The 2026 Pitt football season is almost here, and the reports coming out of training camp have been overwhelmingly positive — particularly on offense.

In this episode of the Pittsburgh Football Podcast, I break down everything we’ve heard from Pitt training camp and what I think actually matters as the Panthers prepare for the season.

The biggest story is Mason Heintschel. After bursting onto the scene as a freshman last season, Heintschel appears to have taken another significant step forward. Pitt’s offense has performed extremely well in camp, Heintschel has drawn rave reviews from both local and national media, and there’s growing reason to believe Pitt could have one of the better quarterbacks and offenses in the ACC.

We also dive into Ja'Kyrian Turner’s development at running back, the emergence of true freshman Damon Ferguson, Censere Lee and Pitt’s speedy wide receiver room, why the offense winning Pitt’s training camp scrimmages is noteworthy, and why I’m not particularly concerned about Pat Narduzzi’s defense despite some significant personnel losses.

Finally, we break down one of the strangest stories in college football: the new 5-for-5 eligibility rules and whether former Pitt players could return for another season.

Could Desmond Reid actually return to Pitt after spending time with the Buffalo Bills? Is Justin Holmes a more realistic option? And if Pitt has an opportunity to bring back a player who can immediately make the team better, should they do it?

We break it all down as Pitt gets ready to kick off the 2026 season. Subscribe to the Pittsburgh Football Podcast for more Pitt Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers coverage throughout the football season.

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TIME STAMPS:

00:00 — Intro
03:37 — Mason Heintschel’s impressive training camp
13:57 — Other intel on the offense
22:15 — intel on the defense
26:02 — Could Desmond Reid & Justin Holmes be coming back to Pitt?