University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett Named Semifinalist for Prestigious Maxwell Award
11/1/2021 1:00:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH—Pitt's Kenny Pickett, arguably the nation's most impactful quarterback this season, has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious Maxwell Award, annually presented to the college player of the year.
This is the latest national recognition for Pickett, who previously was named a first team "Midseason All-American" by The Athletic, CBS Sports and Sporting News. The Associated Press tabbed him the ACC's "Top Offensive Player" at midseason.
FOX Sports analyst Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, said Pickett throws "the best deep ball in college football." In evaluating Pickett's performance, Pro Football Network's Cam Mellor wrote, "He isn't just the best quarterback in the ACC this season, he's been the best QB in the entire country."
The superlatives have been well earned. Through eight games, Pickett has completed nearly 70% of his passes (207 of 299) for 2,755 yards with 26 touchdowns and only three interceptions. With his three rushing scores, he has accounted for 29 total TDs in piloting college football's fourth-highest scoring offense (43.9 points per game).
This past weekend against Miami, Pickett had a historic performance, setting Pitt single-game records for passing yards (519), total yards (509) and completions (39). In the process, he surpassed the legendary Dan Marino for career touchdown responsibility (84) and also became the Panthers' all-time leader in total offense (11,492).
Pickett is highly distinguished among FBS quarterbacks with top-10 rankings in no fewer than eight NCAA statistical categories: total offense (third, 367.5 yards per game), passing touchdowns (fourth, 26), points responsible for per game (fourth, 21.8 avg.), total points responsible for (fifth, 174), passing yards per game (fifth, 344.4 avg.), total passing yards (sixth, 2,755), completions per game (sixth, 25.88 avg.) and passing efficiency (ninth, 173.3 rating).
In addition to his athletic excellence, Pickett is accomplished academically and from a community and leadership standpoint. Pitt's two-time team captain earned his bachelor's degree in marketing and is presently enrolled in the Katz Graduate School of Business. He has been nationally lauded for his NIL initiatives, which have emphasized philanthropy as well as his teammates.
The Maxwell Award will name three finalists on Nov. 23. The winner will be unveiled during ESPN's telecast of The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 9.
The Panthers have a rich history with the Maxwell Award. A pair of Pitt's legendary players—running back Tony Dorsett (1976) and defensive end Hugh Green (1980)—are past recipients of the coveted honor.
Pickett has led the Panthers to a 6-2 overall record and first place in the Coastal Division with a 3-1 ACC mark.
Pitt, ranked No. 25 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, plays at Duke this Saturday at noon. The game will be televised by ACC Network.
#H2P | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
This is the latest national recognition for Pickett, who previously was named a first team "Midseason All-American" by The Athletic, CBS Sports and Sporting News. The Associated Press tabbed him the ACC's "Top Offensive Player" at midseason.
FOX Sports analyst Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, said Pickett throws "the best deep ball in college football." In evaluating Pickett's performance, Pro Football Network's Cam Mellor wrote, "He isn't just the best quarterback in the ACC this season, he's been the best QB in the entire country."
The superlatives have been well earned. Through eight games, Pickett has completed nearly 70% of his passes (207 of 299) for 2,755 yards with 26 touchdowns and only three interceptions. With his three rushing scores, he has accounted for 29 total TDs in piloting college football's fourth-highest scoring offense (43.9 points per game).
This past weekend against Miami, Pickett had a historic performance, setting Pitt single-game records for passing yards (519), total yards (509) and completions (39). In the process, he surpassed the legendary Dan Marino for career touchdown responsibility (84) and also became the Panthers' all-time leader in total offense (11,492).
Pickett is highly distinguished among FBS quarterbacks with top-10 rankings in no fewer than eight NCAA statistical categories: total offense (third, 367.5 yards per game), passing touchdowns (fourth, 26), points responsible for per game (fourth, 21.8 avg.), total points responsible for (fifth, 174), passing yards per game (fifth, 344.4 avg.), total passing yards (sixth, 2,755), completions per game (sixth, 25.88 avg.) and passing efficiency (ninth, 173.3 rating).
In addition to his athletic excellence, Pickett is accomplished academically and from a community and leadership standpoint. Pitt's two-time team captain earned his bachelor's degree in marketing and is presently enrolled in the Katz Graduate School of Business. He has been nationally lauded for his NIL initiatives, which have emphasized philanthropy as well as his teammates.
The Maxwell Award will name three finalists on Nov. 23. The winner will be unveiled during ESPN's telecast of The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 9.
The Panthers have a rich history with the Maxwell Award. A pair of Pitt's legendary players—running back Tony Dorsett (1976) and defensive end Hugh Green (1980)—are past recipients of the coveted honor.
Pickett has led the Panthers to a 6-2 overall record and first place in the Coastal Division with a 3-1 ACC mark.
Pitt, ranked No. 25 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, plays at Duke this Saturday at noon. The game will be televised by ACC Network.
#H2P | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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