money Florida State football's Mycah Pittman brings alpha-like qualities at wide receiver
Mike Norvell's third season atop the Seminoles will be a critical one to his long-term chances in Tallahassee. The roster continues to be shaped more in his desired image as he looks to guide FSU to a bowl for the first time in his tenure.
To begin that look ahead to the upcoming season, it's time for the Democrat's annual list of the 40 most important FSU football players, continuing today with No. 7.
Our list of the 40 most important FSU football players was compiled on June 9 by aggregating the rankings submitted by beat writers Curt Weiler and Carter Karels. Any players added to the roster after that date were not considered for this list. All ties were broken by discussion.
No. 7: Redshirt junior wide receiver Mycah Pittman
Mycah Pittman plays much bigger than his 5-foot-11, 201-pound frame.
The Oregon transfer and NFL legacy quickly earned that reputation after coming to FSU this offseason. Throughout spring football, Pittman frequently caught jump balls in traffic. Even if he needed to leap over a defensive back or contort his body, Pittman showed an impressive ability to hang in the air and secure the football.
When he had the ball in his hands, Pittman seemed to enjoy lowering his shoulder and fighting for the extra yard. Pittman showed his toughness in the Garnet & Gold Spring Game in April, scoring a four-yard touchdown run after barreling through multiple defensive backs.
The Seminoles hope Pittman continues to emerge as an alpha-like receiver who can consistently win one-on-one matchups. They have recently lacked a true No. 1 receiver, which has hindered the offense from keeping opposing defenses honest.
In Norvell’s first two seasons at FSU, no player eclipsed 400 receiving yards in a single season. Without an explosive receiver, the Seminoles used more of a dink-and-dunk approach on offense. They came in at No. 97 nationally in passing plays of 30-plus yards last season.
Pittman will have to prove that he can be as productive in a game setting as he is in practice. He never reached 200 receiving yards in each of his three seasons with the Ducks despite appearing in 22 games with 12 starts.
But FSU appears to be a much better fit for Pittman. He could easily make the Seminole passing game more dynamic and explosive, which is why he comes in at No. 7 in our most important player rankings. FSU quarterback Jordan Travis also seems to have built a strong connection with Pittman on and off the field.
In addition to his contributions at receiver, Pittman could give the Seminoles a needed boost in punt returning. Had he played in enough games to qualify last season, Pittman’s 10.1 yards per punt return would have ranked No. 13 nationally. FSU came in at No. 118 as a team, averaging 4.18 yards per punt return.
As a four-star recruit in the 2019 class, Pittman came to Oregon with lofty ambitions. Some of his expectations finally might be reached this season – just with a different team.
Florida State most important player countdown
No. 40: Defensive tackle Jarrett Jackson
No. 38: Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald
No. 37: Defensive end Patrick Payton
No. 36: Defensive back Sam McCall
No. 35: Defensive back Azareye'h Thomas
No. 34: Wide receiver Ontaria Wilson
No. 33: Wide receiver Ja'Khi Douglas
No. 32: Defensive tackle Malcolm Ray
No. 31: Linebacker Amari Gainer
No. 29: Offensive lineman Maurice Smith
No. 28: Running back Lawrance Toafili
No. 27: Offensive lineman Bless Harris
No. 26: Quarterback Tate Rodemaker
No. 25: Defensive end Dennis Briggs Jr.
No. 24: Wide receiver Johnny Wilson
No. 23: Cornerback Renardo Green
No. 22: Offensive lineman Kayden Lyles
No. 21: Tight end Camren McDonald
No. 20: Wide receiver Malik McClain
No. 19: Offensive lineman D'Mitri Emmanuel
No. 18: Linebacker Kalen DeLoach
No. 17: Defensive back Kevin Knowles II
No. 16: Running back Treshaun Ward
No. 14: Defensive end Derrick McLendon II
No. 13: Wide receiver Winston Wright Jr.
No. 12: Running back Trey Benson
No. 11: Offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons
No. 10: Offensive lineman Darius Washington
No. 9: Defensive tackle Robert Cooper
No. 8: Defensive tackle Fabien Lovett
Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football Most Important Player Countdown: No. 7, Mycah Pittman
