Florida State transfer wide receiver Mycah Pittman committed to Utah, he announced Sunday. Pittman's stop in the NCAA Transfer Portal this spring was his second, having started his collegiate career at Oregon before transferring to the Seminoles for the 2022 season.
Pittman was one of the team's most productive wideouts during its first 10-win season since 2016 with 330 yards and three touchdowns in seven starts. He notably missed spring practice after having hip surgery in March, and recovery could take four to six months. That timeline still makes Pittman available for the bulk of the 2023 season barring a more extensive recovery, but it does generate some questions about his availability.
He now returns to the Pac-12 for 2023, joining the Utes as they seek a third consecutive conference championship. Pittman has caught for 877 yards and five touchdowns since signing with Oregon as a four-star prospect out of Calabasas (California) High School in the Class of 2019. 247Sports ranked Pittman as the No. 13 wide receiver nationally in that cycle with offers from more than 30 schools. Utah was among those, and coach Kyle Whittingham's staff now has its chance to work with Pittman nearly five years after he verbally committed to Oregon in 2018.
Pittman returns to the Pac-12
Of his three years at Oregon, Pittman's most productive came when he was a true freshman in 2019. Appearing in seven games for a Ducks team that won the Pac-12 title and beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, Pittman caught 18 passes total for 227 yards and two touchdowns.
Oregon repeated as Pac-12 champions in 2020, but the conference didn't begin its season until November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In four appearances, Pittman had just eight catches for 123 yards. The Ducks only played seven games that season amid the pandemic, with games against Colorado and Washington being canceled due to its impacts.
Pittman eventually entered the transfer portal for the first time in November 2021 after appearing in seven games for Oregon that fall, catching 12 passes for 197 yards total. His entry came days after the Ducks suffered a 38-7 loss at Utah, Oregon's second defeat of the season and one that effectively eliminated it from College Football Playoff conversation. Oregon still reached the Pac-12 Championship Game, but suffered a second lopsided loss to the Utes, and coach Mario Cristobal left for Miami days later.
Pittman committed to FSU in mid-December, setting the stage for a breakthrough season under Seminoles coach Mike Norvell. Pittman ended 2022 as FSU's third-leading receiver, trailing only Pokey Wilson (495 yards) and Johnny Wilson (897 yards) as QB Jordan Travis embarked on a 3,000-yard passing campaign. Pittman's most productive performance as a Seminole came in early October against Wake Forest, when he caught five passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-21 loss.
Utah's offense gets another weapon
This is a nice addition for Utah, which already added Indiana transfer wide receiver Emery Simmons. Quarterback Cameron Rising returns from his own injury, too -- a torn ACL he suffered in the Rose Bowl -- so it'll likely take a while for the three-year starter and incoming journeyman to establish a formidable connection.
With tight end Dalton Kincaid off to the NFL, Devaughn Vele checks in as Utah's top returning pass-catcher for 2023 after snagging 55 receptions for 695 yards. Money Parks, the team's third-leading receiver in 2022, also returns after catching 26 passes for 414 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Rising will have options this fall as Utah seeks a Pac-12 three-peat.
Utah's offense previously received good news in January when running back Micah Bernard opted to withdraw from the transfer portal and return to the Utes in 2023. Bernard, Utah's second-leading rusher in 2022 behind Tavion Thomas, now headlines the Utes' rushing attack following Thomas' exit. Bernard finished last season rushing for 533 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
