Konata Mumpfield has yet to make a big play wearing a Pitt uniform in front of Pitt fans in an actual game. On the practice field, however, Mumpfield has been making the hard catches look routine in front of his teammates and coaches.

The only problem is with those highlight reel plays that have leaked onto social media is that head coach Pat Narduzzi would prefer him to stop doing it.

“He's a football player, we know he's going to make plays and I grabbed him a couple of days ago and I said, ‘Listen, stop doing that. We need to get you to September 1st and the rest of the season,’” Pat Narduzzi said of Mumpfield’s spectacular diving catches in practice.

Message received from the sophomore transfer wide receiver from Akron.

“He told me to just go ahead and stop doing that, and make sure I stay healthy,” Mumpfield said of his conversation with the head coach. “It was just one of those things, I came out, new team in fall camp and you feel like you have to prove yourself. I made a couple of the those and now I’m just relaxing and chilling.”

Proving himself is part of Mumpfield’s mission in his first year with his new team. As an overlooked recruit coming out of high school, Mumpfield ended up at Akron in the MAC. In the 2021 season he earned freshman All-American honors after grabbing 63 catches for 751 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns.

Mumpfield was actually recruited to some degree by Pitt coming out of high school, though it was on the defensive side of the ball. Cornerbacks coach Archie Collins asked where he would go if he had a defensive back offer from Pitt, or a wide receiver offer from a group of five school.

“I told him I’d go play receiver regardless,” the sophomore explained. “Because that’s where I put my craft in and that’s where I worked at.”

Now Mumpfield finds himself at Pitt anyway, as a wide receiver, and one that is expected to play a major role for a team ranked No. 16 in the preseason. Pitt lost Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison in the offseason to the transfer portal, and the Akron transfer is one of more notable players expected to offset his lost production. It is a challenge he is eager to take on this season.

“It’s a blessing in disguise,” Mumpfield said of trying to replace Addison. “Pressure is a privilege. He’s a great player and I kind of watched some of his stuff too and following that, I have a big role to play in with the receivers, but the receiving corps itself has been doing a good job. We’ve been putting in a lot of work, so we don’t really expect a drop-off.”

His teammates are taking notice. Mumpfield has been with the team in the spring, and has been making acrobatic, diving catches throughout all of camp so far.

“I mean some of our longest passes have gone to him,” junior offensive linemen Matt Goncalves said. “Every time the ball is up to him, I have extreme confidence it’s going to go into his hands.”

“He’s just shifty,” sophomore tight end Gavin Bartholomew said of Pitt’s newest offensive weapon. “He’s so fast and he reads the defense very well. The game just seems so much slower for him, so he’s able to pick up on that.”

In a few short weeks, Mumpfield will get to show that kind of ability on the field. He is eager to play in front of a sold-out Acrisure Stadium against West Virginia, but he feels the stage won’t be too big. Mumpfield played against Auburn and Ohio State last season, and combined for 10 catches in those two games in front of large crowds, including a touchdown against the Buckeyes.

“It don’t really affect you too much, especially when you’re in the game,” he explained.

Mumpfield and Pitt have less than three weeks until the season opens up in the Backyard Brawl. For now, Narduzzi is just hoping the next diving catch he makes comes in a meaningful game.

“You've seen him dive and you say, ‘OK he can make those contested coaches, now slow down,” Narduzzi said. “You’ve made the point, let's get to Saturday.”

Or in the season opener’s case, a Thursday. Mumpfield is no stranger to suiting up on weeknights with the infamous ‘MACtion’ games. It’s something he won’t miss as he moves to a bigger stage.

“They were fun. I will definitely say they were fun,” he said. “But I’m happy to be playing on Saturdays.”