Kenny Pickett named Senior Bowl Offensive Player of the Week

Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett led the Panthers to a 27-17 victory over Clemson on Saturday, earning a signature win in his quest for the Heisman Trophy and keeping Pitt in the running for an ACC title. And for his efforts, he was recognized by the Senior Bowl staff as the Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

During Pitt’s win over Clemson, Pickett threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns. He also kept mistakes to a minimum, as he threw no interceptions for the fourth game in a row and completed 25 of his 39 pass attempts for a 64.1 percent completion rate. And in the midst of the winning effort, Pickett threw his 868th career completion, besting a mark set by Alex Van Pelt in 1992 to set a program record.

Statistically, the effort did not rank among Pickett’s best of the season, as he threw for four or more touchdowns and 380 or more yards against Georgia Tech, New Hampshire and Western Michigan. But the fact that Pickett was able to record his fourth 300-yard game and his seventh multi-touchdown game of the season against the defending ACC champions likely earned him the honorary nod from the Senior Bowl staff this week.

Pickett now has 2,236 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns on the season, with just one interception. He has also added 187 yards and three scores on the ground, bringing his total yards from scrimmage to 2,423 and his total number of touchdowns to 26. As a result of his incredible turnaround, Pickett has become a fixture in the Heisman conversation and shot up draft boards. And should he keep up his stellar play, he should be a lock to earn an invite to the Senior Bowl, where he could boost his draft stock even more.

However, in the meantime, Pickett will look to navigate a tricky late-season schedule that includes a matchup with Miami as well as showdowns with North Carolina signal-caller Sam Howell and Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong. Pitt dropped its last matchups with Miami and Virginia, so it will have something to prove in each of those games. And with Howell overshadowing Pickett earlier this year for consideration for the Heisman and other honors, Pickett will have a point to make when the Panthers face the Tar Heels.