SHARON, Pa. -- Position group previews leading up to the start of Pitt's fall camp on Monday continue with the wide receivers and tight ends.
The obvious point to note is that Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison is gone, after transferring to Southern California amid some controversy.
Call it what you want, but the Panthers one way or another have 100 catches, 1,593 yards, and 17 touchdowns to make up for throughout the air within the wide receiver room.
Surely Pitt will have greater success running the ball -- more on that on Saturday -- with Israel Abanikanda set for a potentially strong season, but with either Kedon Slovis or Nick Patti assuming the starting quarterback role with Kenny Pickett's departure, chemistry will have to be established with a new top outside weapon.
Lucas Krull also needs replaced in the tight ends room, after signing with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent. The All-Atlantic Coast Conference second-teamer registered 38 catches for 451 yards, and his six touchdowns were the most by a Pitt tight end since Dorin Dickerson scored 10 in 2009.
RETURNING WIDE RECEIVERS: Jared Wayne (senior), Josh Junko (redshirt junior), Gavin Thomson (redshirt junior), Isaiah Stewart (redshirt junior), Jaylon Barden (junior), Luke DelGaudio (redshirt sophomore), Jake McConnachie (redshirt sophomore), Jaden Bradley (sophomore), Myles Alston (redshirt freshman), Peter Vardzel (redshirt freshman).
DEPARTING WIDE RECEIVERS: Addison, Melquise Stovall, Tre Tipton, Taysir Mack, Garrett Bickhart, Shocky Jacques-Louis.
INCOMING WIDE RECEIVERS: Addison Copeland III, Konata Mumpfield (transfer), Bub Means (transfer), Che Nwabuko.
ANALYSIS
Not just because he is the most experienced player, expect Wayne to assume duties as the team's top outside threat this season. The 6-foot-3 true senior played in 13 games and started four last season, and he finished second on the team in receptions (47) and receiving yards (658), and his six receiving touchdowns tied for second on the team.
Who lines up opposite him will be a battle to watch in camp, and it should come down to transfer options Mumpfield and Means. Mumpfield arrives from Akron, where he finished seventh in the Mid-American Conference with 65.7 receiving yards per game despite the Zips averaging 221.4 passing yards per game with sub-par quarterback play. Mumpfield (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) has already been touted by Pat Narduzzi as a "spectacular football player."
To give an idea of what Mumpfield is capable of, he was one of two wide receivers to post a 100-plus yard game against MAC rival Bowling Green State University, which had a pass defense rated in the top 10 across Football Bowl Subdivision and held Minnesota to 10 points in what was likely the biggest upset of the 2021 college football season.
Means was granted immediate eligibility after transferring from Louisiana Tech -- he had previously transferred there from Tennessee. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Means provides a bigger body than Mumpfield and compares physically more to Wayne, so he could best serve as a reserve option to spell Wayne, or he could push Mumpfield into competition for a slot receiver position alongside Barden.
Don't rule out Copeland III or Nwabuko, a pair of three-star prospects, as instant-impact players, either.
RETURNING TIGHT ENDS: Kyi Wright (redshirt junior), Gavin Bartholomew (sophomore), Cole Mitchell (redshirt freshman), Jake Renda (redshirt freshman).
DEPARTING TIGHT ENDS: Krull, Kaymar Mimes, Jake Zilinskas, Grant Carrigan.
INCOMING TIGHT ENDS: Karter Johnson (transfer), Dylan Deveney (transfer), Trevor Faulkner (transfer).
ANALYSIS
The tight ends room is Bartholomew's now. He was named to the watch list for the Mackey Award, which is given annually to college football's top tight end. The expectations are rising for the true sophomore after he caught 28 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns as an honorable mention All-ACC selection last season.
The IMG Academy product Renda is expected to slot in with a larger role after redshirting last season. Joining the fray, however, are three intriguing transfers in Johnson (Butler Community College in Kansas), Deveney (Georgia Tech), and Avonworth product Faulkner (Air Force).
Johnson is a true junior, Deveney a redshirt junior, and Faulkner a redshirt freshman. A battle for the team's third tight end could come down to these three, with the returning Wright entering the mix after missing nine games last season with an injury.
Here is the rest of the week's rundown for Pitt position breakdowns:
Saturday: Running backs
Sunday: Quarterbacks/Specialists
Previous position breakdowns:
Monday: Defensive backs
Tuesday: Linebackers
Wednesday: Defensive line
Thursday: Offensive line
