Pitt FB Recruiting
Report: Pitt Receiving Visit from Another Western Carolina Wide Receiver
Pitt is still looking for help at wide receiver for next season, and while there have been some misses so far, the coaching staff needs to supplement the room for next season.
Pitt has turned its attention to a transfer wide receiver with some ties to the coaching staff.
Western Carolina transfer wide receiver Zion Booker — a 5-foot-10, 185-pound rising junior from Charlotte, N.C. — is visiting Pitt on Thursday and Friday, Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported. He’s currently on a visit to Virginia Tech. Booker has received offers from Tulsa, Western Kentucky and UTSA — visiting Tulsa.
Pitt added former WCU stars Desmond Reid, Poppi Williams and Censere Lee last offseason.
Former Western Carolina wide receiver Zion Booker is set to visit Pitt Thursday and Friday, his agency @bzsportsmgmt tells @chris_hummer and me for @CBSSports/@247Sports.
Posted 39 catches, 540 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore at Western Carolina this season. https://t.co/SYElQLBehb
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 18, 2024
Booker wasn’t highly recruited out of high school, committing to Western Carolina without any other announced offers, but he emerged quickly as a contributor at the FCS level.
Booker missed four games due to injury this season, but he still hauled in 39 receptions for 540 yards (13.8 yards) and four touchdowns. He played in nine games as a true freshman in 2023, stepping into a leading role with the departure of Censere Lee over the offseason.
According to PFF, he lined up out wide on just under 90% of his passing snaps this season. He’s adept in racking up yards after the catch (201 yards after catch, 5.2 YAC per reception), and he averaged 2.21 yards per route run with an average depth of target of 12.9 yards.
He wasn’t credited with any drops and brought in 4-of-9 contested catch opportunities.
Booker did most of his damage in the intermediate passing game (turning 24 targets between 10-19 yards into 300 yards and a touchdown). The consistency in the deep passing game wasn’t quite there, but he’s fast enough to work downfield.
Pitt is losing lead wideout Konata Mumpfield next season, and while Kenny Johnson is slated to return (offering a potential leading wideout), it’s a wide receiving corps that got worse as the season progressed.
Johnson, Poppi Williams, Censere Lee, Zion Fowler-El and Tyreek Robinson are the wideouts in line for playing time right now, but it’s clear the coaching staff will look to add to the room.
