Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett is heading to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist. The NFL Draft prospect has presided over one of the most successful seasons in program history, etching his name all over Panthers record books. The New Jersey native will end this most remarkable season just two hours away from where his football journey began. Should Pickett finish his college football career with the highest individual accolade?
Kenny Pickett’s Heisman Trophy candidacy
When Kenny Pickett stands on the Heisman Trophy ceremony stage on Saturday, he represents a program that has had its most successful campaign ever. Pittsburgh’s success is inextricably linked to their quarterback. Pickett has performed sensationally, dragging the program to their first double-digit win total since 2009 and a first-ever ACC Championship. Pickett, however, sees it somewhat differently.
“It’s an incredible honor to be named a Heisman Trophy finalist,” Pickett told reporters. “I’m so proud to represent our university this weekend in New York City. This honor is about our whole program and my teammates and coaches. Just like our ACC Championship, we did this together.”
Even college football players are polished media personalities. Yet, with Pickett, you know that he believes those words. The Pitt quarterback has personified the “we, not me” mantra behind the Panthers’ success this season. The quarterback routinely receives the glory, but Pickett wants the world to know he hasn’t done this alone.
In this respect, it’s hard not to root for Pickett as a Heisman candidate. He’s not the usual five-star recruit with a gift-wrapped opportunity for greatness. The Pitt quarterback has grifted, worked hard to overcome adversity and obstacles in his path. He’s battled injury and fought through it with resilience. A glaring example of this comes not within this Heisman campaign but from how he played through a Grade 3 high ankle sprain last season.
Eschewing the NFL to achieve greatness at Pittsburgh
When Pickett suffered that injury against Boston College, he fought through the pain. He also fought through a recovery period to return to the program quicker than medically thought possible. The Pitt quarterback could have taken the easy way out, resting up and leaving for the NFL at the end of the 2020 season.
Be under no illusion; there was NFL interest in the Pitt quarterback last year. Scouts and NFL sources told him there was fifth-round interest. However, he hadn’t worked for four seasons to be a fifth-round quarterback. Pickett wanted more. More importantly, he wanted more for the Pitt program.
Pickett has delivered more than anyone thought possible for the Panthers this season. Like a Samson-esque biblical character, his flowing locks appear to have given him some quarterback superpowers. He’s made good on his promise to deliver an ACC Championship to the people of Pittsburgh University. In doing so, he’s etched his name into the record books.
Every week of the 2021 college football season, it felt like we celebrated another Pickett Pitt record. During this incredible Heisman Trophy-worthy campaign, he’s become the program’s leader for passing touchdowns, passing yards, and completions. During the win over Syracuse, he surpassed Dan Marino as the single-season touchdown record holder. Additionally, he overtook Deshaun Watson as the ACC single-season touchdown record holder during the ACC Championship win over Wake Forest.
A sensational season for Pickett and Pitt
The signs of a sensational season were there early on. Pickett threw for 382 yards and 6 touchdowns despite defeat to Western Michigan. Meanwhile, he tallied 403 yards and 6 total touchdowns in a win over New Hampshire, further showcasing his ability to impact the game on the ground. Yet, those impressive performances came against a level of competition you would expect victory.
However, Pickett continued to carve apart defenses when Pitt entered ACC play. Against Miami, he threw for 519 yards and 3 scores. Furthermore, he threw for 4 touchdowns as Pitt blew away Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Syracuse. Among the most mixed-up season of college football, this magic elevated Pickett as a Heisman Trophy contender and 2022 NFL Draft prospect.
Everything about Pickett’s 2021 campaign has been an elevation of what we’ve seen from him before. His 4,319 passing yards are the most of his career. His 67.2% completion percentage is the best of his career. Before this season, Pickett averaged 7 yards per attempt for his career. During the season, he averaged 8.7 yards per attempt.
There are, of course, multiple factors that go into quarterback production. However, Pickett’s 42 touchdowns this season are more than the rest of his college career combined. Four years — admittedly, he only played four games before redshirting his freshman years — of college football production overshadowed in one season. That’s Heisman-worthy.
Pickett’s plethora of “Heisman moments”
The Pitt quarterback has been the epitome of consistent excellence this season. Unlike some Heisman contenders, Pickett hasn’t suffered catastrophic lows during this campaign. Every single game, he makes at least one or two throws that take away your breath. Yet, the one play that will undoubtedly come to be his “Heisman moment” wasn’t even made with his arm.
Although statistics will tell you that Pickett has just 233 rushing yards, he’s routinely made plays with his legs this season. However, the 58-yard “fake slide” run that opened the scoring of the ACC Championship win over Wake Forest will likely be replayed repeatedly on Saturday. Whatever your opinion on that run (and there are many), it will likely serve as the “Heisman moment” over all of the impressive, unbelievable throws.
The Heisman Trophy recognizes the most outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners of the award epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work.
That is Pickett in a paragraph. To elevate yourself from fifth-round prospect to potential first-rounder takes an outstanding season. He returned to Pitt to pursue excellence and has attained that while maintaining personal integrity. He’s persevered following injury, worked hard to improve his game, and diligently dragged Pitt back to football prominence. And on Saturday, Pickett should be the 87th winner of the Heisman Trophy.