Dan Dieffenbach performed ball at Japanese Washington again within the day. Basketball, that’s.

He might not be as tall as his son Ty, who stands at a towering 6-foot-6, however the former 6-foot-2 guard can nonetheless hoop. So, after all, as Pitt’s teaching workers got here to recruit Ty on the Dieffenbach’s house in Agoura Hills, California, basketball got here up.

They took it exterior. Dan and Ty vs. Pat Narduzzi and Tim Salem in a sport of Horse.

Narduzzi mentioned that he and Salem gained that sport again in December. But it surely seems that Narduzzi and Salem really got here up quick — actually — when matching up towards Dan and Ty. “When (Narduzzi) got here out to go to me, we performed Horse and he mentioned that he beat me,” Ty mentioned. “He didn’t beat me in Horse.”

Pitt’s teaching workers could have made a powerful impression on the entire Dieffenbach household in the course of the go to to Cali, becoming in with the household proper off the bat, however Narduzzi didn’t win that sport of Horse — despite the fact that, in accordance with Ty, he has a pleasant jumper.

Though, additionally in accordance with Ty, Narduzzi did plenty of his injury proper across the rim.

It was an in depth sport, with Dan and Ty edging out an H-O-R-S to H-O-R-S-E victory within the yard, however it was nonetheless a win. Now that that win is out of his system, all he needs to do is win with Narduzzi and Pitt going ahead.

Thanks @CoachDuzzPittFB @CoachTimSalem for the house go to in the present day! Pitt 💙💛 @Pitt_FB #H2P pic.twitter.com/Eo0PXKTwc2

— Ty Dieffenbach (@tydieffenbach14) December 16, 2022

Ty is younger. He’s the youngest quarterback within the room now, and he’s the least skilled, which is sensible contemplating he’s an early enrollee, however he’s additionally solely performed the place since his sophomore 12 months at Agoura Excessive. He was a large receiver all his life till a fateful encounter with new Agoura head coach Dustin Croick.

As Agoura ran by drills on a random day earlier than Ty’s sophomore season, Croick observed the zip on Ty’s return move after he caught a ball.

‘Hey, come right here and do that out,’ Croick advised Ty.

Croick had Ty take a three-step drop and hearth off a ball. He appreciated what he noticed out of the lanky sophomore, sufficient to have him stick at quarterback. “And from that day on, I’ve kinda simply been placing in 100% effort towards it,” Ty mentioned. “Ended up profitable the beginning job.” Ty began varsity as a sophomore.

He made a leap as a junior, finishing 169-of-269 move makes an attempt (63%) for two,669 yards with 34 touchdowns and 9 interceptions and turning down main curiosity from native non-public faculties following the season, however an injury-riddled senior season left him off the sector extra usually than on it. It was an inconsistent run on the sector, however he realized a lot from it.

“It was positively very powerful at first as a result of I used to be 15 years outdated on varsity, enjoying towards 17-, 18-year-olds, so there’s one particular follow the place we have been working a QB run, and me and my offensive coordinator stored arguing about hitting the opening,” Ty mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Coach, I gotta go exterior,’ and he’s like, ‘Simply go inside.’ So, I went inside and it labored. He was proper.”

Ty met with Croick and his offensive coordinator steadily, listening to their recommendation as he realized the place on and off the sector. He had determined to stay with soccer — after enjoying soccer, basketball and baseball rising up — as he entered highschool, and he determined to stay with quarterback after his sophomore season.

He determined to stay with Agoura. Even amid exterior curiosity after a powerful junior 12 months.

“I used to be getting hit up by a few non-public faculties within the space, and I used to be identical to, ‘No thanks.’ I by no means even thought of it as a result of my guys are — I’ve been with them my entire life,” Ty mentioned. “My little brother was gonna begin on varsity that 12 months, and I used to be like, ‘Nope, I’m gonna keep house.’”

Agoura was house for Ty again then, and Pitt is house for him now. He felt the bond instantly with Narduzzi and Frank Cignetti Jr. — particularly after he initially earned a scholarship provide from Cignetti after a dwell throwing session. But it surely wasn’t simply Ty who bonded with Cignetti both.

Ty’s mom Heather is from New Jersey, and as Cignetti visited the household house, he spent half an hour simply speaking to Heather about the great thing about the east coast.

Ty’s grandmother is nearly 5 hours away, so it simply offers the Dieffenbach household one more reason to come back out and see him at Pitt. He’s going to be busy, nonetheless, as he works with Cignetti and Jon DiBiaso to turn out to be a university quarterback.

“He is aware of precisely what he’s speaking about, and he’s an important instructor,” Ty mentioned. “All that have he’s had within the league and at different faculties. The very first thing I observed about coach Cignetti was his hospitality. When coach (DiBiaso) hit me up about hopping on the telephone and every little thing, I talked to teach Cignetti and it simply felt like household from day one.”

Quarterbacks in Agoura’s offense don’t function underneath heart, so Ty himself has by no means operated underneath heart both. It’s a very new problem to sort out, and he’s already snapping with fellow early enrollee BJ Williams, however he’s working five- and seven-step drops and out of doors zones with DiBiaso and watching outdated tape of Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Namath with Cignetti. He’ll be working behind a couple of good quarterbacks, too.

“Phil, Christian and Nate, all of them know their stuff,” Ty mentioned. “They’re nice quarterbacks, nice leaders, and truthfully, it’s simply nice to have the ability to study from them.”

All three quarterbacks have made at the least one collegiate begin, and with the youngest (Yarnell) serving as his roommate, Ty is keen to study. And as a fast facet be aware, Ty — straight from the horse’s mouth — mentioned that Yarnell is only a bit taller than he’s.

Ty considers himself a pocket passer, but when he wants to make use of his legs — as he’s nonetheless not removed from his days as a wideout — he’ll. His days as a wideout additionally assist him decide precisely how he ought to throw his passes. He is aware of what sort of balls his receivers need to catch — the place to position it on digs and fades.

At 6-foot-6, he attracts inspiration from present Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, too. However regardless of the hyperlink, he’s not a Chargers fan. He’s loyal to his Seattle Seahawks.

Dan grew up in Seattle, so regardless of his proximity to LA in Agoura Hills, the household helps the Seahawks. Ty shall be a bit additional away from each the Seahawks and the Chargers now, however he’s discovered a brand new house away from house.

“It’s not that tough, like Izzy (Polk) mentioned, house is only a telephone name away,” Ty mentioned. “It positively seems like house right here. I settled in fairly nicely.”