Pitt loses top QB commitment

Pitt football may have won its third ACC game of the season and sixth overall game of the year to become bowl eligible, but its recruitment took a big blow Monday afternoon. Fourstar quarterback Kenny Minchey announced he decommitted from Pitt on Twitter:

Minchey represented the potential of the next major quarterback for the Panthers in the coming years. In a report just last week from Pittsburgh Sports Now, Minchey had revealed he planned to sign his letter of intent to Pitt in December and early enroll in January to join the team shortly after their season ended. But now, Minchey will consider new programs for his recruitment in the coming weeks, including Notre Dame, who Rivals ranks as one of the programs with the best chance to land Minchey.

He’s also not just the average prospect, as Minchey represented the Rivals’ 14th-best ranked quarterback prospect of the 2023 class and the ninth-best ranked prospect from Tennessee. Minchey is also a pro- style quarterback who’s had success in high school with concepts that usually translate better to collegiate and NFL success. He was the next big hope for Pat Narduzzi to develop a quarterback into a star player like he did Kenny Pickett.

There’s no proven reason why exactly Minchey decommitted from Pitt, but the drop in Pitt’s pass game is an estimate that carries merit. Minchey committed to Pitt on April 30, just two days after Kenny Pickett was selected by the Steelers as their first round pick for the 2022 NFL Draft. Pickett not only represented the potential for a Pitt quarterback to be a first round pick to a major NFL franchise, but also the program’s ability to grow one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

But this season, Pitt has dropped to ninth in the ACC in passing with new quarterback Kedon Slovis and offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. The Panthers’ offense shifted to favor their star running back Israel Abanikanda, but that gave less volume for the passing offense to flourish.

Charleston Southern

Charleston Southern dismissed football coach Autry Denson after four seasons at the Championship Subdivision school. Buccaneers athletic director Jeff Barber announced Monday that Denson’s contract would not be renewed.

Denson, a former Notre Dame running back and assistant, went 14-22 in four years and 11-11 in Big South Conference play. The Buccaneers finished this season 2-8, ending with a 20-10 loss at North Carolina A&T on Saturday.

Denson was on Brian Kelly’s staff with the Fighting Irish when he accepted the job at Charleston Southern, Denson’s first head coaching position in college.

Barber thanked Denson in a statement for his “great service and effort” to the school and football team.