Projecting Pitt's 2026 Two-deep Depth Chart

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers will footwear disconnected nan 2026 play successful almost 7 months from now. That intends this is simply a bully clip to look astatine nan imaginable starting roster heading into nan outpouring semester.

The transportation portal has officially closed arsenic of Jan. 16, meaning Pitt's 2026 is finalized, barring immoderate different transportation portal additions and/or abrupt departures from nan program.

Pitt vanished nan 2025 play 8-5 aft missing a chance to make nan ACC Championship, followed by a disappointing nonaccomplishment to East Carolina successful nan Military Bowl.

But it wasn't each bad. The Panthers went connected an awesome five-game winning streak and hit 2 apical 25 ACC opponents connected nan road, acknowledgment to nan emergence of respective young stars successful nan making — Mason Heintschel, Ja'Kyrian Turner and Shawn Lee Jr.

Pitt has retained astir of its budding stars, but it did suffer respective effect starters to nan NFL Draft and the transportation portal. The 2026 roster will person akin faces and plentifulness of caller ones, pinch 17 transportation portal additions and 21 incoming freshmen.

The pursuing is not nan charismatic extent floor plan for Pitt's 2026 season. These are each projections. Names successful bold signify which players are projected starters. There whitethorn beryllium aggregate starters astatine each position, which is successful statement pinch Pitt's erstwhile extent charts.

Pitt's Projected 2026 Starting Offense

Quarterback
Mason Heintschel
Holden Geriner
Corey Dailey

Heintschel will beryllium nan evident starter astatine backmost for Pitt successful 2026. He earned nan starting occupation aft 4 games into his existent freshman season, passing erstwhile starter Eli Holstein and erstwhile Oklahoma and Western Carolina transportation Cole Gonzales.

Heintschel vanished his freshman twelvemonth pinch 2,354 yards, 16 touchdowns, 8 interceptions and completed 63.6% of his passes arsenic he was a cardinal contributor to nan Panthers' midseason success.

With Heintschel being nan decisive starter, Texas State transportation Holden Geriner will apt beryllium his backup. Geriner is entering his redshirt elder season, but doesn't person overmuch in-game experience. Geriner has only played successful 11 games during his clip pinch Texas State and Auburn, and has a full of 116 yards, 1 interception, nary touchdowns and has completed 42.9% of his throws.

Incoming existent freshman Corey Dailey astir apt has nan champion chances to beryllium nan third-string complete Angelo Renda and Beau Jackson. Dailey stands astatine 6-foot-6, 188 pounds and was a four-star imaginable by 247Sports. Dailey is coming disconnected an quality successful nan All-American Bowl, and group aggregate records successful precocious schoolhouse pinch 100 profession passing touchdowns, 122 full touchdowns, 757 completions, 9,138 passing yards and 10,009 full yards successful 4 years arsenic a starter for Seguin High School successful Texas.

Running Back
Ja'Kyrain Turner
La'Vell Wright
Damon Ferguson

Turner is different returning prima aft rushing for 745 yards, 7 touchdowns and averaging 5.3 yards per transportation arsenic a existent freshman. He will, successful each likelihood, beryllium paired pinch Western Kentucky transportation La'Vell Wright as nan 2 starting halfbacks. Wright had a career-high 10 rushing touchdowns past play and brings a bigger, much beingness beingness successful nan backfield astatine 6-foot, 222 pounds.

By nan extremity of nan 2025 season, Pitt had Turner, Desmond Reid and Juelz Goff each listed arsenic starters connected nan extent chart, truthful listing much than 1 starter is not uncharacteristic.

Damon Ferguson won't subordinate Pitt until nan summer, but he very good could activity his measurement into nan rotation by nan season's start. Ferguson was nan apical enlistee successful Pitt's 2026 people by 247Sports and On3. Ferguson totaled 2,951 rushing yards, 36 rushing touchdowns, 1,341 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns successful his profession astatine Milford Mill Academy successful Maryland.

Pat Narduzzi wasn't hesitant to play Turner, who was a three-star and hardly a apical 140 enlistee from Florida coming retired of precocious school, and will apt beryllium eager to get Ferguson connected nan section too.

Wide Receiver
Caturus "Blue" Hicks
Censere Lee

Wide Receiver
Bryce Yates
Tony Kinsler

Wide Receiver
Malik Knight
Cam Sapp

Tight End
Carson Kent
Elijah Lagg
Max Hunt

The wide receivers and tight ends had a complete overhaul this offseason. Last year's starters of Raphael "Poppi" Williams, Kenny Johnson, Justin Holmes, Jake Overman and Malachi Thomas person each moved connected from nan program. Because of this, a batch of positions are up for grabs and are, admittedly, difficult to project.

Caturus "Blue" Hicks is nan only returner from 2025 and will presumptively beryllium WR No. 1 successful 2026. Bryce Yates besides showed flashes of being a early starter during his existent freshman season, signaling 11 catches for 202 yards and a touchdown. His lone people came connected a 60-yard play successful his first collegiate game.

Pitt added Western Carolina transportation wideout Malik Knight from nan portal, and he will apt besides beryllium a starter, on pinch tight extremity transfers Elijah Lagg from UAB and Carson Kent from Oklahoma. With Max Hunt being nan only danasiwa tight extremity returning from past season, he'll besides apt beryllium involved.

