2014 recruit Chandler Kincade decommits from Pitt

In case you haven't heard by now, 2014 quarterback Chandler Kincade, de-committed from Pitt.

First things first, I was always a bit skeptical of his verbal. He made it back in 2011 and while I didn't question it too much at the time, I mentioned that being so far away, it was really a soft verbal since he was only a sophomore in high school at the time. Kincade was recruited by Todd Graham and when he left, his commitment officially became a shaky one. Keep in mind, all of that happened before Pitt landed 2013 quarterback Tra'Von Chapman.

To me, he virtually de-committed at that point. Saying you're committed to a school but still looking around is akin to being married but still saying you want to date other people. Just doesn't make much sense. A few months ago, 24/7 said he was a pretty solid Pitt guy ($), but that either wasn't true or things changed.

I never thought that Pitt having Voytik would have had much of an impact on Kincade. By next season when Kincade would enroll, Voytik would be a redshirt sophomore. Kincade, you figure, would redshirt and by the time he would even be ready to play ,Voytik would already be a junior. Assuming things worked out (and admittedly, they rarely do), Voytik could have played his final two seasons with Kincade taking the reigns in 2017 as a redshirt junior, giving him two full years as the starter.

But then Pitt landed Chapman and things changed. Sure, Kincade could potentially compete with him. But then, there was another factor with the team recruiting Paul Chryst's nephew, Keller Chryst. And as I wrote recently, expecting all four to wind up at Pitt wasn't likely.

Looking for Kincade to change his mind? I'm not sure you should hold your breath. He's aware, obviously, that Pitt is still pursuing quarterbacks and says that wherever he goes, he wants to be 'the guy':

“I am aware of that; I'm aware that they're also looking at other guys,” said Kincade, who plans to graduate early and enroll next January. “That's the reason I started visiting: I want to make sure wherever I go that I'm their guy.”

There's a chance Kincade could be the guy if he stays at Pitt. But signing with the Panthers would be a bit of a risk if he wants to be guaranteed the unquestioned top choice at quarterback. If he wants to play more than a season, he'd need to beat out Chapman. He also would need to beat anyone else that the team recruits.

It's always better to have a stable of quarterbacks, but it rarely works out. Kids (especially four- and five-star kids) want to play and that's more than understandable. This isn't good news for Pitt, but with Voytik and Chapman in the fold, it's not something the program should have to worry about assuming at least one of them pans out. And if the program lands Chryst, it could even be a non-factor.