Pittsburgh Panthers
· 2026-07-03
The Pittsburgh Panthers will face Miami in 2026, with the game potentially deciding the king of the ACC.
The Panthers finished 8-5 last season and 6-2 in the ACC, with Pat Narduzzi at the helm.
They have a strong backfield with Ja'Kyrian Turner and Western Kentucky transfer La'Vell Wright.
Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel is gearing up to be one of the top arms in the conference this year.
The offensive line, however, needs to improve from last year's lackluster performance.
The unit allowed over three sacks per contest and was graded as one of the worst units in the country.
The defense, led by Narduzzi's 4-3 scheme, should be solid with returning production on the corners.
Shadarian Harrison and Shawn Lee Jr. are back, and Auburn transfer Raion Strader is looking to make an impact.
The Panthers' next game is vs Miami (OH) RedHawks on 2026-09-05.
And with a full season ahead, the Panthers are looking to make a statement in the ACC.
But they will need to improve their offensive line to compete with talented teams like Miami.
So the Panthers will need to come into the game on point to take down the Hurricanes.
The Panthers' running back stable will be a strong point, as it has been with most Narduzzi units.
The calling card of most Narduzzi units is the defense, which was solid last year but lost two stud linebackers.
The linebacking corps should still be more than solid, but replacing two stars is never easy.
The Panthers are one of the few teams on the schedule talented enough to make Miami pay for it if they don't come into the game on point.