University of Pittsburgh Athletics
11/2/2026 3:00:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH—Fifth-year wide receiver Censere Lee has been named to the 2026 Comeback Player of the Year Award Mid-Season Watch List, College Sports Communicators announced Monday in association with The Associated Press and Fiesta Sports Foundation.
Lee is one of 38 college football student-athletes under consideration for the award, which recognizes players who have overcome injury, illness or other circumstances.
After injuries curtailed each of his first two seasons at Pitt, Lee has played in all nine games this fall, totaling 24 receptions for 267 yards and four touchdowns. He ranks third on the team in receptions and receiving yards and second in touchdown catches.
His 2026 production already exceeds his combined totals from his first two seasons with the Panthers, when he recorded 24 catches for 340 yards and three touchdowns.
The Clearwater, Fla., native transferred to Pitt from Western Carolina in January 2024. He caught 19 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns in his debut season before sustaining a season-ending injury against Clemson that sidelined him for the final three games.
Lee continued working through the injury in 2025, appearing in four games and recording five receptions for 86 yards while preserving a redshirt season.
His return has helped the Panthers compile a 6-3 overall record, including a 3-3 mark in ACC play, following Saturday's 34-11 victory over Georgia Tech.
Lee was also named to the award's preseason watch list in August.
Established in 2018, the Comeback Player of the Year Award honors three student-athletes each season. Winners are selected by a panel of college football writers, editors and sports information directors and recognized at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
