Pitt Placed Ninth in ESPN WRU Rankings

ESPN's holds the Pitt Panthers' history at wide receiver in high regard.

PITTSBURGH -- ESPN has released an updated edition of it's Position U rankings, a way of determining which college football teams produce the best players at certain positions and the Pitt Panthers cracked the top 10 at wide receiver. 

Pitt checked in at No. 9, just ahead of Notre Dame at No. 10. USC, Ohio State, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Florida State and Florida made up the top eight in that order. 

ESPN's rankings did poke some fun at the Panthers' expense. While Pitt has enjoyed the remarkable talents of Jordan Addison and Larry Fitzgerald, their stays were either short-lived or ended without proper recognition. 

"USC didn't just swipe a game-changer at QBU in the transfer portal. The Trojans also landed former Pitt star Jordan Addison last year, and he went on to become a first-round draft pick, bolstering their position atop the WRU rankings," ESPN's David Hale wrote. "But don't feel too bad for Pitt. The Panthers still check in at No. 9 on our list, and 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of Larry Fitzgerald's stellar sophomore season in which he rightfully won the Heis-- ... oh, sorry, we're being told he was actually robbed of the Heisman. So, perhaps Pitt fans really do have a lot to be angry about."

The Panthers have sent 14 wide receivers to the NFL draft and five were selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. The prolific production of Tyler Boyd, Addison, Fitzgerald, Devin Street, Antonio Bryant and others during their college days also helped buoy Pitt in the WRU rankings. 

Pitt was the biggest riser in the Quarterback U rankings after Kenny Pickett became a Heisman Finalist and first-round draft pick, leaping from No. 58 to No. 43. The Panthers also checked in at No. 21 in the Defensive Line U rankings, which came as a surprise to Hale.

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