Former Pitt quarterback Thomas MacVittie lands in Kansas

Thomas MacVittie, considered a possible Pitt quarterback of the future before Kenny Pickett arrived, has pledged to transfer to Kansas after spending the past season at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College. If he signs a letter of intent next week as he is expected to do, he will become new coach Les Miles’ first quarterback recruit. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

MacVittie played in six games at Mesa, completing 92 of 172 passes (53.5 percent) for 1,064 yards, with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He is ranked the No. 1 junior college quarterback in the class of 2019 by 247 Sports.

MacVittie, who attended Cincinnati Moeller High School, was recruited to Pitt in 2015 by former offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, who had asked MacVittie’s trainer Skip Stitzell to recommend a quarterback. MacVittie developed a good relationship with Chaney, who left for Georgia at the end of the ‘15 regular season. Nonetheless, MacVittie remained committed to Pitt and signed a letter of intent in 2016.

But MacVittie never threw a pass for Pitt, getting redshirted as a freshman and passed on the depth chart by USC transfer Max Browne and Pine-Richland graduate Ben DiNucci in 2017. He did play three games as a blocker on the punt return team.

DiNucci and MacVittie announced plans to transfer within days of each other last January. DiNucci led James Madison to a 9-4 record this season, throwing for 2,275 yards and 16 touchdowns.

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Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.