USC wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. planning on returning for his senior season

Throughout a season of turmoil and disappointment, there was a string of positivity as one key Trojan has announced his intentions for next season.

Junior wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. shared with the media following Tuesday’s practice, that he plans on returning next season for his senior year. While he didn’t make it a 100 percent guarantee, Pittman made it clear that he feels that there’s still a lot to accomplish at USC. He also appeared to be shocked at the fact that many believed he was for sure NFL bound at the end of the season.

Pittman currently leads all USC receivers in receiving yards at 667 and six touchdowns after struggling at the beginning of the season. A lot of it was due in large part to gaining chemistry with freshman quarterback JT Daniels. As the season went, Pittman picked up where he left off from the following season and has played a big part in the Trojans’ passing game. Last season Pittman played a huge role in USC winning the Pac-12 Championship.

The junior wide receiver says that he will still look at where his draft grade falls, but he stated that if he had to pick at this moment then the choice would be easy. Pittman wants to become an All-American, team captain, and raise his draft stock for the following NFL Draft. In an LA Times article, it stated that some NFL scouts believe that Pittman could benefit from another year at USC and raise his stock. USC head coach Clay Helton met with Pittman and said he will meet with all the draft eligible players to discuss their NFL future following the Notre Dame game.

The return of Pittman could provide a huge boost for the offense next season and for Daniels. The USC offense looked far from good this season and things are now at an unknown point, but one thing for sure is that with a full off-season and spring practice, plus most of the players returning, the Trojans have the potential to turn it around next year.