Pittsburgh Panthers News

2026 College Football Transfer Portal Tracker: Another Star QB Enters Portal

The college football transfer portal opened on Jan. 2, but players didn't wait until then to announce their intentions to enter it.

4 HOURS AGO • FOX SPORTS

2026 College Football Transfer Portal Tracker: Another Star QB Enters Portal

Holden Geriner - Transferring to Pitt Geriner has committed to Pitt, On3.com reports.

Impact Geriner has been in a reserve role over his four collegiate seasons, spending his first three years at Auburn before going to Texas State in 2025. With Mason Heintschel holding down the starting role for Pitt, Geriner will serve as a backup.

18 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Josh Altsman - Not returning to team Altsman will not return to the Pittsburgh program in 2026, Nathan Breisinger of On3.com reports.

Impact Altsman, a walk-on with the Panthers, has played his final season with the team. He's set to graduate this spring so he's expected to call it a career rather than enter the transfer portal with his one year of eligibility remaining. He caught five passes for 31 yards and his first career touchdown across 13 appearances this past season.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Mason Heintschel - Returning to Pitt in 2026 Heintschel officially announced his intentions to return to Pittsburgh in 2026, per his personal X account.

Impact Heintschel took over for Eli Holstein in Week 6 and instantly secured the Panthers' QB1 gig. The true freshman was one of the more exciting gunslingers in the sport this year, and he finished the season with 2,354 yards, 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 63.6 percent completion, also picking up 88 yards and two scores on the ground. Though his production fell off a bit towards the end of the season, Heintchel still made it clear that he's the future of this Pitt offense, and he's now officially elected to return to the 412 next fall, where he'll be the starter from the jump.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Samuel Hunsaker - Transfers to Pitt Hunsaker will transfer to Pittsburgh, per his personal X account.

Impact Hunsaker spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Northern Arizona. The kicker knocked through 11-of-16 field goals in 2025, as well as all 45 extra points. He'll now take his talents to the 412, where he'll look to win the Panthers' starting place-kicker gig.

2 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Inside the Numbers: How Indiana and Miami stack up going into CFP national championship game

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza originally planned to attend Yale, where he was recruited five years ago

5 DAYS AGO • Associated Press

Elijah Lagg - Headed to the 412 Lagg will transfer to Pitt, per his personal X account.

Impact Lagg spent the 2025 season with UAB, where he got involved to the tune of 20 catches for 164 yards. Now, he'll take his talents to the Panthers, where the 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end will look to spend his senior season as a productive member of the Pitt offense.

6 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

La'Vell Wright - Signs with Pitt Wright has signed with Pitt, Cody Nagel of 247Sports.com reports.

Impact Wright will spend his final collegiate season with Pitt. He logged 85 carries for 471 yards and 10 touchdowns last season with Western Kentucky, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. The senior is slated to serve in a complementary role behind Ja'Kyrian Turner.

6 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Carson Kent - Joining Pitt Kent has committed to Pitt, On3.com reports.

Impact Pitt will be Kent's third collegiate team, having spent two seasons at Kennessaw State before playing for Oklahoma in 2025. He caught three of his seven targets during his time with the Sooners, but he'll look to become more involved with Pitt.

JANUARY 9 • ROTOWIRE

Notre Dame continues coaching shuffle on defense by adding Charlie Partridge, moving Al Washington

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman is making changes to his defensive coaching staff less than two weeks after he decided to return to the Fighting Irish

JANUARY 8 • Associated Press

Malik Knight - Heading to Pittsburgh Knight has committed to play for Pitt for the 2026 season, per Matt Zenitz of CBSSports.com.

Impact Knight will join the Panthers following four years with Western Carolina. The 6-foot-2 receiver caught 47 passes for 774 yards and seven touchdowns for the Catamounts in 2025. He will retain a single year of eligibility with Pitt.

JANUARY 8 • ROTOWIRE

Miami's defense has been airtight to fuel run to CFP semifinals. And now Ole Miss awaits

Miami's biggest signing this season might be defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman from Minnesota

JANUARY 5 • Associated Press

Raphael Williams Jr. - Declares for NFL Draft Williams will enter the 2026 NFL Draft, he announced on his personal X account.

Impact Williams is out of eligibility, so this was something of a foregone conclusion. The receiver had a career year with the Panthers in 2025, reeling in 51 catches for 701 yards and seven scores as Pitt's top wideout. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound receiver, who began his career at FCS Western Carolina, has undoubtably intrigued several NFL scouts in his collegiate journey.

DECEMBER 30, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Justin Holmes - Career game in bowl loss Holmes compiled six receptions (on seven targets) for 100 yards during Saturday's 23-17 loss versus East Carolina.

Impact Holmes was a consistent part of the Pitt offense all season, but he hadn't had a big game until the Panthers' bowl loss to East Carolina. It was the first 100-yard outing of his career, and he caps off his senior year with 28 catches for 301 yards and four touchdowns. Holmes may try to secure an extra year of eligibility, as his college career appears to be coming to a close.

DECEMBER 30, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Raphael Williams Jr. - Scores touchdown during bowl Williams reeled in 5 of 7 targets for 57 yards and one touchdown during Saturday's 23-17 loss to East Carolina.

