Jake McConnachie named Verona Athlete of the Year

Pitt landed a top-notch wide receiver out of New Jersey in April, as Jake McConnachie of Verona High School committed to the program as a preferred walk-on, and on Tuesday night, he was recognized as the Athlete of the Year at his Garden State high school.

In 2019, McConnachie accrued 1,012 yards and 13 touchdowns on 46 receptions, and his contributions proved vital to a Verona team that averaged 39.2 points per game, went 12-0 and won a sectional title with a 41-0 shutout of Lyndhurst High School at MetLife Stadium.

The 6’5”, 189-pound wideout more than doubled his production from 2018, when he amassed 473 yards and scored five times on 25 catches. And his 2018 stats were double his 2017 figures, as he had 234 yards and two touchdowns in his first varsity season.

Despite gradual improvement throughout his high school career, McConnachie was not assigned a star rating by any of the three major recruiting websites. However, he did manage to draw preferred walk-on offers from Rutgers and West Virginia in addition to the offer that he ultimately accepted from Pitt.

At Pitt, McConnachie will fit well in Mark Whipple’s pass-heavy offense, and with his height, he can provide Kenny Pickett and his successor with a big target to hit downfield. In fact, as things currently stand, McConnachie will be tied with Garrett Bickhart as the tallest receiver on the Pitt roster upon his arrival.