Wide receiver Kenny Johnson, cornerback Shadarian Harrison named most improved players during Pitt spring drills
Hours before Pitt’s Blue-Gold Game on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium, coach Pat Narduzzi named wide receiver Kenny Johnson and cornerback Shadarian Harrison winners of the Ed Conway Award, emblematic of the most improved players during spring drills.
Johnson, a junior, is the first wide receiver so honored since Tre Tipton in 2019. Harrison, a sophomore, makes it two in a row for the defensive backs following safety Cruce Brookins.
Johnson, from York, has played in all 25 games (15 starts) the past two seasons. He recorded 46 catches for 537 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 and added 524 kick return yards to lead the ACC and rank 13th nationally. Johnson also leads all returning Pitt wide receivers in receptions and yards.
“Kenny’s attention to detail this spring was really impressive and set a tremendous example for his teammates,” Narduzzi said in a statement. “That type of focus is going to elevate him from being a good receiver to a great receiver this year. I love that he has a smile on his face every day. Kenny loves the game and brings energy to every room he’s in.”
Harrison came to Pitt through its Florida connection (Lakeland High School) and played in eight games in his first active season in 2024. Redshirted during his freshman season of 2023, Harrison will compete for playing time with sixth-year senior cornerbacks Tamon Lynum and Rashad Battle, among others.
“Shadarian took a huge leap forward this spring, mentally and physically,” Narduzzi said. “He’s a true student of the game, absorbing all the knowledge he can about cornerback play. In the weight room, he really made impressive gains. The man we like to call ‘Dripp’ took full advantage of every single spring practice repetition and we’re really excited about his potential this fall.”
The Conway Award was first presented in 1975 in honor of Ed Conway, who served as the radio play-by-play voice of Pitt football from 1970-73 and sports anchor with WTAE-TV. Conway died in 1974.
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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