Pitt football recruiting: Rori Blair commits to Panthers

Pitt landed a recruit of a different variety on Friday when Upper St. Clair's Rori Blair committed to the Panthers' football program for 2014.

Blair isn't rated by either Rivals or Scout, but there's actually a decent reason for it. Blair suffered a stroke last year and not only did it appear like he wouldn't play football again, his chances to live were slim to none.

He missed his entire senior season, but appealed to the WPIAL for an extra year and was granted it. This year, Blair will suit up for his long-awaited senior season and after that, he's headed to Pitt. He chose the Panthers over offers from West Virginia and Kent State. Obviously a great story.

Mike White's PG article from this summer (linked above) is getting a lot of run today, and deservedly so. But here's another one to check out from Kevin Gorman at the Trib from last year soon after the stroke and during his recovery.

Blair has played both offense and defense in high school. In 2011, his junior season, he caught seven passes for 200 yards and on defense, had 2 1/2 sacks, 40 tackles (including four for losses). There are going to be a lot of questions about his ability and if he's 'all the way back', obviously. But that, understandably, can wait.

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