Exclusive: Pitt WR Jared Wayne Declaring For 2023 NFL Draft

For the second time this offseason, the Pitt Panther football team is losing a captain and one of their top on-field performers.

Senior wide receiver Jared Wayne tells Pittsburgh Sports Now that he will bypass a year of eligibility and instead declare for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Last month, senior linebacker SirVocea Dennis made the same decision.

Losing Wayne is a definite blow to next year’s offense as he proved to be the only true reliable wide receiver last season. With the off-season additions of Phil Jurkovec and Christian Veilleux, some thought that Wayne would want to take advantage of this but that’s not the case.

Pittsburgh Sports Now spoke with Wayne prior to him making his decision public and one thing he made clear was this was a decision that he wrestled with and changed his mind on multiple times.

“This hasn’t been an easy decision. In fact, I kind of had to try and commit to multiple decisions that I made before I was sure I made the right one,” said Wayne. “I’ve decided that I’m going to go through with the draft process and I’m going to declare for the NFL Draft. It’s something that has been a goal of mine for my entire life, and I feel that I’m ready to chase that now. I’m excited about it and I’m excited to show people what I can do.”

“This decision is something that I’ve really been thinking about since the Miami game. After that, I kind of felt like it was time to go but then I was also trying to hear everyone out and what they had to say, which led me to hear a lot of good things about both coming back but also coming out. Because of that, I definitely had a change of heart more than once, actually a couple of times. There was a time I thought I was coming back but ultimately I went with my gut decision.”

Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Jared Wayne (5) gains control of a pass during the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on October 1, 2022. (Michael Longo/PSN)

Passing up another year to develop his skills and NFL Draft stock at Pitt was something that Wayne seriously considered. Not only that, but a long-term factor was also weighing on his mind.

“Legacy was probably the biggest thing,” Wayne told PSN. “Also, Pitt is where I’ve been for the past four years now, so it was definitely hard to move on from that. Knowing that I had the chance to become the all-time leading receiver in maybe a couple of categories. But, after thinking about my future and what’s ultimately best for me, I believed it was best to chase the goal of playing in the NFL.”

“In terms of what I’m hearing about my possible draft position, I’m hearing mid to late, but a lot of teams want to see how I’m going to test. My tape doesn’t speak of 4.3 or anything like that so the time that I’m able to run will be big for me. But everything I’ve heard to this point has been positive and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to test in front of teams and show them what I can do.”

Wayne was a member of Pitt’s Class of 2019 as he arrived from Clearwater Academy in Florida. The native of Ontario, Canada is yet another example of a player that wasn’t highly recruited but developed under the Pitt staff and has a shot of playing in the NFL. In fact, Pitt was Wayne’s only Power Five offer, with others coming from Bowling Green, Old Dominion and South Florida. Wayne appreciates and recognizes the impact the Pitt coaching staff had on him, which made the conversation in telling Pat Narduzzi a difficult one.

“A decision and conversation like this are never easy,” said Wayne. “Obviously, that man has been a great coach, we have a great relationship and I’m just very thankful for what he’s done for me over the past four years, helping me get to this position. Those type of conversations are never easy when you have to move on from something. He supports me in whatever I do and I’m very thankful for that.”

Wayne will finish his Pitt career with 146 receptions for 2,307 yards, 13 touchdowns, while averaging 15.4 yards per catch. As was obvious by anyone that followed Pitt, Wayne was a player that got better and improved his game every season in a Panther uniform. Statistically, his totals went up every year: 18 catches in 2019, 21 catches in 2020, 47 catches in 2021 and 60 catches this past season.

Wayne experienced a lot during his time as a Panther and he reminisced about things he’ll always remember.

“My time at Pitt has been nothing short of a blessing, both the highs and the lows,” said Wayne. “It hasn’t been pretty all the time, it hasn’t been perfect all the time but the things that I’ve learned, the people I’ve learned from, the experiences at Pitt are something that I will truly cherish forever. Pittsburgh will always have a special place in my heart. Everyone in that building throughout my four years has been great. Winning that championship was everything I’ve ever wanted. Looking back, I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Everything I went through at Pitt, both the good and the bad is just going to propel me through the rest of my life.”