Texans Elevate Former Pitt WR to Active Roster
PITTSBURGH -- The Houston Texans are looking to a former Pitt Panthers wide receiver to help them out as they head further into the NFL Playoffs.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported that the Texans will sign former Pitt wide receiver Jared Wayne from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, after they released wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
Wayne hails from Peterbrough, Ontario in Canada, about 75 miles north of Toronto. He played his senior year of high school football for Clearwater Academy International in Clearwater, Fla., near Tampa.
He compiled 61 receptions for 1,157 yards (18.9 avg.) and 14 touchdowns in leading Clearwater to an 11-0 mark, the first undefeated season in school history.
Wayne committed to Pitt in the Class of 2019, with 247Sports and Rivals both rating him as a three-star. He picked Pitt over other schools in Bowling Green, Central Michigan, USF and Central Michigan.
He played in eight games and started four contests as a true freshman in 2019. He made 18 catches for 261 yards and one touchdown that season and had the first 100-yard reception performance for a true freshman for Pitt since Tyler Boyd in 2013.
Wayne appeared in eight games and started three games in the COVID-19 impacted 2020 season, with 21 catches for 326 yards and one touchdown, making a season-high five catches in three games.
He played in all but one of 14 games in the ACC Championship 2021 season, starting four contests. He finished tied for second on the Panthers with 47 catches and 658 receiving yards and tied for second with six receiving touchdowns.
Wayne would start all 12 games in his final season at Pitt in 2022, leading the team with 60 catches for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns on the season. He had 11 catches for 205 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season finale on the road vs. Miami, with his receiving yards ranking as the sixth most in a game in Pitt history.
He finished his Pitt career with 146 catches for 2,308 yards and 13 touchdowns, with his receiving yards ranking No. 9 in program history, respectively. His 1,063 receiving yards rank 10th best in a season in Pitt history too.
The Texans signed Wayne as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL Draft, waived him on Aug. 29, 2023 and re-signed him to the practice squad. They released him on Nov. 8 and re-signed him on Nov. 17 to the practice squad. Wayne also signed a reserve/future contract on Jan. 23, 2024.
Houston then waived Wayne, who they removed from the injury reserve with an injury settlement on July 22. They then re-signed him to the practice squad back on Oct. 8.
Wayne played 40 snaps over three games in the final five contests of the regular season. His biggest highlight was colliding with fellow Texans wide receiver Tank Dell in the end zone in a 27-19 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16.
This collision resulted in Dell dislocating his knee, suffering damage to his meniscus and tearing multiple ligaments, ending his season and potentially his 2025 campaign as well.
The Texans defeated the Los Angeles Chargers at home in the AFC Wild Card Round, 32-12, and will face the Chiefs on the road in the AFC Divisional Round, where Wayne will hope to contribute what he can to keep the season going.
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