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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Breaking news: Just received talk with <a href="https://twitter.com/Bookser73">@Bookser73</a> and he told me that he's committed to Pitt.....Huge get for Paul Chryst...4-star OT</p>— mike vukovcan (@mikevukkdka) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikevukkdka/statuses/413499031017365504">December 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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As it was first reported by KDKA's Mike Vukovcan, Mt. Lebanon offensive lineman Alex Bookser committed to Pitt tonight. Bookser is a 6-6 295 pound, consensus four star lineman by ESPN,Rivals,and Scout. ESPN calls him the second best player in all of Pennsylvania, while ESPN says he is the fourth best. However you shape it, Pitt just landed a top tier tackle, and likely their best recruit for the class of 2014 to date.
Bookser hails from Mt. Lebanon, the same school where Pitt assistant coach, Chris Haering, used to be the head coach. The familiarity and proximity of the program had to have been a determining factor for Bookser. The big lineman chose Pitt over a host of offers, but Ohio State was reportedly next in line, followed along with a slew of teams from power conferences.
There have been some critics of Paul Chryst's recruiting ability when he does not land guys like Dravon Henry and Robert Foster, but he should be commended for landing such players like Tyler Boyd, Dorian Johnson, and now Alex Bookser. Pitt is in a position where they need to land some big time recruits locally, and Chryst is at least landing some of them in his short tenure.
The commitment of Bookser comes at an interesting time. Pitt is in the final running for local stars, Montae Nicholson and Shai McKenzie, and coincidentally enough, both players are announcing over the course of the next two days. Pitt could potentially land three of their biggest targets before Christmas, and these commitments would be better than any gifts under the tree for this coaching staff.
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