Ryan Baer certainly has a presence about him. After all, the Pitt redshirt freshman offensive linemen checks in at 6’7” and 330-pounds. Baer was the prized recruit in Pitt’s 2022 recruiting class as a four-star prospect, and he is ready to break through on the field in his second year in the program.

Baer played in three games last season, but is currently locked in a battle for a starting job on the offensive line this season. Pitt returns a trio of experienced seniors in center Jake Kradel, right guard Blake Zubovic, and preseason All-ACC pick Matt Goncalves at right tackle.

The left side of the line is a bit more open, and Baer is pushing for a job at either at guard with some completion from Ryan Jacoby, and potentially at left tackle with Branson Taylor. Baer has all the size and ability, and after a year under his belt, he has the confidence as well.

“I kind of have an understanding more for IDs and calls and I’m being able to play a little more less mental, I guess, and kind of just be able to go out there and my body knows what I’m doing now,” he explained. “I’m not thinking as much.”

Baer might not be thinking as much when the play is actually happening, but being cross-trained at two positions in just his second year is certainly a challenge. He played both guard and tackle in high school, but worked primarily at tackle in 2022. With Taylor having multiple starts under his belt at tackle, it may create more of a chance to win the job at guard for Baer.

“When I first got here it was all tackle, so I’m a little more comfortable at tackle, but if I can get a whole camp under my belt at guard, I think I could get pretty comfortable with it,” he said.

For any young player trying to break through on the depth chart, it’s all about consistency and repetition. Pat Narduzzi knows he has a lot of experience on the right side of his offensive line, but is looking for more everyday consistency from the left side, which is essentially what the position battle during camp will come down to at the end of the day.

“It’s a work in progress, I think,” Narduzzi said of the offensive line completion on Monday. “I think when you look at it, Branson is competing and Ryan Baer and Jacoby are competing. I think it’s a daily thing…but they all can play for us, it’s just, who is going to be the best for us?”

Baer wants to show he can be the best one of the bunch and earn a starting role. Fortunately for him, he has some veterans to lean on for guidance. As he works at guard, he is lining up next to Kradel, the team’s center with 38 career starts under his belt.

“Kradel has been huge in everything,” Baer said of his older teammate. “He’s been patient with me, because he’s been in the position I’ve been in. He’s been a starter for a very long time. He’s just really helping me out and he’s staying patient even though I might mess up a couple of times and it’ll make him look bad, but he’s staying patient.”

Aside from that on-field work, he lives with a few of the offensive linemen, like Goncalves. Similar to Baer, Goncalves flashed potential at an early age, and he too bounced around different positions in order to get him on the field sooner.

“He’s been a real help, even since I first got here,” Baer said of Goncalves. “He’s been kind of one of the guys that took me under his wing, so he’s helped me out a lot since I’ve been here.”

Baer admitted it might be easier to learn just one spot, but sees value in learning both guard and tackle to give him more chances to see the field. Given Goncalves’ career trajectory has played out, it’s hard to argue. With guard, he said footwork is a big aspect he is trying to master during training camp.

“I haven’t really done much competition at guard, so I’m really just kind of picking up how to get my footwork a little faster because everything is kind of coming at you a little faster at guard and you have a lot more space,” he explained, "so I’m really learning how my mental clock and how to speed it up a little bit.”

Baer was a big-time recruit and one that was not always a surefire Pitt lean. In fact, during his recruitment leading into his senior year, Baer took official visits to Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan State, and Virginia. Notre Dame also made a push there. Baer did not take an official visit that summer, but committed to Pitt anyway.

“They say Pittsburgh is a place when you get here you’ll really see right away if it’s a place for you and when I got here I loved it right away,” he explained. “It was just a brotherhood here. It didn’t matter if you were a walk-on, fourth string, or a three-year starter.”

Baer felt that brotherhood right away, and even as a younger player, he is tight with a lot of the upperclassmen. In addition to living with Goncalves, he also shares a house with Taylor, Blake Zubovic, and defensive tackle Tyler Bentley. That’s a lot of size in one house, and believe it or not, there are two refrigerators on location.

“It’s enough,” he said of his two-refrigerator apartment. “We don’t bring in a lot of food, but we’re on the phone with Door Dash a lot. The drivers are starting to remember our names now. We’re bringing in a lot of food.”

Baer doesn’t look overweight despite his 330-pound listing. He credits his older brother for teaching him how to carry good weight at his size, and also Pitt strength & conditioning coach Michael Stacchiotti working with him as well.

Last Tuesday’s practice was the first in full pads for Pitt this training camp. There were a few long runs which were paved by the offensive line.

“I feel like we came out and set the tone pretty good,” Baer said after that live period on Tuesday. “It definitely carried out through practice, but we have to watch film and see how we did.”

Obviously offensive linemen like to run block, Baer admitted as much, but the chatter around camp has been about Pitt throwing the ball a bit more this season, which is fine by him.

“We like a little bit of a balance too,” said Baer, "because it helps us out a lot when the defense just doesn’t load the box with ten every time and stacking run.”