the outset of his junior season, Craig Bokor was an unknown nose guard at Hopewell. By its end, he had evolved into a pass-rushing force for the Vikings.
Pitt certainly noticed, as it made recruiting him a priority. The pressure made an impression on Bokor, who made a verbal commitment to the Panthers on Tuesday.
Bokor also had offers from Virginia and West Virginia, and was receiving interest from Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State, among others.
"They've been after me a lot lately and I just like everything about them," Bokor said. "I wanted to get this out of the way so I can focus on getting better next season."
Bokor, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive end, is the fourth WPIAL or City League player from the Class of 2004 to commit to Pitt. He joins Peabody linebacker Corey Davis and Kiski Area safety Adam Gunn and linebacker Scott McKillop, who committed this past Friday.
"Pitt put the heat on recently," Hopewell coach Dave Vestal said, adding that Panthers coaches visited the school Monday. "He's always loved Pitt, so it was a perfect fit."
Bokor started at left guard and rush end for Hopewell, was named to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 and All-Class AAA teams last fall. He had 75 tackles, five sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
Bokor was at his best in the 21-10 win over Strath Haven in the PIAA final. He had nine tackles and an interception and helped hold the Panthers to 74 yards rushing, 229 below their average, and only nine first downs.
"For his size, he's very athletic," Vestal said. "He's got great feet and gets great leverage. You look at the state championship game, and he was a real force out there. "That's the kind of presence they want."
