Pitt wide receiver Tre Tipton signed with the Panthers earlier this year. Before he takes the field with his new team, he had time to win an award as he was named a Post-Gazette Co-Male Athlete of the Year. Tipton shared the honor with Riley Stapleton of Indiana, PA.

Tipton (6-1, 180 pounds) played quarterback and receiver in football and was one of the WPIAL’s most versatile players, making the Post-Gazette Fabulous 22. He signed with Pitt after rushing for 1,028 yards on 86 carries, completing 31 of 68 passes for 515 yards and catching 25 passes for 475 yards.

In basketball, Tipton, whose real name is Charles Fitzgerald Tipton III, missed half the season with a stress fracture, but still averaged 11 points a game and was an all-section pick. In track and field, he won WPIAL and PIAA Class AA championships in the long jump.

Tipton chose Pitt over Michigan State and several other lower-tier schools.

He's one of those freshmen you'll want to watch this season. It didn't look like he'd get a ton of time on the field with Pitt returning Tyler Boyd, Adonis Jennings, and several receivers already on the team. But the Panthers lost Jennings to a transfer and are going to need contributors. Tipton may still be redshirted, but with so many question marks about the other wideouts on the roster, he should get a chance to contribute right away.

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