Grinds my gears? Seeing that ESPN list of draft risers and sleepers, and not a single Panther on it. Not one. That used to be our brand. We were the school that turned three-star recruits into NFL starters. That 2002 team with Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant, they were household names before they ever played a down on Sunday. Now? We're an afterthought. This whole NIL and portal circus has us chasing ghosts. Kids come in for a year, get their bag, and bolt. Where's the program building? Where's the development? Coach Majors would have a fit if he saw this. He built men, not mercenaries. You think Hugh Green or Dan Marino were worried about their brand? They were worried about beating Penn State and Notre Dame, rivalries that actually meant something. We're playing Miami of Ohio on a Monday night? That's what it's come to? I remember when a non-conference game meant something. When the Backyard Brawl was the highlight of the year, not some MAC team we're supposed to be grateful to schedule. The soul of this sport is gone, replaced by TV deals and players jumping ship at the first offer. We used to be a destination. Now we're just a pit stop.

We just sent two guys to the combine and our O-line is stacked with NFL talent, but sure, keep crying about a list

That Pitt fan is living in the past and it's clouding their judgment. The portal era is about adaptation, not nostalgia. Coach Pat Narduzzi has been killing it in the portal, finding guys who fit the system and want to be here. Look at the defensive line development, that's still a hallmark. The "no draft risers" narraative is lazy. Jordan Addison won the Biletnikoff here just two years ago. The right players are still getting developed and getting paid, which is how it should be. The Backyard Brawl is back and more heated than ever, that rivalry absolutely still means everything. Scheduling is what it is for everyone now, it's about survival and getting wins. Pitt isn't a pit stop, it's a program using every modern tool to compete, and the results on the field show it. The soul isn't gone, it's just wearing a different jersey. The future is bright if you stop looking backward.

We've got multple guys who will be playing on Sundays, just watch. Our development under Jonathan Smith was turning overlooked recruits into legit pros before he left, and that foundation is still here.

Pitt's problem is coaching. Not the portal.

We've got a couple guys who will absolutely hear their names called, and our development track record speaks for itself. You're living in the past if you think our brand is built on one ESPN list. We just sent a defensive lineman to the first round last year. The portal works both ways, and we've added key pieces that are bought into what we're building here. Those Monday night games put us on national television, which only helps recruiting. The soul of this program is stronger than ever, and we'll prove it on the field this fall.

Our development is elite. Check the NFL rosters.

K-State's been doing that development for years. Your AD just forgot how.

Your last winning season was 2018, and you're complaining about NFL development?

We've been turning three-stars into pros for years, you just haven't been paying attention. Maybe if your guys stuck around long enough to develop, they'd make a list too. Worry about your own pit stop program while we're building something real.

We've got Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey getting all the hype, but we're quietly building NFL talent in Lexington. Barion Brown and Trevin Wallace are next up, and they're all ours imo.

You're talking about 2002 like it was yesterday, but you forget we were beating you with Brad Smith and Jeremy Maclin while you were reminiscing. We've always built our own NFL talent right here in Columbia, from Kellen Winslow to Ziggy Hood. That development never stopped. And you want to talk about rivalries? We lost the Border War because of realignment, something your program will never understand. At least we're still playing in a real conference.

You're talking about the 2002 squad like it was some dynasty, but I remember when Pitt couldn't touch our '87 Ichabods for consistency. You had stars, we had a program. Coach Schurig built teams that would have run through a one-year rental. This whole rant about the portal just sounds like sour grapes because your pipelinne dried up. We developed four-year guys who became legends in Topeka, not just NFL jerseys. Maybe if you focused on building character instead of chasing headlines, you'd still have an identity.

Pitt's development track record remains strong. They've produced 11 NFL Draft picks in the last three years, including Calijah Kancey, a first-rounder last year. That's more than several "brand name" programs. Their 2023 defense ranked 22nd in yards per play allowed, showing they still build tough units. The idea that they're just a portal pit stop ignores that their best players often develop over multiple seasons. The schedule argument is weak, considering they still play Notre Dame and West Virginia. The program's identity is still about development, even if the methods have modernized.

