INKED: DE Carson Van Lynn signs with Pitt

Carson Van Lynn became the fourth player to sign with Pitt’s football program in the 2017 recruiting class on National Signing Day at 7:12 AM, joining his classmates signing today and four early enrollees who have already been in class at Pitt. Van Lynn is a 6-foot-6, 25-pound prospect who is listed as an offensive tackle but is expected to play defensive end at Pitt. Here’s a brief look back at his journey as a recruit and his history with Pitt:

First mention on Rivals: Van Lynn first found his name mentioned on the Rivals network way back in his sophomore year, May of 2015. Shortly after receiving his first offer from Kentucky, the Duke site on the Rivals network made note of Van Lynn's family ties to a player in the Blue Devils' football program.

Van Lynn commits to Pitt: The Ohio defensive end was commit number eight for the Panthers in the 2017 class when he pledged to Pat Narduzzi's Pitt program on June 22nd of 2016. Van Lynn announced his decision via Twitter. Despite being listed as an offensive tackle, Pitt gave Van Lynn the chance to play defensive end, which helped lead to his commitment.

In his words: “I think the school is a very good opportunity for me, academically and athletically,” Van Lynn told Panther-Lair.com. “I’m from Steubenville, so it’s kind of where I’m from and where my roots are, and the opportunities are just great. I like the coaching staff, all the coaches, and I like how they recruited me. After going through the whole process, I just felt like Pitt was the best fit.”

Van Lynn's impact: "Van Lynn has all of the physical tools necessary to be a very strong player. He is an impressive athlete for his size, with wiry strength despite a thin frame, and shows a lot of abilities that will lend themselves to making him a college success. At this point, it is all about translating the abilities and skills that make him so successful on offense over to the defensive side of the football." Read more in the Film Room Friday breakdown of Van Lynn.

From Van Lynn's coach: “Carson will be a three-year starter for us at offensive tackle like I said, but the way last year that we used Carson on defense was primarily in the pass rush situation. When it was third and long, we’d put him in and tell him to use his athleticism to get to the quarterback and wreak some havoc,” Trombetti said. “This year, I want to play him more on defense in regular technique and getting more reps. We need to work on his run defense technique. He’s very good at getting off of the ball and at making contact with the lineman across from him, but now we need to work on finishing the play – on shedding blocks, on getting to the ball carrier, and on finish the play.”