Pitt FB Recruiting
Kicker Jake Scarton Joining Pitt Panthers
Chris Blewitt is one of the many talented seniors that Pat Narduzzi will be looking to replace this season.
It was assumed that redshirt freshman Alex Kessman, who was just put on scholarship, would be the Panthers kicker this season.
To borrow a phrase from ESPN’s Lee Corso, “Not So Fast.”
Today, Hickory High School’s Jacob Scarton announced that he’ll be joining the Panthers this season as a walk-on.
Courtesy of Jake Scarton
This evening, Pittsburgh Sports Now talked with Scarton about his decision and the road that brought him to Pitt.
“In January, Coach Powell contacted me and talked to me about my film and we kept in contact. He told me that he was looking at a few kickers including me and at the end of February he called me and told me I had a spot,” said Scarton.
“Despite having an offer to play at West Virginia and Duquesne, Pitt was my number one school. Then this past Saturday I went to visit Pitt and I just loved it. I just knew it was where I wanted to be for the next four years.”
I asked Scarton what was it about Pitt that attracted him so much.
“I just loved the campus and I love the city. Plus, they have a great medical school and that’s my major. And finally, Pitt is just headed in the right direction and I think it’s a great opportunity to compete right away for a spot (kickoff or field goal).”
Scarton just started competing in football two years ago after being a soccer player prior to that. Hickory High School needed a kicker and after a few people urged him to do so, Scarton went out for the football team.
“In game my longest kick made was forty-eight yards but I’ve hit a couple of balls from sixty plus off the ground. Consistently, I can hit from between fifty to fifty-five yards,” said Scarton.
Courtesy of Jake Scarton
This has been a long journey that’s required patience by Scarton and he credits and thanks Pitt assistant Andre Powell for helping and sticking with him.
“Coach Powell is an amazing guy. He knows the Hermitage area very well because he likes to come up to this area and fish. He loves to fish and loves the outdoors. We clicked because of that because he came from a big farm in South Carolina and my dad does the same thin, he has a little farm,” said Scarton.
“It’s a great relationship. He’s a genuine guy and just straight up which I like. He’s not going to walk around anything.”
