PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Pitt hosted several recruits over the weekend for its annual Junior Day, and one of the biggest names on campus was Reynoldsburg, Ohio, wide receiver Mershawn Rice.
The Rivals four-star wideout has emerged as one of the top targets for the Pitt coaching staff since being offered as a sophomore. Wide receivers coach Kevin Sherman has been the lead recruiter for Rice, and Pittsburgh Sports Now caught up with the 2019 product to get his thoughts on Pitt’s Junior Day.
This was the fourth trip to Pittsburgh for the 6-foot-2 receiver but the first chance he’s had to fully take in the campus.
“We walked around the facility, saw the weight room, ate breakfast, and toured the campus,” Rice said of his visit. “It was huge, an old school campus. We walked through a lot of rooms with a lot of coaches. It’s not a bad place to be.”
Rice added Pitt is only the second campus he has toured besides Toledo. He also caught up with head coach Pat Narduzzi and had positive things to say.
“We got to catch up and talk,” Rice said. “He’s a really good person, and he seems like a really good coach.”
The Ohio native added he’s excited about the staff’s emphasis on the wide receiver position and looks forward to watching the offense develop with sophomore Kenny Pickett taking over fulltime in 2018.
In addition to touring campus, Rice ventured around Pittsburgh and noted the city had several confusing roads—which any non-Yinzer can relate to—and hills.
Nonetheless, Rice came away impressed with his visit and said the coaches reinforced how much they want to see him back on campus.
“They couldn’t wait to have me back and told me to keep in contact,” Rice said.
