The Panther-Lair Podcast

It's the first day of training camp, and we're taking an extra long look at Pitt's defense. How will the Panthers replace the production of Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles? Which newcomers will make the biggest impact? Will the defensive ends step up their play? Plus: a bold prediction, the top position battles and more.

Pitt starts training camp on Wednesday, so today we're getting you ready with a full breakdown of the Panthers' offense. What are the five biggest questions on that side of the ball? Which newcomer is one to watch? Where are the biggest position battles? We've got answers to those questions and more - plus a bold prediction on Pitt's offense in 2026.

There was major news over the weekend, as an injunction from federal judge ruled that fifth-year players can get an extra year of eligibility. For Pitt, that means two prominent players: Desmond Reid in football and Cam Corhen in basketball. Could those two have another year as Panthers? Would it make sense to bring them back? We're looking at all angles on the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Whose Pitt all-stars would win: Pat Narduzzi or Dave Wannstedt? Which freshmen could be sleepers and get a lot of hype early in training camp? Will Kade Bell's offense evolve in Year Three? And could Pitt end up with some first-team all-conference players? We're answering those questions and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.

Pitt basketball general manager Jay Kuntz has been on the job for 13 months, and in the last four of those months, he has rebuilt the Panthers' roster virtually from the ground up. Today, he's joining us to talk about what stands out to him about Pitt's roster, why he has been so visible this offseason, what he thinks of student-athletes unionizing and a lot more.

We've got a lot to cover today after some good news for Pitt, some bad news for Pitt, some preseason polls and more. We're digging into all of it on the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Pitt's cornerbacks have been kind of quiet for the last two years, with just five interceptions over the last two seasons combined. Can the Panthers do better in 2026? We think they can, and we're making a prediction about it on the Tuesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

We're feeling a bit of optimism about Pitt's offense this morning, and that's why we've two somewhat bold predictions (that become even bolder if we make them guarantees). We think a pair of Panthers will hit some significant individual benchmarks in 2026, and we're telling you why on the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt.

In this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag, we're answering questions about Pitt's kicker situation, replacing production at receiver, if NIL can keep top players in place, how the offensive line depth looks and a lot more. Check it all out right here in the Morning Pitt Mailbag.

We've got a special guest on today's Morning Pitt: it's former Pitt quarterback Max Browne, who will be part of the broadcast team for ACC primetime games this fall. Max joins us to talk about the ACC, Pitt, Mason Heintschel and a lot more.

Mason Heintschel is viewed as a top-25 quarterback nationally and a top-five signal-caller in the ACC. What does Pitt's sophomore starter need to do to elevate in 2026? We've got two key areas he needs to focus on - for himself and for the team - on the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Pitt's 2026 season is still more than a month away, but today we're running down the 12 games on the Panthers' slate. Which games should Pitt be able to win and which games will be the biggest challenges? We're ranking the schedule from easiest to toughest on the Tuesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

There are things we know and things we don't, and position battles are the intersection of both - we know position battles will happen, but we don't know who will win them. On the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt, we're looking at some of the biggest position battles on Pitt's 2026 roster.

This week's Morning Pitt Mailbag has more great questions. Is Pitt's schedule harder at home or on the road? Which team - Pitt football or Pitt basketball - will experience more success? And what are our predictions for the Panthers' offense this season? All that and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.

After talking about Pitt's special teams yesterday, we're shifting back to the defense for a look at three of the most under-the-radar storylines surrounding that side of the ball. Do the Panthers have depth issues at one key spot? What will the rotation look like in another key group? And how much bigger has Pitt's defense gotten? All that and more on today's Morning Pitt.

We have spent a lot of time talking about Pitt's offense and defense this offseason, but what about special teams? It's time to look at the third phase of the game - which is especially important in 2026 since the Panthers are replacing virtually every special teams contributor from last season. How does Pitt look at kicker, punter and returner? We're breaking it down on the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Pitt has a lot of question marks at wide receiver this season after losing its top two receivers and adding just one wideout from the transfer portal. What can the Panthers' receivers do in order to have a successful season? We're looking at the situation on today's Morning Pitt.

