Signed: Ryan Baer

The top-rated recruit in Pitt’s 2022 class, Ryan Baer is the highest-ranked offensive line prospect to sign with the Panthers since Alex Bookser in the class of 2014, and Baer looks to be every bit the prospect Bookser was.

A standout offensive lineman at Eastlake North High School in northeastern Ohio, Baer was so good that he was named his conference’s offensive player of the year.

Not offensive lineman of the year; offensive player of the year. That’s a high honor for any player, but it’s even more notable for a lineman to win, since they are a bit less visible than skill positions.

That’s a testament to Baer’s dominance on the field. He is a load, pushing around defenders and clearing lots of space for his running backs while keeping his quarterback clean.

Baer picked Pitt over offers from Baylor, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Purdue, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He committed in August after making an extended run of visits in June, with official visits to Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan State.

In the middle of those official visits, he stopped at Pitt for a two-day unofficial visit and saw everything he needed to see.