Jun 10, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jared Wayne (14) participates in a drill during an NFL football minicamp at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Former Pitt WR Gets Big NFL Opportunity

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 3:00 PM ET

PITTSBURGH — A former Pitt Panthers wide receiver recently found himself with a great chance to show his talents at the NFL level.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported that the Houston Texans are elevating wide receiver Jared Wayne from the practice squad to the 53-man roster ahead of their season opener vs. the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.

The Texans lack depth at wide receiver in both Christian Kirk and Braxton Berrios. They have healthy wide recievers in Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins and Justin Watson.

Wayne re-joined the Texans on Aug. 27, signing with the practice squad, after the Texans cut him on Aug. 5.

He signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. The Toronto Argonauts selected him in the 2023 CFL Draft, but Wayne stayed with the Texans.

The Texans placed Wayne on the active roster on Jan. 15, ahead of their AFC Divisional Playoff Round matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, marking the third game he played with them in 2024.

Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Wayne collided with fellow Texans wide receiver Tank Dell in the end zone during that game, which resulted in a season-ending knee injury for Dell that may keep him out of the 2025 season entirely. Dell is currently not healthy or on the Texans depth chart currently.

He had great success with Pitt as a senior in 2022, starting all 12 regular season games, leading the team with 60 catches for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns on the season. His receiving yards are the 10th most by a Pitt player in program history.

Wayne had 11 catches for 205 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season finale on the road vs. Miami, with his receiving yards ranking as the sixth most in a game in Pitt history.

He also played in all but one of 14 games in the ACC Championship 2021 season, starting four contests. He finished tied for second on the Panthers with 47 catches and 658 receiving yards and tied for second with six receiving touchdowns.

Wayne finished his Pitt career with 146 catches for 2,308 yards and 13 touchdowns, with his receptions and receiving yards ranking No. 10 and No. 9 in program history, respectively. His 1,063 receiving yards rank 10th best in a season in Pitt history too.

Wayne will serve as a reserve wideout option for the Texans, but with his best opportunity for production at the NFL level so far, he'll look to take advantage of it any way he can.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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