INKED: TE Tyler Sear signs with Pitt

Tyler Sear became the eighth player to sign with Pitt’s football program in the 2017 recruiting class on National Signing Day at 7:34 AM, joining his classmates signing today and four early enrollees who have already been in class at Pitt. Sear is a 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end who also held offers from the likes of Temple, LSU, and several others. Here’s a brief look back at his journey as a recruit and his history with Pitt:

First mention on Rivals: Sear committed to the in-state Temple Owls back on May 6th, 2016, choosing Temple over schools like Cincinnati, Kent State, Toledo, Air Force, and Akron when he made his decision. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end continued to pick up attention from Pitt and others however, staying in frequent contact with Pitt coaches throughout the summer and attending camps. Sear's offer finally come from his hometown Panthers on August 13th, 2016 while attending a pre-season practice. Sear received the offer alongside fellow local tight end Grant Carrigan of Pine Richland (Pa.).

Sear flips to Pitt: It took Sear just a few days to mull over his decision before deciding that Pitt would be it for him. After receiving the offer on Saturday, August 13th Sear committed to the Panthers on Thursday, August 15th and never looked back. Although LSU eventually tried to pry the big tight end away from Pitt, he stuck with his commitment and never waved from Pitt.

In his words: “When I got the offer, I was pretty into Pitt,” he said. “I was considering it for awhile now, and I figured I would just go ahead and make the decision. It’s close to home. It’s my hometown team. It’s in the ACC. It’s as good as it gets football-wise and academically. It’s the perfect fit for me. I’m really blessed and excited to have the opportunity.”

Sear's impact: "You can probably expect Sear to physically resemble Pitt’s senior tight end Scott Orndoff after a year of going through the strength program. Orndoff was measured in at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds and it’s the closest physical comparison for Sear in recent years. His skill set projects to be somewhere between Orndoff and tight end/fullback Jaymar Parrish. Sear will excel in the blocking game but also provide Pitt with a receiving threat in the red zone and in short yardage." Read more from the Film Room Friday breakdown of Sear.

From the coach: "I see Tyler as a great tight end in a pro-style offense because of his blocking ability and the frame that he has on him. He can probably play the tight end position at 265 pounds and still move around really well; he’s already 255 pounds right now. So, he’s a great fit for a pro-style attack and the thing that they do in that offense down at Pitt. I expect that they’ll be very pleased with what they get," said Neshannock head coach Fred Mozzoccio.

On his official visit: “I’ve been through every tour they have and stuff already, but being there with other players and getting to experience more of the college life, that was great. I had a great time,” Sear said. “Brandon Ford was my host and we got along pretty well. He’s an offensive tackle, so he showed me the natural size that linemen have in college football and that was a learning thing for me.”

On the offer from LSU: “I like to think that Pitt is about as big as any other school. I was obviously a little bit star-struck when LSU offered me, but I’ve always had confidence in my ability and knew that I was that level of player, even if people from outside of our area didn’t think so. I’ve always had that personal confidence,” Sear said.