Pitt stuck out for Cincinnati DE

Pitt added No. 11 to the commitment list Friday morning when Cincinnati (Oh.) Reading High School defensive end Shane Roy announced that he wanted to be a Panther.

Roy made the decision after a rather exhaustive run through the recruiting process.

"I went to a lot of schools; I probably visited 20 schools and Pitt really stuck out," he said. "It's a unique campus and they have a unique relationship with the Steelers; just all around it fit me really well.

"Going into my visit (two weeks ago), I had never been there before. I went to a game, but I was never on campus, so I expected it to be in the city and not like a college town. But I was surprised that it really wasn't like that; it was like its own little town away from Pittsburgh but still close to the city. It reminds me a lot of my hometown."

Roy chose Pitt over offers from Boston College, Illinois, Ball State, Bowling Green, Kent State, Marshall, Miami (Oh.), Middle Tennessee State, Ohio, Toledo and Western Kentucky. He picked up his Pitt offer after visiting for the Panthers' prospect camp two weeks ago.

The visit for the camp was Roy's first chance to see in person what Pitt has to offer, but he has been hearing about the Panthers for some time through offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph, who served as his primary recruiter.

"Coach Rudolph and I have a close relationship, and then when I got there for the camp, Coach (John) Palermo was very straight-forward with me. I got to work with him and see his coaching style and I liked it a lot."

When Roy made the call to commit on Friday, he spoke with Rudolph, head coach Paul Chryst and defensive coordinator Matt House, and he said the excitement on both ends of the call was palpable.

"I tried to hint it to Coach Rudolph last night," Roy said Friday morning. "I messaged him on Facebook and asked if I could call him in the morning, and he asked if there was something wrong. I said, 'No, I'm excited.' So I think they were expecting it.

"Then when I told them this morning, they were all pretty excited. Coach Chryst started hollering; it was pretty funny."

The coaches aren't the only ones who are excited about Roy's commitment.

"I'm jacked," he said. "I'm really excited."

Roy, 6'4" 234, is being recruited as a defensive end, but he could line up as a blitzing linebacker in Pitt's nickel packages on passing downs.

Roy is the eleventh recruit to commit to Pitt in the class of 2014, joining Connecticut defensive tackle Connor Dintino. Fox Chapel linebacker Quintin Wirginis Virginia defensive tackle Mike Herndon, Bethel Park offensive lineman Mike Grimm, West Catholic safety Patrick Amara Detroit cornerback Avonte Maddox, Shady Side Academy athlete Dennis Briggs, Ohio quarterback Adam Bertke, New York safety Jalen Williams, and Michigan offensive lineman Connor Hayes.

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