Pitt senior wide receiver Jared Wayne announced on Friday that he will be entering the 2023 NFL Draft and that his time at Pitt has come to an end. Wayne is a senior and typically would have been moving on after this season anyway, but he had the option to return due to the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wayne's decision comes one week following the end of Pitt's 2022 season. He helped lead the Panthers to a 9-4 record and was on the field for the team's dramatic 37-35 victory over UCLA in the Sun Bowl.

Wayne finishes his four-year career at Pitt with 146 catches, good for tenth all-time in program history. His 2,308 receiving yards is the 9th highest total in Pitt football history as well. Wayne saved his best season for last, as he finished the 2022 campaign with 60 receptions for 1,062 yards and five touchdowns. He was named second team All-ACC following the regular season for his efforts.

Wayne finished 23rd nationally in receiving yards and was one of 31 players in the country this season to record over 1,000 yards this season. In his regular season finale against Miami, Wayne helped lift Pitt to a 42-16 win over the Hurricanes with a career performance. Wayne hauled in 11 catches for 205 yards and three touchdowns and earned ACC Wide Receiver of the Week for that showing.

Wayne came to Pitt as an unheralded recruit out of Clearwater Academy in Florida. Wayne is a native of Canada and wanted to showcase his ability playing high school football in the United States. The former three-star recruit chose Pitt over offers from Bowling Green, Old Dominion, and South Florida.

Despite little fanfare around his recruitment, Wayne's 6'3" frame got him on the field as a true freshman. He recorded his first 100 yard game back in 2019 against Boston College, and also came up with a touchdown in Pitt's Quick Lane Bowl victory over Eastern Michigan.

Wayne's sophomore season was marred by injuries, but he flourished in 2021 as junior and was a key part to Pitt's ACC Championship run. Wayne was Pitt's second leading receiver with 47 catches, 658 yards, and six touchdowns. He caught touchdowns in both the ACC Championship Game and the Peach Bowl that year.

Wayne was tasked with being Pitt's top receiving option this season and responded with his first and only 1,000-yard campaign. With his departure, Pitt's receiving options next season will be led by returnees Konata Mumpfield and Bub Means. The Pitt coaches also went out and signed four players in the class of 2023 in December and remain active in the transfer portal.