Pickett’s decision energizes program
Behind the QB’s thought process
On the eve of early signing day, Pitt added its “most important recruit.” Only Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi wasn’t talking about a new four-star prospect. He was referring to a player who committed in June 2016.
Pitt’s South Side facility was “rocking” on Wednesday morning, still feeling the effects of Kenny Pickett’s Tuesday night announcement that he’ll be returning for the 2021 season.
Pickett’s decision to use the NCAA’s blanket waiver is season-altering. “The confidence that Kenny brings is immense,” Panthers wide receivers coach Chris Beatty said Wednesday, and it’s easy to see why. Pickett has started 36 games and sits 3,284 passing yards away from breaking Alex Van Pelt’s all-time program record.
But how did Pickett come to this decision? And how might it affect others within the program?
Let’s take a detailed look into Pickett’s decision, one Narduzzi found out about himself on Tuesday night.
“He texted me [Tuesday] night and said, ‘Coach, I love Pittsburgh. I love this team. I’m coming back to finish what I started.’ That was his exact quote,” Narduzzi said. “We’re fired up for the Pickett family and obviously fired up for the Pitt football family.”
How did Pickett choose to return?
Well, it wasn’t an easy decision. Pickett was invited to the Senior Bowl, which is a pretty big deal. He would have joined Florida’s Kyle Trask, Notre Dame’s Ian Book, Texas’ Sam Ehlinger, Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond and Georgia’s Jamie Newman, performing in front of scouts and coaches from every NFL team. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy told the Post-Gazette last month that Pickett is “one of the best quarterbacks” in the 2021 class, and he would have had a chance to prove it in Mobile, Ala.
But Pickett “did his homework,” Narduzzi said.
He sought advice from and spoke with future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who was impressed with Pickett at last summer’s Manning Passing Academy. He considered feedback
gathered by offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, a former NFL assistant who collected perspective from his contacts in the league. And even all that research didn’t make the answer completely clear.
A half-hour before Pickett sent Narduzzi that text of resolute confidence, the quarterback and his father, Ken, called Narduzzi with a more conflicted message: “Coach, it’s a tough decision. ... I’m struggling.”
Ultimately, Pickett came to what associate head coach Charlie Partridge feels is a “good decision.” He exhausted every outlet available and still stuck with the Panthers.
“It says a lot for Kenny’s feelings toward this program, toward this city, toward what he believes he can continue to do here and to help him in his future endeavors beyond Pitt,” Partridge said. “He intends to come back here, have a special year, then go on and have an amazing career beyond Pitt as a quarterback.”
What does this mean for Whipple? Pickett opting to return was a surprise, so nothing should be dismissed in 2020. But at this point, it would be a shocker if Whipple isn’t Pitt’s play-caller in 2021.
Without Pickett in the fold, you could make a reasonable argument to move on from the coordinator. In fact, many on social media already have.
Since he took over last season, Whipple’s offense has ...
• Averaged 23.5 points per game in ACC play.
• Managed 37 plays of 30-plus yards, the second-lowest total in the conference.
• Rushed for 2,863 yards, the ACC’s second-lowest figure.
• Found the end zone on 46.2% of redzone trips in ACC play, a clip that would rank 119th nationally this season.
It’s not all on Whipple, of course. The offensive line has underwhelmed in the running game and drops have plagued the Panthers. But if a new quarterback took over, you could see why Pitt might want to hit the reset button on its offense.
But Narduzzi said “it’s safe to say” that Pickett came back to work with Whipple, which makes sense. Pickett likes Whipple, and he likes his system. Whipple has leaned on Pickett, who has averaged more passing attempts per game than any other FBS quarterback over the last two years.
Pickett knows coming back that the
offense will be on his shoulders. And it will be Whipple pushing the buttons, barring a stunner from Narduzzi.
Will anyone else come back?
The one to keep an eye on is wide receiver DJ Turner.
Turner — Pitt’s second-leading receiver this past season with 44 catches and 634 yards — declared for the 2021 NFL draft last weekend. The 23-year-old Maryland transfer also accepted an invitation to the College Gridiron Showcase, a five-day camp for NFL prospects in Texas.
But when Pickett announced on Twitter that he was coming back, Turner replied with two eye emojis — making many wonder if Turner’s decision was set in stone.
It wasn’t, as of Wednesday. Beatty said then that he talked with Turner “at length” throughout the week about the possibility of returning.
“He’s still in the process of making a decision,” Beatty said. “I think Kenny, he’s your best recruiter right now. People have confidence in him. So we’ll see where that goes.”