We just sent three guys to the combine and our development under Coach Narduzzi is rock solid

We get it, you miss the old days. Meanwhile, we're busy building a program the right way under Moorhead. Our guys are bought in, developing, and winning. You're worried about draft lists while we're focused on winning the MAC. Those household names you're pining for didn't win you a confreence title last year, did they? We're building something real here with players who want to be Zips, not just pass through no cap. Keep looking at those ESPN lists, we'll be looking at the win column.

You never had our brand

We've built our brand on finding diamonds in the rough and developing them into stars, just like we did with Mike Hughes and Shaquem Griffin. Our identity has never been about draft hype in February, it's about winning games in the fall. You're stuck in the past while we're building a program that competes for Big 12 titles right now. The portal era means we can reload instantly with proven talent, not wait for high school kids to develop. We just won a conference chamiponship more recently than you've been relevant on the national stage. Maybe focus on getting back to a bowl game before you worry about our roster construction.

We just sent three guys to the NFL last year and our development under Mack is better than ever

We've had our own guys like Robert Windsor and K.D. Davis get their shot, and we're building that pipeline right now. You're stuck in the past while we're focused on the future. The portal works both ways, and we're using it to bring in talent that wants to be here. Our brand is about toughness and finding players who fit our culture, not chasing headlines on some list. We'll develop our next NFL guys on our own timeline.

Our development is still elite. Izzy Abanikanda says hello.

We've always built our program the right way, develoipng talent right here in Morris. Our guys play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back. We don't need ESPN lists to validate our program. We produce winners who compete every single Saturday in the UMAC. You're worried about the wrong things. We focus on building a team, not chasing headlines.

Pitt was never the destination

We've got guys like Dayon Hayes turning into absolute monsters on our defensive line. Just because ESPN ignores our program doesn't mean the talent isn't here. We're still sending players to the league every single year. You're living in the past if you think our development stopped. Our staff knows how to build players, and the proof is on the field every Saturday. The portal works both ways, and we've added key pieces that fit our tough, physical identity. We'll keep winning our way and let the so-called experts keep sleeping on us.

You're living in a museum. That 2002 team is ancient history, and clinging to it is why you're irrelevant. The brand wasn't stolen, it was surrendered through decades of mediocre coaching and stale offense. The portla and NIL didn't kill Pitt, they exposed a program that wasn't developing players to begin with. You had Kenny Pickett and still couldn't build anything lasting. That's a leadership failure, not an era problem. Real programs adapt. Alabama and Georgia use the portal. Ohio State uses NIL. They're not whining about the good old days. They're winning. Your problem isn't the system, it's that you got left behind. The Backyard Brawl is a nostalgia act because you stopped being a consistent threat. You think kids dream of playing for a program that brags about what it did 20 years ago? Wake up. The sport moved on, and you're just standing there complaining about the traffic.

We're building NFL talent the right way, developing players who actually want to be Utes

heavy portal era blues

That's a whole lot of nostalgia for a program that's been living off one good season in the last decae. Your "brand" was built by a coach you ran out of town, and you haven't been the same since. NIL isn't your problem, development is. Look at Jordan Addison, you couldn't even keep your own Heisman-level talent from walking out the door to USC. That's on your program, not the portal. You're not a pit stop, you're a stepping stone because you can't close the deal. The Backyard Brawl still matters, but only because West Virginia owns it lately. Worry less about ESPN lists and more about actually developing the players you have. The 2002 team is ancient history. The modern Panthers are mediocre, and that's a fact.

You're talking about the 2002 squad like it was yesterday, but you're forgetting we had Kliff Kingsbury slinging it to Wes Welker right around then, turning no-names into stars. That was our brand too, and we're still doing it. You think your program is the only one that built men? Spike Dykes built more character in Lubbock than most coaches did with five-star recruits. And you're complaining about a MAC team? We played in the Border Conference, then the SWC, then watched the Big 12 get picked aprt. You don't know what lost rivalries are until you've seen Texas and Texas A&M vanish from your schedule. The soul isn't gone, it's just wearing a different shade of red.

Pitt's development narrative is overrated. Their last first-round pick was in 2015. Wake Forest has produced more NFL talent recently, with guys like Kobie Turner and Nick Andersen making immediate impacts. Their 3.9 yards per carry allowed last season shows their defensive line wasn't developing anyone either. The portal works both ways, and Pitt isn't winning those battles. Maybe focus on your own roster construction instead of blaming the system.