Saturday, February 2, 2013
Class of 2014 TE likes Pitt's plan
By Jared Shanker
Pittsburgh was one of the first programs to offer 2014 tight end Darryl Long (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South).
So the 6-foot-5, 217-pound rewarded the Panthers as one of the first programs he is visiting. Long made his first visit to Pitt on Saturday for junior day and could not find a single thing wrong with how the visit went.
“It was great,” he said. “I got a chance to talk to the coaches, got a better feel for how they do things, and what the campus is like. The downtown was nice and got a real nice feel for how everything is up there.”
Paul Chryst and assistant Joe Rudolph were known for putting tight ends into the NFL while at Wisconsin, and Long is intrigued at becoming the next tight end to learn under the two. Long talked at length with Rudolph, the Panthers’ offensive coordinator.
“He was talking to me about how I would fit into the scheme and liked my film,” Long said. “He showed me how he used his previous tight ends and how he would use me -- receiving as well as blocking. He said he would flex me out, use me to get down the field. He’d show the whole arsenal, which NFL teams like which is why I think he’s sent a lot of tight ends to the NFL.”
Long also had the opportunity to speak with Chryst. The second-year coach stressed to Long that the Panthers coaches put athletics third, behind academics and character.
“Pitt would be a great fit for me,” Long said.
Long will go to Indiana on March 2, as the Hoosiers are the latest to offer. He is also looking at possible visits to Louisville, Michigan State and Penn State, which all could offer soon.
