Pitt football has gone through quite a bit of change since the end of its 2024 season. A season marked by an elite start that ended with six straight losses has seen personnel turnover on both sides of the ball.
This began, as it does with every team in the transfer portal era, at the end of the team’s season. The departures came in droves. Pitt lost a few starters and plenty of depth pieces.
Redshirt junior quarterback Nate Yarnell entered the portal after playing for parts of three years with the team, as did junior running back Rodney Hammond — both entering within a week of the end of the season.
Redshirt junior cornerback Noah Biglow and defensive lineman Nakhi Johnson both also entered their names following the end of the regular season.
Other notable names from Pitt to enter the portal were redshirt sophomore defensive back Ryland Gandy, first-year defensive lineman Sincere Edwards, sophomore linebacker Jordan Bass and redshirt junior wide receiver Daejon Reynolds.
On the other side of the portal, Pitt has made some moves. While none are the biggest names available in the class, they should shore up positions of need, especially those decimated by the portal.
Redshirt first-year wide receiver Catarus Hicks will join a receiving corps that is reeling from the loss of both Reynolds and senior Konata Mumpfield, who is entering the 2025 NFL Draft process. Hicks, coming from Louisville, will join with fellow redshirt first-year Andy Jean, who left Florida for Pitt. The first commitment to Pitt from the portal was redshirt senior wide receiver Deuce Spann, who joined Pitt from Florida State.
In the secondary, sophomore Jayden Bonsu out of Ohio State will look to start at the safety position. Closer to the ball, redshirt senior edge rusher Blaine Spires out of Utah State and senior defensive lineman Joey Zelinsky out of Eastern Michigan will both look to make some impact plays players.
Rounding out the class to this point is redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Kendall Stanley, who joins Pitt from Charlotte.
As for the high school side of things, Pitt has officially signed 21 players for the incoming class.
On the offensive side of the ball, Pitt has signed quarterback Mason Heintschel, running backs Jaylin Brown, Synkwan Smith and Ja’Kyrian Turner, tight end Max Hunt, wide receivers Bryce Yates, Tony Kinsler and Cameron Sapp as well as linemen Torian Chester, Shep Turk, Jordan Fields and Akram Elnagmi.
On defense, Pitt signed defensive linemen JuJu Anderson, Denim Cook and Trevor Sommers, linebackers Emmanuel Taylor and Justin Thompson, and defensive backs Shawn Lee Jr., Joshua Guerrier, Cole Woodson and Mason Alexander — the highest-rated recruit of the Panthers’ 2025 high school recruiting class.
It is too early to tell if any of the moves that Pitt has made this offseason will pan out, but they certainly made many to try to improve for the coming season. With tough games at home against Notre Dame and Miami, the team will need to have a quite talented roster in order to give itself the edge at home.
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