Kenny Pickett is enjoying arguably the best season of any FBS quarterback, but it wasn’t always like this for Pittsburgh’s signal caller.
In his fifth season with the 23rd-ranked Panthers, Pickett has paced the ACC’s No. 2 passing offense by completing right at 70% of his passes for 1,934 yards in six games. He’s thrown 21 touchdowns against just one interception heading into Saturday’s game against No. 24 Clemson (4-2, 3-1 ACC) at Heinz Field.
Compare those stats to Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei, and it’s not close. Pickett has thrown for nearly 1,000 more yards in the same number of games than Uiagalelei, who also has just four passing touchdowns and the third-lowest completion rate among starting quarterbacks in the league at 55.4%.
It reminds Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi of where his signal caller was early in his career.
“It takes time to develop a guy, OK?” Narduzzi told reporters Monday. “You look at D.J. and where he is now compared to where Kenny was as a freshman or a sophomore. There’s always going to be growing pains, and we are going to miss Kenny in a year, so it will be the same.”
Pickett has gradually developed to the level he’s performing at now. Like Uiagalelei, Pickett became Pitt’s full-time starter as a true sophomore in 2018 and completed 58% of his passes for less than 2,000 yards with just a 2-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (12-6) that season.
He struggled with decision-making as a junior and even last season, combining to throw just eight more touchdowns (26) than interceptions (18) in those seasons combined, while his completion rate rose marginally into the low 60s. With four years of experience under his belt, Pickett has put it all together this fall.
Uiagalelei has largely stayed away from turnovers, throwing just three interceptions through six games. But while the passing yards and completion rate aren’t anything to write home about, Narduzzi said he senses more comfortability from Clemson’s quarterback watching him on film.
Last week, Uiagalelei had his most efficient game throwing the ball in nearly a month, going 21 of 34 for 181 yards and a touchdown in Clemson’s win at Syracuse. That 62% completion rate could’ve been even higher had it not been for a handful of drops by his receivers.
“It takes time to get in there,” Narduzzi said. “Every week, you see improvement, No. 1. You see (Uiagalelei) do more things. You see him evolve in some of the things they are doing. They are just getting him comfortable, and they are still finding ways to win.”
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