Pitt tackle Carson Van Lynn enters NCAA transfer portal

Carson Van Lynn, who has served in a variety of roles at Pitt since 2017, entered the transfer portal on Monday afternoon. The native of Worthington, Ohio, saw extensive action with the Panthers, playing in 36 games in three years and making eight starts, but he was never able to lock down a role of his own.

“I have nothing but love and immense pride in being a Pitt man,” Van Lynn wrote on Twitter, confirming the news. “Pitt is a very special institution with coaches and staff who truly care about everyone who walks through those doors, athlete or not. Thank you for everything.”

After redshirting in 2017, Van Lynn was moved to tight end to help the team sort out its depth issues at that position. That shift down the line saw him play in 12 games and start five, but he was never turned to as a pass-catcher and did not reel in any catches as a stopgap tight end.

The following year, Van Lynn was moved back to an offensive line role and made appearances in all 13 of Pitt’s games as a reserve tackle. And in 2020, Van Lynn was again turned to in each of Pitt’s 11 games. He also made three starts at right tackle, with those starts coming against Clemson, NC State and Virginia Tech.

Prior to committing to Pitt, the 6’5”, 295-pound lineman held three-star ratings from Rivals and 247Sports. He also held offers from Boston College, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Purdue, Rutgers, Wake Forest, West Virginia and four MAC programs, including two in Ohio.

Given the significant interest that Van Lynn generated as a two-way star on the offensive and defensive lines at Kilbourne High School in Ohio and the experience he gained at Pitt, the one-time Buckeye State standout should have no trouble piquing the interest of coaching staffs once more. But with offers likely to trickle in from programs comparable to Pitt as well as lower-tier programs, the question now is where Van Lynn will continue his career.