Left Tackle
Kendall Stanley
Netinho Olivieri

Left Guard
Keith Gouveia
Keylen Davis
Ryan Carretta

Center
Ryan Carretta
Isaiah Montgomery

Right Guard
BJ Williams
Isaiah Montgomery
Torian Chester

Right Tackle
Ryan Baer
Jiavani Cooley

The violative statement should look akin to past year. No much Jeff Persi astatine near tackle and Lyndon Cooper at center. Kendall Stanley played respective games successful spot of Persi erstwhile he was injured midseason, and Carretta started nan past 9 games of nan play astatine defender for an injured Keith Gouveia, who is returning connected a aesculapian redshirt. Carretta was besides listed arsenic Cooper's backup astatine center.

Pitt signed Penn transportation tackle Netinho Olivieri and Akron transportation defender Keylen Davis. The 2 transfers, without a doubt, will participate nan summertime vying for a starting job, but pinch Olivieri and Davis coming from little ranks of Division I assemblage football, nan returning linemen will apt triumph nan starting jobs.

Pitt's Projected 2026 Starting Defense

Defensive End
Isiah Neal
Zach Crothers
Reston Lehman

Defensive Tackle
Nick James
Jeremiah Warren
Trevor Sommers

Defensive Tackle
Sean FitzSimmons
Eliyt Nairne
Ty Yuhas

Defensive End
Jimmy Scott
Jaeden Moore
Denim Cook

The protect statement has returned aggregate starters successful Isaiah Neal, Nick James, Sean FitzSimmons, Jimmy Scott and Jaeden Moore. The Panthers added extent pinch Jeremiah Warren from Illinois and Eliyt Nairne from Tulane.

I expect nan starters connected nan protect beforehand to beryllium very similiar arsenic nan 2025 unit, nan only large alteration being Neal's position alteration from tackle to end. Neal was listed arsenic a starter astatine protect tackle past season, but ended up playing 426 of his 557 full snaps astatine protect end, according to Pro Football Focus.

Also, look for existent freshman Reston Lehman to perchance activity his measurement into nan lineup. Lehman was a WPIAL prima from Peters Township who stands astatine 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. He made 39 profession starts and was named nan 2025 Post-Gazette Player of nan Year.

Star Linebacker
Cameron Lindsey
Jayden Bonsu
Emmanuel Taylor

Mike Linebacker
Braylan Lovelace
Jeremiah Marcelin
Abe Ibrahim

Money Linebacker
Alex Sanford Jr.
DeMarco Ward

The linebacker room will look very different successful 2026 without Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis. The 1 remaining starter will beryllium Braylan Lovelace astatine mediate linebacker.

Cameron Lindsey will apt go a starter adjacent season. It feels for illustration Pitt utilized this play to hole Lindsey for this upcoming play aft Louis' expected declaration to nan NFL Draft. Lindsey played successful each crippled this past play and totaled 32 tackles, 5 for a loss, 2 sacks, a walk breakup and a forced fumble.

Alex Sandford Jr. should besides person a bully chance to start. He started successful 9 games and played successful 12 for Purdue past play and brings nan astir starting acquisition of immoderate different linebacker connected this roster too Lovelace.

Other players apt successful contention for playing clip astatine linebacker are Jayden Bonsu and Jeremiah Marcelin, some of whom missed each of 2025 pinch injuries, on pinch Memphis transfer DeMarco Ward, Emmanuel Taylor and Abe Ibrahim.

Cornerback
Shawn Lee Jr.
Kanye Thompson
Rashan Murray

Cornerback
Raion Strader
Shadarian Harrison
Zion Ferguson

Strong Safety
Cruce Brookins
Cole Woodson

Free Safety
Josh Guerrier
Allen Bryant

Cruce Brookins and Lee are nan only 2 returning starters successful nan secondary. The different positions should beryllium filled by Auburn and Miami (Ohio) transportation Raion Strader astatine area and erstwhile No. 1 enlistee successful Pitt's 2025 recruiting class, Josh Guerrier, astatine safety, on pinch Slippery Rock transportation Kanye Thompson, who will besides apt beryllium progressive pinch nan cornerbacks.

Pitt besides returned plentifulness of reserves pinch Allen Bryant, Cole Woodson, Zion Ferguson, Shadarian Harrison and Rashan Murray.

Pitt's Projected 2026 Starting Specialists

Placekicker
Antonio Chadha
Samuel Hunsaker

Punter
Gabe Russo
Kaemon Tijerina

Holder
Gabe Russo
Kaemon Tijerina

Long Snapper
Justin Schmidt

The kicking title will apt spell connected until nan last weeks of summertime campy earlier Week 1. This year's conflict will beryllium betwixt 2 FCS transfers, Antonio Chadha from Western Illinois and Samuel Hunsaker from Northern Arizona.

The 2 kickers had akin numbers past season. Chadha made 13 of 19 section extremity attempts (68.4%) pinch a agelong of 53, and Hunsaker went 15 for 22 connected section goals (68.2%) pinch a agelong of 50. Chada is entering his redshirt elder season, and Hunsaker is entering his inferior year. Don't expect seniority to play a domiciled successful this decision, though, arsenic Narduzzi chose existent freshman walk-on Trey Butkowski to beryllium nan starter past season.

Pitt besides signed erstwhile Idaho State punter Gabe Russo and Purdue longsnapper Justin Schmidt successful nan portal. Schmidt is nan only agelong snapper presently connected nan roster, and Russo will compete pinch rising redshirt freshman Kaemon Tijerina astatine punter.

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