Jared McGill Changes Mind, Picks Pitt

Jared McGill flipped the script to Pitt.

McGill, who had announced 10 months ago that he planned to wrestle for Army West Point, said Tuesday that he has changed his mind and will instead accept an offer from Pitt.

“It’s tough,” said McGill, who will be a senior at Chestnut Ridge. “I just felt like I was at home at Pitt. I know a lot of the guys there like Cole Mathews and Luke Kemerer, a lot of the Young Guns guys.”

McGill has a career mark of 120-16 and three PIAA 2A medals. He went 46-1 last season and placed third in addition to winning a POWERade title.

Changing reputation

There were several factors to his change of heart.

“It’s closer to home,” he said. “West Point’s a big commitment. Huge commitment. I didn’t feel like I had the same opportunity to be a national champ as I did at Pitt.”

And while West Point has a sterling academic reputation, “a Pitt degree isn’t too shabby.”

McGill said that he’s also seen a big change in the Pitt program since Keith Gavin was named head coach prior to last season. Pitt is no longer known as a party school, McGill said, but instead is one that is landing top recruits – including Shaler’s Ryan Sullivan and Wyoming Seminary’s Austin Cooley.

Program on the rise

His high school team has regularly been one of the top small-school teams in the state, and he wants to wrestle for a program on the rise.

“Being a part of Chestnut Ridge and the whole team atmosphere, I don’t want that to change,” he said. “I think Pitt, in a couple years, is going to be competing for national championships.”

McGill, who hopes to major in sports medicine, projects as a 174-pounder or possibly 184-pounder in college. He’s ranked ninth nationally at 182 pounds by FloWrestling.