Impact For 2025, Williams' latest touchdown is his seventh, marking a career high in the category. The wide receiver logged 83 targets for a second straight season but did more compared to 2024 by also recording 51 receptions and 701 receiving yards, both career-highs.

DECEMBER 30, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Mason Heintschel - Iffy in bowl loss Heintschel was 25-for-40 passing for 256 yards, one touchdown and one interception during Saturday's 23-17 defeat against East Carolina. He also had 11 rushes for negative nine yar...

Impact Heitschel was once again rough around the edges as Pittsburgh closed out its season with another loss in a bowl game. The freshman quarterback was a revelation for the Panthers this season when he took over for Eli Holstein in Week 6, and finished the year with 2,354 yards, 18 total touchdowns and eight interceptions on 63.6 percent completion. Still, he closed the year out with two iffy performances and still has some growing to do as he develops as a collegiate passer. Nonetheless, Heintschel has established himself as one of the better young quarterbacks in the nation and should have Pitt positioned to compete in the ACC once again in 2026.

DECEMBER 30, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Ja'Kyrian Turner - Records 101 all-purpose yards Turner posted 16 rushes for 93 yards and hauled in 2 of 3 targets for eight yards during Saturday's 23-17 defeat to East Carolina.

Impact For only the third time in 2025, and across Pittsburgh's last five games, Turner logged more than 100 all-purpose yards, showcasing significant progress he made during an excellent 2025. The running back recorded 140 rushing attempts for 745 yards (5.3 averaged per carry) and seven touchdowns. Turner also logged 25 receptions for 150 yards, falling just five short of 900 in all-purpose yardage this year.

DECEMBER 30, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

East Carolina takes advantage of 5 Pittsburgh turnovers, wins 23-17 in the Military Bowl

Chaston Ditta threw two second-half touchdown passes, and East Carolina overcame an inadvertent whistle that negated a long touchdown in a 23-17 victory over Pittsburgh in the Mili...

DECEMBER 27, 2025 • Associated Press

Jaylin Brown - Option for bowl game Brown (undisclosed) is in uniform and an option for Saturday's bowl game with East Carolina, Chris Peak of 247Sports reports.

Impact Brown's availability gives Pittsburgh five running backs to work with for the upcoming bowl. He has yet to log any counting stats in 2025 but will look to get on the board with Pitt's postseason game.

DECEMBER 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Desmond Reid - Out for bowl game, focused on draft Reid has opted out of Pittsburgh's bowl game to focus on the 2026 NFL Draft, Nathan Breisinger of Pittsburgh Sports Now reports.

Impact Reid declared for the 2026 NFL Draft earlier in December, but his status for Pittsburgh's bowl game was not certain immediately after his declaration. Breisinger's update confirms that the running back will not play in Pitt's upcoming game with East Carolina. Despite injuries affecting him for much of his 2025 season, Reid logged at least 500 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns for a second straight season. 2024 is what will drive his draft stock up. Reid finished the year with 184 carries for 966 yards, 52 receptions for 579 yards and 10 total touchdowns.

DECEMBER 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

How to Watch East Carolina vs. Pittsburgh: Military Bowl Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – December 27, 2025

Learn which TV channel or how to live stream the East Carolina Pirates vs. Pittsburgh Panthers Military Bowl game, Saturday, Dec. 27.

DECEMBER 26, 2025 • Data Skrive

How to Watch East Carolina vs. Pittsburgh: Military Bowl Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – December 27, 2025

East Carolina is back in the Military Bowl for a 2nd straight year, this time against Pitt

It’s not always easy to sell your fans on a trip to the same bowl two seasons in a row

DECEMBER 26, 2025 • Associated Press

Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina Prediction, Odds, Picks - December 27, 2025

Preview the Dec. 27 matchup between the Pittsburgh Panthers and East Carolina Pirates with predictions, odds, over/under, spread, betting li...

DECEMBER 24, 2025 • Data Skrive

Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina Prediction, Odds, Picks - December 27, 2025

Indiana's Cignetti and Alabama's DeBoer reflect on stints as assistants at each other's schools

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti gained plenty of knowledge from his four seasons as an assistant at Alabama under Nick Saban

DECEMBER 23, 2025 • Associated Press

From football to hockey: Nick Saban's new role with the Nashville Predators

Nick Saban knows his strengths with seven national championships as a college football coach

DECEMBER 22, 2025 • Associated Press

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2026 College Football Transfer Portal Tracker: Another Star QB Enters Portal

Inside the Numbers: How Indiana and Miami stack up going into CFP national championship game

Notre Dame continues coaching shuffle on defense by adding Charlie Partridge, moving Al Washington

Miami's defense has been airtight to fuel run to CFP semifinals. And now Ole Miss awaits

East Carolina takes advantage of 5 Pittsburgh turnovers, wins 23-17 in the Military Bowl

How to Watch East Carolina vs. Pittsburgh: Military Bowl Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – December 27, 2025

East Carolina is back in the Military Bowl for a 2nd straight year, this time against Pitt

Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina Prediction, Odds, Picks - December 27, 2025

Indiana's Cignetti and Alabama's DeBoer reflect on stints as assistants at each other's schools

From football to hockey: Nick Saban's new role with the Nashville Predators