University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Three Storylines to Watch as Pitt Football Heads to ACC Kickoff
7/16/2026 10:00:00 AM | Football, General
Pitt heads to Charlotte on Friday for the 2026 ACC Football Kickoff, where head coach Pat Narduzzi will be joined by quarterback Mason Heintschel, offensive lineman Ryan Baer and linebacker Braylan Lovelace to preview the season.
Here are the three biggest storylines heading into the season.
1. Year Two of the Mason Heintschel Era
Heintschel walked into the starting job in week five last season as a true freshman and never looked like he belonged anywhere else. By the time the year was over, he'd started eight games, played in nine and went 6-3 in them. He also picked up ACC Rookie of the Week honors twice. The numbers back up the eye test: 201-of-316 passing for 2,354 yards, 16 touchdowns and two more scores on the ground.
He was electric from the jump. In his fourth career start, Heintschel threw for 400 yards against NC State — the first time a Pitt quarterback had hit that mark since Kenny Pickett did it in 2021.
He also connected with Blue Hicks on an 84-yard touchdown that game, tying for the longest touchdown reception by a Pitt player in Acrisure Stadium history. Heintschel kept it rolling from there, throwing for at least three touchdowns in three of his final nine games and topping 300 passing yards four times down the stretch.
Now he gets something he didn't have last fall: a full offseason as the unquestioned starter. That continuity matters, especially with a receiving corps that's about to look different.
Poppi Williams graduated and Kenny Johnson transferred, but Hicks is back after having some flashy plays last season. CJ Lee should be healthy for a full season. Bryce Yates is positioned for a bigger role, and the sophomore trio of Yates, Tony Kinsler and Heintschel has had a year to build chemistry together. Keep an eye on Cam Sapp, Malik Knight and freshman Dylan Wester as well.
In the backfield, sophomore Ja'Kyrian Turner returns as Pitt's lead back — another building block in a backfield and passing game that now has real continuity from top to bottom.
2. Braylan Lovelace Anchors a Retooled Linebacker Corps
Pitt loses its top two tacklers from a year ago, with Rasheem Biles (101 tackles) transferring and Kyle Louis (81 tackles) off to the NFL. That's a significant amount of production to replace, but the Panthers still have arguably their best defender back for one more run.
Lovelace is entering his senior season after a 2025 campaign that included 80 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two pass breakups while playing the mike position.
He'll likely slide to the outside this fall, but the impact plays will look familiar — none more than his 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in Pitt's ranked road win at Georgia Tech, which flipped the momentum of the game and stands as the program's longest pick-six since 1908.
The preseason accolades have already started rolling in: Lovelace has been named to Athlon Sports' and Phil Steele's Preseason All-ACC First Teams.
He won't be doing it alone. Cameron Lindsey returns after coming off the bench last season. Pitt also brought in two experienced transfers — Alex Sanford Jr., who's already drawing preseason watchlist attention, and Damarco Ward.
Jeremiah Marcelin is also back after missing all of last season with an injury and is expected to slide into the mike role, giving Pitt a mix of experience and fresh depth at the position.
3. Building a Healthier, Deeper Offensive Line
Pitt's offensive line has been banged up in each of the last two seasons, and this offseason's emphasis was squarely on durability.
The right side returns fully intact in Ryan Baer and BJ Williams, both preseason All-ACC honorees (Baer, Second Team; Williams, Third Team, per Athlon Sports; both Third Team on Phil Steele's list). That continuity on one side of the line gives the group a foundation to build around.
The left side and center will look different. Ryan Carretta is expected to take over at center after starting seven of his 11 appearances at left guard last season — including stepping in when Keith Gouveia went down against Louisville. He suffered an injury of his own against Notre Dame, ending his season early.
Kendall Stanley, who started seven games across both left tackle and left guard due to the injuries around him, was named the offense's most improved player this spring. He's also poised for a starting spot.
Pitt also added Penn transfer Netinho Olivieri and Akron transfer Keylen Davis. Olivieri is a two-time First Team All-Ivy League tackle and already stood out in the spring. Davis was named Third Team All-MAC pick and helped block for an offense that produced more than 4,200 yards of total offense last season.
Jivani Cooley, Torian Chester and Isaiah Montgomery add even more depth. Plus there's already excitement around younger players such as Shep Turk and John Curran.
If that isn't enough — Gouveia could return from injury at some point during the season.
