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Updated 2 hours ago
Before Pitt defensive coordinator Josh Conklin started recruiting defensive backs up and down the Eastern seaboard, he first looked next door.
The model Conklin and coach Pat Narduzzi want to follow for their secondary exists in the practice facility Pitt shares with the Steelers.
“I tell our defensive staff,” Conklin said, “ ‘Go next door and look at who (the Steelers) are playing (in the secondary). That's the standard. If you want to go develop NFL players, that's what they're looking for.'
“Those guys are long, and they're big, and they can run.”
Pitt's past two recruiting classes include seven defensive backs, none smaller than 5-foot-11. Redshirt freshman Henry Miller is 6-3. Classmates Damar Hamlin and Bricen Garner are 6-1, and Therran Coleman is 6-foot.
Likewise, the Steelers' 2016 roster had 11 defensive backs, and eight are 5-11 or taller. The exceptions were 5-9 safety Shamarko Thomas and 5-9 cornerback Senquez Golson, both of whom were injured last season, and 13-year veteran corner William Gay (5-10).
When the Steelers looked to draft defensive backs last year, they settled on 6-0 cornerback Artie Burns and 6-1 safety Sean Davis. Both became rookie starters.
Conklin paid attention.
“The longer you are, the harder it is to get around you at the line of scrimmage,” he said. “If you have the ability to react and get (wide receivers) cut off, you win.
“You don't have to be a 4.4 (40-yard dash time) guy. You can be a 4.5 guy, 4.6 if you have great technique.”
Conklin may soon pair safeties Paris Ford and Jordan Whitehead in Pitt's starting lineup. Both have displayed physical tendencies in 6-foot (Ford) and 5-11 (Whitehead) bodies.
After Ford signed his letter of intent Wednesday, Conklin was asked to compare him to Whitehead, who totaled 174 tackles in two seasons while earning ACC Rookie of the Year and second-team all-conference honors.
“(Ford) does remind me of Jordan,” Conklin said. “Whitehead is more of a straight-line speed guy, more like a running back. Paris is more of a natural tackler coming out of high school.”
Narduzzi gave Ford the ultimate compliment.
“I don't know if we've got a guy back in the secondary that has the attitude he does,” he said. “That guy loves the game.”
Perfect storm?
Pitt recruited running backs Todd Sibley and A.J. Davis, and Narduzzi said position coach Andre Powell calls them “thunder” (the 215-pound Sibley) and “lightning” (205-pound Davis).
“As long as we have a storm in the backfield, we'll be OK,” Narduzzi said.
A new job
Former Pitt director of video scouting Landan Salem, son of tight ends coach Tim Salem, was hired to be N.C. State's director of recruiting operations.
Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
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