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Kenny Pickett has played his last game with Pitt.
The Heisman Trophy finalist announced on Thursday night that he will not be joining his teammates in the Peach Bowl, where the No. 13 Panthers face the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans on Dec. 30.
Pickett’s last game in a Panthers uniform was Pittsburgh’s 45-21 ACC Championship game win over Wake Forest. Pickett, a senior and projected first-round pick, completed 20 of 33 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns and added 20 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground in the win.
“To the University of Pittsburgh, thank you for all that you have given me over the past five years,” Pickett said in a statement. “Coach [Pat] Narduzzi, thank you for being by my side throughout my entire career and teaching me life lessons every step of the way. One of the best moments of my football career was standing on stage with you, the team and our ACC championship trophy. I will never forget our victory and what it took to get us there.”
While celebrating the ACC title win, Pickett claimed that his plan was to play in whatever postseason game Pitt had. But that plan appeared to change when offensive coordinator Mark Whipple left for the same job at Nebraska. The abrupt move surprised Pickett and factored in his decision to forgo the Peach Bowl and instead focus on the NFL Draft, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“Coach Whipple, I’m so proud to have learned from you,” the statement continued. “Together, we accomplished all of our goals and I wish you nothing but the best in the future. To my teammates, the memories we have made will last a lifetime. I am thankful for all of the friendships I’ve made and I look forward to keeping these bonds as we move on to the next chapter of our lives. To the fans, thank you for all your support throughout my career. I am incredibly proud to say I was a part of the team that brought another trophy to the City of Champions.”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper recently told The Post’s Steve Serby that Kenny Pickett is his highest-rated QB in this year’s NFL Draft class, and has him ranked 18th on his big board. When he looks at Pickett, he projects Derek Carr.
“He’s gonna be a 24-year-old rookie in the NFL, which Bill Parcells always wanted a certain amount of career starts, he’s gonna have 50 by the end of his [college] career,” Kiper told Serby Says. “If you like Derek Carr, I think you’ll like Kenny Pickett.”
Pickett leaves Pitt as the program leader in passing yards, touchdowns and completions – both all-time and in a single season. He recorded 4,319 passing yards and 42 touchdowns this past season, earning him ACC Player of the Year this year while guiding Pitt to an 11-2 overall record, 7-1 conference record and conference title.
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