Pitt's running game hasn't been a strength of the Panthers' offense since 2022, but there's a chance this year's crop of backs - with the right approach to play-calling - could produced the best rushing attack Pitt has had in a long time. We're looking at why and how that could happen on today's Morning Pitt.

If we look ahead to the 2026-27 athletic year for Pitt, what are the five topics or storylines we are most curious about? That's a great question, and we're answering that one and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.

What are the best wins of the Pat Narduzzi era at Pitt? After counting down Nos. 10-6 on Wednesday, we're moving onto the top five. From a pair of wins over the Panthers' oldest rivals to some huge victories on the biggest stages, these five wins are some of the best in Pitt history. All that and more on the Thursday edition of the Morning Pitt.

It's time for another countdown, and we're ranking the top wins of the Pat Narduzzi era at Pitt. We've got it down to a top 10, and on today's Morning Pitt, we're rolling out Nos. 10-6. What makes a big win? And what are the some of the biggest wins the Panthers have pulled off since Narduzzi became head coach in 2015? We're looking at the first five today.

Pitt's newest initiative for building rosters through NIL is the H2PNIL program, which will connect corporate sponsors with Pitt athletes in a variety of ways. Today we're joined by Pitt administrator Pat Bostick, who is leading the charge for the H2PNIL initiative. Pat talks about how H2PNIL works, why it's important and what he sees in the future - short-term and long-term - for Pitt athletics. All that and more on the Tuesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Some questions are easier than others, and our question today is not one of them. What are the top-five position groups on Pitt's roster for 2026? That should be an easy question, but it's not, and on today's Morning Pitt we're looking at a few options and why it's harder than it should be to name them.

How does Kade Bell stack up against the last 20 years of Pitt offensive coordinators? Which freshman will play the most in 2026? And which former Pat Narduzzi players would help this year's Panthers the most? Answers to those questions and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.

Some ratings are coming out for the EA Sports College Football 2027 video game, and we've got a look at the top 10 Pitt players according to the ratings in the game. Who did EA Sports get right? Which players should have been higher or lower? And who would we add to the list if we were making it. All that and more on the Thursday edition of the Morning Pitt.

We've got a special guest on today's Morning Pitt: It's Jon Baldwin, the former Aliquippa standout, Pitt star receiver, first-round Draft pick and father of 2027 Pitt commit Jaden Baldwin. Today Jon is talking to us about what his son will bring to the Panthers, how the recruiting process has changed, his memories as a star receiver at Pitt and a lot more. 

Pitt got another commitment for the recruiting class of 2027 over the weekend, and we're starting the week with a closer look at the new commit, how he fits with the team and what his position group looks like with the Panthers. All that and more on the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt.

On today's Morning Pitt, we're talking about Pitt's newest commitment and answering your questions, like this one: How have the Panthers done against quarterbacks who went on to be selected in the NFL Draft? We've got some interesting info for that question and more on the Friday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Pitt's commitment list for the 2027 recruiting class is shorter by one after the Panthers lost a receiver prospect on Tuesday when he flipped to a Big Ten school. Also on Tuesday, the NCAA made a major rule change - and it will have a significant impact on Pitt. We're talking about both of those big stories on the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Historically, Pitt's defense has been pretty good and reliable under Pat Narduzzi (we think). So what do we expect out of the Panthers in 2026? Let's look at the defense from front to back and everywhere in between with a full breakdown on today's Morning Pitt.

As we head into the final week of June, we're diving headlong into our previews of Pitt football in 2026. To start, we're looking at the Panthers' offense: Where are they strong? Where are they weak? Where is the depth? Where will the two-deep be tested? What do we believe in and what are we questioning? All of that and more on the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt.

There are still two weeks left in June, but Pitt already has 24 commitments for the class of 2027, so today we're asking the question: what more do the Panthers need? We're breaking down the current state of the class, remaining targets and a lot more on the Thursday edition of the Morning Pitt.

We've got a lot to talk about on today's Morning Pitt. From another new commitment for the Pitt football team to a new NIL arrangement, a questionable basketball scheduling decision and some big-time news for the Pitt volleyball program, we're covering it all and more on the Wednesday episode of the Morning Pitt.

