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Pitt will have one fewer upperclassman quarterback on the roster in 2018, as Thomas MacVittie announced on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that he will be pursuing a transfer.
MacVittie, a redshirt freshman from Cincinnati, appeared in three games this past season - all on special teams, as he served as a blocker on the punt return units. He entered the season as the No. 4 quarterback on the depth chart, behind redshirt senior Max Browne, redshirt sophomore Ben DiNucci and freshman Kenny Pickett.
A three-star prospect in Pitt’s 2016 recruiting class, MacVittie committed to the Panthers in the spring of his junior year of high school. He had not yet started a game at that point, but offensive coordinator Jim Chaney was impressed with his workouts.
The early faith seemed to pay off, as MacVittie overcame a knee injury to play in seven games his senior year, throwing for 1,896 yards and 22 touchdowns with just one interception while also presenting a threat as a runner.
MacVittie’s commitment was thrown into a bit of upheaval when Chaney left following the 2015 season, but Pat Narduzzi took over his recruitment, and the head coach’s efforts plus some solid conversations with new offensive coordinator Matt Canada helped hold off a late push by LSU.
With Pickett looking like the quarterback of the future and a possible position change rumored, MacVittie is now exploring options for his final three years of eligibility.
MacVittie’s departure leaves Pickett and DiNucci as the lone returning scholarship quarterbacks on Pitt’s roster next season. The Panthers will add three-star recruit Nick Patti to the mix, but the numbers will still be light, at least for 2018.
MacVittie is the fourth Pitt player to publicly leave the team in the last week. On Monday, junior safety Jordan Whitehead announced he is skipping his final year of eligibility to go to the NFL. Last week, junior receiver Quadree Henderson made a similar announcement; news of sophomore running back Chawntez Moss’ dismissal from the program was made public.
