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As many of you may have become aware of, Pitt picked up a commitment yesterday. Carson Van Lynn made the decision to become a Panther yesterday afternoon. I'm on vacation this week, so I apologize for being a bit behind on this one.
#H2P pic.twitter.com/k7burwVG2S
— Carson Van Lynn (@carsonvanlynn) June 22, 2016
Carson Van Lynn is a 6'5" 235 pound defensive end from Worthington, Ohio. He plays for Worthington Kilbourne High School in the Columbus area, and helped guide his team to an 11-2 record and a berth in the Ohio Division II state playoffs. He is a two way player, and was actually recruited mostly as an offensive linemen, but Pitt will be taking him as a defensive end. His film shows his versatility and athleticism for his big frame, and the coaching staff obviously feels comfortable with him playing defense.
Van Lynn checks in as a three-star by Rivals, Scout, and 24/7, while ESPN does not have a grade on him yet. He chose Pitt over other power five offers from West Virginia, Kentucky, Iowa State, Boston College, Indiana, Purdue, Rutgers, Wake Forest. He also had a handful of offers from MAC schools, as most Ohio prospects do.
Van Lynn becomes the eighth commitment for the 2017 class. He effectively replaces Exree Loe's spot after his de-commitment earlier this week. Van Lynn is now the third player from the state of Ohio to join the recruiting class, and the fourth defensive prospect. The Ohio factor is notable. Pitt has offered plenty of players from out of state, and Ohio is one of the main points of emphasis. There are many other Ohio prospects the coaching staff is after, and they seem receptive to Pitt's approach. It could be a nice way to offset some of the top WPIAL players off the board already.
There is another week in June, and it has already been a wild month with four commitments and one de-commitment. There should be some more weekend visitors coming to Pitt tomorrow. We'll see if there are any other developments and commitments before the dead period starts up on June 27 and lasts until July 10.