Pat Signal: Jared Wayne commits to Pitt

Pitt landed its first receiver of the 2019 recruiting class on Thursday evening, as Canadian prospect Jared Wayne announced his commitment to the program in a message posted on Twitter. Wayne previously played at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, but will finish his high school career at Clearwater Academy International in Clearwater, Florida.

“I’d like to thank my family and friends for supporting and believing in me along this journey,” Wayne said in the message. “Thanks to the schools who put time and effort into recruiting me. All in all, thank you everyone who helped make this possible. With that being said, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be pursuing my academic and athletic career at the University of Pittsburgh.”

Wayne is considered a three-star recruit by Rivals, and he chose Pitt over offers from Bowling Green, Old Dominion and South Florida. He is also the 17th member of Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi’s 2019 class, which the recruiting site currently ranks 30th in the country.

However, despite that positive evaluation, a significant portion of the rapidly expanding class is composed of unheralded prospects who have flown under the radar of major Division I programs, and as a result, they will have much to prove when they take the field at Pitt.

Wayne certainly represents a continuation of that trend, but like several of Narduzzi’s other low-profile recruits, it appears there is a lot to like about his game.

“He’s got a long stride, and he’s deceptively fast,” CAI head coach Jesse Chinchar told Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “You don’t realize it, and he’s already 10 yards behind you. ... I’ve never seen somebody play the ball in the air at this level as well as he does.”

With the recent news that fellow 2019 Pitt recruit A.J. Woods has been upgraded to a four-star rating by ESPN, it seems fans have reason to believe in Narduzzi’s vision for this recruiting class. And given the glowing review of Wayne’s speed and ability paired with his move from Ontario to Florida, Pitt’s latest recruit may well see his stock rise in a similar fashion over the next year.