Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison continue to make history in their legendary season with Pitt.
Not only has Pickett set records with his 3,857 passing yards being the most in a single season and still having three games to play, but he's become the first quarterback in ACC history to throw 36 touchdown passes in just eleven games. The list of his statistical accolades is long and impressive.
But also, Addison has set a historic pace with his records as his 15 touchdown receptions leads all of college football and his 1,272 receiving yards ranks fourth in the country. He only trails Larry Fitzgerald's 22 touchdown receptions in 2003 and Julius Dawkins' 16 touchdown receptions in 1981 for most in a season for the program.
And now, they're both getting the national recognition for it, as Pitt announced Tuesday morning that Pickett would be a finalist for the Maxwell Award for best all-around college football player and Addison would be a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award for most outstanding college receiver in college football:
Maxwell Award π Finalist
β Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) November 23, 2021
Kenny Pickett is among three finalists for College Football's Outstanding Player!
Pickett is Pitt's first Maxwell Award finalist since Larry Fitzgerald in 2003.https://t.co/CxGhL55YWk#H2P Β» @MaxwellFootball pic.twitter.com/4zDKFuOxW3
It's a huge moment for Pickett, Addison, and the program. Pitt hasn't had a finalist for the Maxwell Award since Larry Fitzgerald's 2003 campaign with 22 touchdown receptions. Addison represents the first Pitt finalist for the Biletnikoff Award since Fitzgerald in 2003, and the third in the award's history with Antonio Bryant's 2000 campaign.
If Pickett wins the Maxwell Award, he would be the third Pitt winner in history after Hugh Green in 1980 and Tony Dorsett in 1976. If Addison wins, he will be the second winner in Pitt history after Fitzgerald won it in 2003.
The awards go along with Pitt's clinching of the ACC Coastal division Saturday against Virginia, and are to be presented during ESPN's live telecast of the Home Depot's College Football Awards on Dec. 9.
All this, while Pickett and Addison still has a Saturday game against Syracuse in Syracuse, N.Y. at 7:30 p.m. and then the ACC Championship afterwards against either No. 21 Wake Forest, No. 24 North Carolina State, or unranked Clemson, pending on who wins the ACC Atlantic Division.
Here are the possible scenarios for each team to win the division:
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons have the simplest path at 6-1 with both Clemson and North Carolina State having two losses. If the Wake Forest beats Boston College next week, they win the division and face Pitt.
North Carolina State: If Wake Forest loses to Boston College, the Wolfpack could clinch the division by beating their in-state rivals, the Tar Heels.
Clemson: The only way for Clemson to win the division is if both Wake Forest and North Carolina State lose. That would set the tiebreakers into play that would favor the Tigers and propel them to a seventh consecutive ACC Championship Game.