The great Phil Steele released his preseason All-ACC teams this week, and Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel made the cut. Where does Heintschel rank among the quarterbacks in the conference? Should he be higher than where Steele put him? Or should others be above him? We're discussing all of that and more on today's Morning Pitt.

Pitt's second official visit weekend of the month produced more commitments, as the Panthers landed verbal pledges from a quarterback and a cornerback for the 2027 recruiting class. On today's Morning Pitt, we're looking at the newest commits, how they fit with the class and a lot more.

Now that Pitt needs a new quarterback for the 2027 recruiting class, what will offensive coordinator Kade Bell do? In today's Morning Pitt Mailbag, we're answering that question and a lot more.

Pitt is set to host its second set of big official visits this weekend, and on today's Morning Pitt, we're getting you ready for it with a full preview of which recruits are coming to town, where Pitt stands with them and a lot more.

Tuesday turned out to be a big recruiting day, as Pitt landed two new commitments - including one big-time wide receiver and a priority defensive end - but also lost a commitment when one of the class's first recruits decided to reopen his recruitment. We're recapping all of the news on the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Everywhere you look in college sports these days, there are plenty of things that suck. So, in order to switch things up, we're looking at the other side: things that don't suck. From a generational talent to something that's sure to make you feel good, we've got five things in Pitt sports that don't suck right now.

Pitt Athletic Director Allen Greene met the media last week and covered a lot of topics from the decision to retain Jeff Capel to engaging the community and more. On today's Morning Pitt, we're looking at five of the most notable things Greene said.

Which recruits still on the board from Pitt's official visit weekend could end up as Panthers? Could a super league work in college football? Will Pitt have an All-American? Will the Panthers' basketball team make the NCAA Tournament? Answers to those questions and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.

Pitt won't be hosting any official visitors this weekend, but there's still plenty to talk about. How does last weekend's recruiting success stack up against previous years' official visit weekends? And how many of these June commitments do the Panthers typically end up signing? All that and more on the Thursday edition of the Morning Pitt.

We're cleaning up some odds and ends on today's Morning Pitt. First, we're breaking down the impact of a roster move that is leaving Pitt with one fewer freshman than expected on the 2026 team. Then, we're looking at the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2026, which is loaded with fan favorites and record-breakers. And we've got a breakdown of Pitt's candidates for the College Football Hall of Fame. All that and more on the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Pitt's commitment run kept going on Monday when the Panthers landed four-star linebacker Jeremiah Proctor. On today's Morning Pitt, we're talking about how Proctor fits into Pitt's defense, where that leaves the class and why Pittsburgh is the perfect place for these June official visits.

Pitt's first official visit weekend of the summer was a success, as the Panthers landed 10 commitments and came out of the weekend with 19 total recruits in the class of 2027. On today's Morning Pitt, we're talking about who committed to Pitt, where that leaves the class and what's next for the Panthers.

From discussing the floor for Pitt football to talking about recruiting, the basketball team's conference opponents for this season, kickoff times and a lot more, we've got some great questions and topics to get into on this week's edition of the Morning Pitt Mailbag.

Get ready for Pitt's first big official visit weekend of the year with our preview here on the Morning Pitt. We've got a full breakdown of the recruits who are visiting, where the Panthers stand with each of them and which ones are the most notable. It's all here on the Thursday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Pitt's first official visit weekend of the year is going to be a big one with more than 20 recruits coming to town. On the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt, we're looking five of the most notable prospects on the list, from a four-star linebacker to a key quarterback and more.

Now that the 2025-26 athletic year is officially over for Pitt, how do the Panthers' teams rank for their performances this season? We're going from the worst to the first on the Tuesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

On the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt, we're starting the week with a look at the NCAA Tournament hopes for the Pitt baseball team, the Panthers' newest football commitment, Pitt's recent history of offensive line recruiting and a lot more.

If they had to be honest, what would you ask Jeff Capel and Pat Narduzzi? If you could build a conference, who would be the ideal teams to join Pitt? If you could pick an all-conference performer, which player would help the football Panthers the most this season? Answers to those questions and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.