Pitt TE Jake Renda Adds 40 Pounds for Second Season

The Pitt tight end is looking to make an impact in year two.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers lost tight end Lucas Krull to the 2022 NFL Draft, but are hoping to fill the void with production from their younger pieces. 

Sophomore Gavin Bartholomew is set to lead the pack after a Freshman All-American season in 2021. Behind him will be Jake Renda, who is doing what he needs to to see the field in year two. 

Renda comes into spring practices as a redshirt freshman who just put on a massive amount of weight. The IMG grad came to Pitt at 210 pounds and is now weighing around the 250-pound mark. 

"It was definitely hard, but we have so many resources here," Renda said. "Just talking to the nutrition staff, Miss Taylor [Hughes], coach [Michael Stacchiotti] helped me out finding a diet that worked well with me. I was eating a lot. It wasn't easy but I definitely jumped up a lot in weight."

Renda said his diet included tuna fish in the middle of classes and waking up in the middle of the night to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

The additional weight came to help improve his blocking ability, and said he's still fluid on the field as a pass-catcher. 

"I feel better than I thought I would," Renda said. "Maybe a little bit when we started running a lot, my body had to adjust. But now I feel good."

Head coach Pat Narduzzi said Renda is the backup heading into the fall and has higher expectations after the bulk up. The primary focus will be improving his ability to stand toe-to-toe with defensive ends and outside linebackers. 

"Obviously, you're blocking guys who are 260 and up, so if you're 220, it's a disadvantage," Renda said. "So being 250 definitely helps out a lot."

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