Max Hunt Adds Much Needed Versatility in Tight Ends Room

Max Hunt is more of a threat as a receiver right now, but he’s not a wide receiver. He’s a tight end. And he’s now putting on the weight to serve all his responsibilities.

Hunt — a 6-foot-4, 215-pound tight end from Tampa, Fla. — arrived in Pittsburgh last month at 200 pounds. He’s put on 15 in the month or so since he arrived and feels good. That’s what’s important. There isn’t a goal weight.

Hunt feels good at 215 pounds, maybe even better than he did at 200, so the goal now is just to put on muscle and find a comfortable playing weight. He’s bigger and faster now, more confident in how he can use his added weight in getting in and out of breaks, but there’s still a long way to go.

Pitt is entering the first season without Gavin Bartholomew on the roster since the 2020 season, and while Jake Overman and Malachi Thomas form a solid duo, it’s the beginning of a new era.

Hunt is sort of what the new tight end looks like. He isn’t a big bruiser so much as he’s a jumbo wide receiver — right now. There’s room to grow.

Still, Pitt tight ends coach Jacob Bronowski loves what Hunt adds on and off the field.

“Really just being able to do a little bit of everything, being able to play in the box and block people and move people but also go outside and basically be a receiver,” Max Hunt said last week. “Be able to run routes, run every type of route and catch the ball. When I watched the games, I did see that. Tight ends were moving around everywhere just doing a little bit of everything, being a unicorn.”

Hunt built a strong relationship with Bronowski in the recruiting process, which is what initially led him to Pittsburgh, and he’s now seeing how Bronowski wants not just his room but the entire team to be great. Hunt wants to be great.

“My abilities as a receiver, I don’t think there’s anybody my size that can move like me,” Max Hunt said. “And I think if you run a route on a linebacker, run a route on a DB, it doesn’t matter. I feel like I can get open on anybody. And blocking-wise, just being able to be fast, be quick and use my feet.”

If you ask Hunt, it’s his speed that stands out. He’s a fluid athlete, but he’s also able to recognize how opposing defenses are lined up. And now he’s focused on improving his movement — how he gets in and out of his breaks, exploding at the top of his routes.

There’s still some time before the spring season, though. And he’s still just an early enrollee who is learning the ropes. It’s a lot harder at the college level, and Hunt is focused on his preparation in learning the playbook and getting his schedule down. Preparation is key, which is why he’s in Pittsburgh now.

He hasn’t been able to spend any time with Gavin Bartholomew since he arrived in Pittsburgh, with Bartholomew preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft, but Overman has taken him under his wing. There’s a lot to learn.

Hunt was a pitcher in high school, so while he hasn’t talked to Bronowski about any sort of trick plays in the future, it’s another layer of versatility. And that’s the name of the game for tight ends in the Pitt offense.