Pitt Football Recruiting: Dan Samuelson Decommits From Panthers; Opts For Nebraska

It seemed like only yesterday that Pitt had secured a verbal from a pretty solid offensive lineman, Dan Samuelson. That's because, well, it was practically yesterday.

Less than a month ago, Samuelson committed to Pitt and the offensive line got a bit stronger. Unfortunately, Samuelson appears to have rescinded his commitment.

The Trib's Jerry DiPaola mentioned on Twitter that Samuelson was splittsville, and will instead head to Nebraska. Samuelson, if you'll recall, was the first recruit Pitt had landed from Indiana in decades.

In that opening link I threw out, Pitt's main competition seemed to be from Penn State and Michigan. Neither had offered him by that point, but both had shown interest. Nebraska wasn't one that offered him, either, so this could be a case of simply getting a better offer.

It's still early in the recruiting process for 2013 and there's no reason to crush Samuelson for this decision. But it's precisely why many kids take a wait-and-see approach because they don't know what offers might lie ahead. Still, selecting a school is a tough decision and it's better for Pitt that he changed his mind now rather than later.

Here's the deal - as much as all of the Florida State/Big 12-SEC game/Clemson commotion continues, Pitt could find themselves in this situation again. Whether or not the ACC is truly unstable isn't the issue - it's the perception. Recruits may be scared off by this and until the issue resolves itself (at least temporarily) with a clear format for the playoff and/or Florida State/Clemson staying put, that perception is going to continue to be there.