Jared Wayne was a key cog in Pitt’s 2021 ACC championship-winning team, and his contributions haven’t gone noticed in his native Canada.
Wayne was named as one of the five finalists for the 2022 Jon Cornish Trophy as the top Canadian football player in the NCAA. A panel of Canadian journalists will vote and Football Canada and TSN Known Gridiron Nation will announce the winner on April 19.
Wayne only officially started four games last season, playing in every game except New Hampshire, but he hauled in a career-high 47 catches for 658 yards and six touchdowns — and completed two-of-three passing attempts for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Along with Wayne, Illinois’s Chase Brown, Penn State’s Jesse Luketa, Hawaii’s Nick Mardner (now with Cincinnati), and Alabama’s John Metchie III were named as finalists for Canadian football’s most prestigious award.
All five players hail from Ontario province, with Metchie returning as the 2021 honoree. Oklahoma State’s Chubba Hubbard and Ohio’s Nathan Rourke (twice) are the past winners of the Cornish Trophy.
As a returner at Pitt in 2022, Wayne is attacking his senior season with an added level of aggression and intensity. While Kenny Pickett is gone, the addition of Kedon Slovis has Pitt’s offense primed for another strong season. And Wayne could find himself as a finalist this time next year.
