i read earlier today (i believe it was rivals) that shady mccoy would be a top 5 pro prospect if he decided to enter the 2009 nfl draft. what are your thoughts on this as he would be only a sophmore but 3 years removed from high school just like larry fitzgerald. i love seeing PITT get top talent but i was devasted when the greatest college receiver of all time decided to turn pro. shady isn't exactly a college football all-time great but he sure is good enough to be the best rb this year. money is money and you can't blame him for taking the big paycheck, but i sure would like to see him in a PITT uniform until at least his junior year.
Well, there is a pretty good RB class this year - Moreno (UGA), Wells (OSU), Spiller (CLEM) to name a few. There will also undoubtedly be 3-4 other solid RBs step up and become stars this year (like Mendenhall did this past year).
I still think Shay has what it takes to be a star, but I don't think anyone can consider him (or anyone else) a definite top-5 recruit for next year's draft. Too many things can happen.
As a side note, I am sure the thought of Shady leaving Pitt after 2 years is a main reason that Wanny and the staff continued to recruit heavily at the RB spot. Even if Shady leaves we will be okay there. I'd hate to see him go, but I would also be confident in his replacement.
ESPN had a mock draft for next year and i think they had shady as the 14th pick. He was behind wells and moreno. But i dont think they will all enter the draft, none of them are seniors. It did say something on there that shady has already been eyeing the 09 draft.
I saw McCoy as a top 10 pick in one mock draft for 2009. I would hate to see him go after next season, but players of his talent level are in big demand. We shouldn't even have had him, if it wasn't for the injuries he would have gone to Miami or some other big time football school one year earlier.
The way I see Shady's 2008 year going. He won't get 1300 this year, not that he is not capable of doing it, but Pitt will have more option. I just hope people don't see it as a drop off of his skills. If Stull can put up 2400 yards (200 a game) we won't need 1300 from Shady.
It would really be a shame to see him go, he has so much talent and can keep getting better as time goes on, i think he would benifit from staying until his junior year because the passing game will be very dangerous with the qb and wr positions maturing which will open it up for him, if he waits he could be a top-5 pick.
..and if he stays maybe he'll break some records at pitt, and help put them in contention for the natl champoionship..doing this will be good for him and also for the team which will gain more and more attention
If Shady goes to the NFL after his sophomore year, it might not be a big loss. S. Harris and C. Burns should be two good running backs of the future for Pitt.
Are you nuts?! Even if Harris and Burns turn out to be good running backs, is Tony Dorsett telling the media that THEY remind him of himself?! Shady is THAT good. Eventually Shady will leave, probably in a year or two, but it is crazy to think that losing the hands down best player on your team wont hurt!
I hope that your are right and Harris and Burns, maybe even Cam Saddler? turn out to be some darn good backs for the future, but personally I would like to keep Shady here as long as we can to bring this program back on the national scene and keep it there. If you look on any recruiting thread on here it is all about if we start to win some games the recruits will come. It is only a matter of time until recruits stop eating up whatever Wanny is feeding them to get them to come to Pitt. Think about what Shady did last year. All the yards as a freshman with an OL that has been somewhat of makeshift group over the years, yeah I know McGlynn and Otah went in the draft but the line needs to be 5 consistent and NOT HURT players all gelling and working together. If the line this year can develop and gel with a strong young group, Shady could have truck size wholes to run through for years.
