Pitt's facilities. Is Alexander the next Heisman trophy winner? Will Baldwin surpass Larry Fitzgerald's receiving records? Will they retire Lucas Nix' jersey?

Maybe. Maybe not.

What is for sure, is Gattuso's recruiting. He has a lot less to work with, recruiting against these other programs, but in the end, he gets the players he wants.