Florida State has lost a couple of contributors to the NCAA Transfer Portal this spring, including former starting defensive end Derrick McLendon II and rotational linebacker Brendan Gant. The most significant departure nearly ended up being redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Joshua Farmer, who withdrew from the portal last night.
On Friday afternoon, the Seminoles took another hit to their 2023 roster as redshirt senior wide receiver Mycah Pittman announced that he plans to explore his options elsewhere for his final season of collegiate eligibility. This is a fairly important exit for the Seminoles as Pittman started seven games last year and provided the team with stability at punt returner that it had missed in previous seasons.
Pittman broke the news with a statement thanking Florida State for his one year in Tallahassee.
After spending three years at Oregon, Pittman transferred to Florida State last offseason and ended up making an instant impact. He appeared in all 13 games, with seven starts, for the Seminoles in 2022, catching a career-high 32 passes for 330 yards with three touchdowns through the air while rushing seven times for 35 yards. He served as the team's primary punt returner and returned 18 punts for 169 yards. His average of 9.4 yards per return was one of the best in the nation.
At the conclusion of the season, he was presented with the Crenshaw Award during Florida State's banquet ceremony, which is awarded by the Tallahassee QB Club to the offensive player with the most heart. He was a co-honoree for the award alongside tight end Cam McDonald.
The Florida native missed spring practice after tests revealed that he played through the season with a torn labrum. Pittman underwent surgery in early March and is expected to be out for four to six months while recovering. He's had three surgeries during his college career as he also dealt with a broken arm and collarbone at Oregon. During his four years at the college level with the Seminoles and Ducks, Pittman has caught 70 passes for 877 yards with five touchdowns.Â
The Seminoles will have to find a replacement for Pittman in the slot and at punt returner. During the spring, wide receivers such as redshirt senior Winston Wright Jr. and redshirt junior Ja'Khi Douglas worked primarily in the slot. Other players in the unit, such as redshirt junior Darion Williamson and true freshman Vandrevius Jacobs, may fit the position as well.
Florida State will probably need to hold a competition in fall camp to decide who returns punts. There were too many balls that were muffed during the spring as players such as Douglas, Jacobs, and Wright fielded punts.
Pittman is the eighth scholarship player to depart from Florida State since the beginning of spring practice, joining defensive end Derrick McLendon II, linebacker Brendan Gant, safety Omarion Cooper, defensive lineman Bishop Thomas, defensive tackle Antavious Woody, linebacker Stephen Dix Jr, and offensive lineman Zane Herring. The Seminoles are projected to be sitting at 81 of 85 projected scholarships following Pittman's departure.
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