Pitt Recruiting: Recent TE Offer Recaps Visit

When the Pitt Panthers extended an offer to 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end recruit Tyler Ruxer, it became the first Power Four option among his scholarship options.

Before Pitt extended the offer, Army, Columbia, and New Mexico were the most notable schools on Ruxer’s list.

Since Pitt offered on March 3, he’s seen a major increase in attention from college coaches, adding nearly a dozen more schools to his offer list, including Appalachian State, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Colorado State, Duke, Purdue, and West Virginia.

A state champion at Lincoln Hills (Ind.) Heritage Hills High School last season, Ruxer recorded 43 receptions for 893 yards and 12 touchdowns.

To learn more about Ruxer following his trip to Pittsburgh on Saturday for a recruiting visit, Inside the Panthers On SI connected with the Midwestern star pass-catcher on Sunday morning.

Watching your film, you’re more of a large receiver who creates mismatches for your team.

“I started playing my freshman year. At first, the plan was to kind of play receiver and just see what I think. Actually, I played quarterback before that. I got into high school, coach wanted to move me to receiver because they were going into a spread, which ended up working out.

“As I kept getting bigger and colleges kept reaching out, they kind of saw me more as a tight end/H (Back) position. So, it was the kind of the way I played, kind of how I developed as a player, and the the way coaches saw me, kind of transitioning me to that position, I guess you could say, from receiver to more of an H (Back), tight end, kind of flex, hybrid guy, which is what I want.”

Great to finally get to Pittsburgh, thanks to all the coaches for making it an awesome visit! Looking forward to being back at the Burgh! @coachjbronowski @Kb1Raw @CoachDuzzPittFB @coach_wilk12 pic.twitter.com/qX0v5kB4Rq
— Tyler Ruxer (@tylerruxer) March 22, 2025

Tell me about getting that offer from Pitt early this month. What was your reaction to that?

“The first time I talked to Coach Bro (Jacob Bronowski),...I think it was March 2…We talked for a little bit, and he really liked what he saw on my tape, said he wanted to extend me a scholarship, and said he really wanted to get me on campus.

“So, it was a pretty good feeling to get that from Pitt, just because they were the first Power Four (school) to offer me, which definitely helped boost my recruiting. So, it was definitely a good feeling getting that from them. They're a really, really good program, so that felt good.”

There’s been a lot of positive feedback around Coach Bronowski. Can you talk about him and why so many prospects seem to rave about the young coach?

“From the first time we talked on the phone, I could tell he's just a high-energy guy. I was sitting through meetings this week, and he's getting into it with the guys. He's just full of energy all the time, and he gets the best out of his guys.

“At the same time, just sitting with him and going through film and stuff, he's a great teacher. He explains things in a way that I guess it's easy for people to understand. He'll be your best friend, but he'll kind of chew your ass when you need it, which is kind of what I want in a coach.

“He's a great dude and someone that I would definitely want to be coached by at the next level.”

What are some of the highlights of your visit yesterday?

“It actually worked out well. They were in Acrisure Stadium. They had a scrimmage...That was kind of cool…It was good to see them...offensively, what they plan to do. I know their offensive coordinator, Coach (Kade) Bell, he's kind of newer to the program, so he's still kind of instilling that culture at Pitt. It was cool just to see some of the things that they plan to do.

“I think they do a great job with their tight ends. He had them in the X spot, in the slot. He had them inline. So, they have them all over the place. They get them the ball in a variety of ways.

“Offensively, I feel like that's the kind of scheme I want to be a part of. So, that was good to see. That was nice to see because you don't always get that with a practice. When you see a scrimmage, you really get a feel for what the offense wants to do.

“Of course, we got to see the facilities and all that stuff, and see campus and everything. So, it was a good visit, definitely liked what I saw.”

Big picture, now that you’ve been to Pitt, although I’m sure more offers will pile up and you’ll visit other schools, do you see Pitt as a true contender for you down the road? And if so, how would you sum up why that is?

“I mean, definitely. I think Pitt has a lot to offer. Being in the city of Pittsburgh, it's a football city. That's kind of a cool atmosphere, getting to play in the Steelers' stadium is pretty awesome.

“They talked about when we were there...you split facilities with them. So, you're getting to see an NFL team...how they operate. You look up to that to get yourself to that level which is kind of nice.

“The coaching staff, it's a good staff there. I think they're going to have a lot of success. So, all that stuff that I kind of touched on earlier, offensively, they're kind of high tempo, air raid that they play definitely kind of compliments me as a player.

“So, I think that all those things are intriguing reasons and why I would want to come there.”

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!