4-1-Zoo: Schiano Rumored To Tampa Bay, Pitt Could Reap Benefits
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) -- Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano is rumored to be close to taking an NFL head coaching job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If this ends up being true, Pitt could potentially snag a few recruits just before signing day.
National signing day is Feb. 1 and, if Schiano leaves, there's bound to be some fallout at Rutgers. It's a tough situation -- with just days until kids make a final decision, many will have little time to weigh their options.
Some may be forced to stick with Rutgers because there's not enough time to make an educated decision on another school with confidence. Others may look at schools that recruited them hard along the recruiting trail.
For a few, Pitt may be a legitimate place to fall. Pitt coach Paul Chryst was part of a Wisconsin staff that had interest in four of Rutgers' current commits, according to Panther-Lair's Chris Peak.
The most notable of those four is offensive lineman J.J. Denman. As a four-star lineman out of Pennsylvania, he was recruited by both Wisconsin and Pitt. Denman visited Pitt earlier in January before committing to Rutgers.
He's listed at 6-foot-7, 305 pounds and is the No. 27 offensive tackle in the nation according to Rivals.com.
Another offensive lineman is Chris Muller, who was offered by Pitt during the recruiting process. He's the No. 11 ranked offensive tackle in the country and No. 3 in the state of Pennsylvania.
It's no secret that Pitt is in need of offensive linemen. Tino Sunseri was one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the country in part because of a patchwork offensive line that had little quality depth.
If Chryst and staff can grab one, or both, of these guys before signing day it would be a huge win for the program.
Offensive coordinator Bob Bostad has a proven track record of pumping out quality offensive linemen, and one or both of these bodies could help him start off on the right foot at Pitt.
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Chris Gates | Area 4-1-Zoo Blog
Twitter.com/Chris_Gates
Chris.Gates@cbsradio.com
