The Panther-Lair Podcast

What would it take for Pitt to be a consistent top-25 program? How can the football team preserve the middle of the roster? Do academics still matter? And what's the latest with the Pitt women's basketball team? Answers to those questions and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.

Pitt added another commit to its 2027 recruiting class on Wednesday, and on today's Morning Pitt, we're talking about the newest prospect to pick the Panthers and more recruiting storylines as the official visit season gets closer.

The 2026-27 season is still more than six months away, but as we look more closely at Pitt's basketball roster, there just might be some reasons for optimism. Should you start raising your expectations for Pitt hoops? We're looking at the Panthers and what they might be capable of on today's episode of the Morning Pitt.

Now that the rosters are set for the Pitt football and basketball teams, let's talk about the X-factors - those players whose individual success can have the biggest impact on their team's success. We've got one option for each team, and we'd love to hear your thoughts on whether these players can be difference-makers for the Panthers.

With two more additions on Friday, the Pitt basketball roster for the 2026-27 season is seemingly complete. On today's Morning Pitt, we're looking at those two final pieces of the puzzle, how all of the transfer additions fit, what kinds of lineups Jeff Capel could use and a lot more.

From recruiting to NIL and more, we've got some great questions in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag. Can Penn State's success - or lack thereof - on the recruiting trail benefit Pitt in Western Pennsylvania? Answers to that and more in the Mailbag.

The College Football Playoff could be on the verge of expanding to 24 teams. If that happens, what effect would it have on the Pitt football program? On today's Morning Pitt, we're looking at the potential expansion, how it would impact Pitt, whether the Panthers could consistently make the CFP and a lot more.

We're looking at Pitt's 2026 football roster again today, but the focus is on one particular area: the junior class. Why don't the Panthers have many players in that year of eligibility? There are a few reasons, and we're breaking them down on the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

How much of Pitt's 2026 roster came from the transfer portal? How many seniors will the Panthers have this season? Which positions are deep? And which need some attention from the portal and recruiting? All of that and more on the Tuesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

It may have seemed like a quiet weekend in Pitt sports, but there was actually quite a bit that happened, with a surprising coaching change, a tough trip to Florida, an incoming transfer target for the Pitt hoops program and more. We're covering it all on the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt.

We've got some great questions in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag. If Cam Corhen could come back to the Pitt basketball team, how much would he help? Which Pitt quarterback is a good comparison for Mason Heintschel? And are first downs a good goal for Kade Bell's offense? Answers to those questions and more in the Morning Pitt Mailbag.

With a big series coming up for the Pitt baseball team, a fifth-year implication for Pitt volleyball and a new set of recruiting rankings, we're covering a lot of topics on the Thursday edition of the Morning Pitt. 

The NCAA is on the verge of passing a new rule that would allow student-athletes to have five years of eligibility. If that rule gets enacted, how could it impact Pitt? We're looking at the implications for Pitt football and Pitt basketball on the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

After taking a tour of Pitt's new Victory Heights facility, we were left with mixed feelings. On one hand, the building is spectacular, a tremendous asset for the Pitt athletic programs that will call it home and a treat for fans who visit. On the other hand, seeing the new facility felt like it might be the beginning of an end in college sports - or maybe just one final hurrah. We're talking about all of that and more on today's Morning Pitt. 

It's the Monday after the NFL Draft and we're thinking about Pitt's lack of representation in the Draft, how the Panthers' baseball team bounced back in a huge way and a lot more on today's Morning Pitt. 

What's the best comparison for Pitt's group of receivers this season? Will any Pitt players get drafted beyond Kyle Louis? What would be the Panthers' ideal non-conference schedule in basketball? Answers to those questions and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.

Pitt has added eight new basketball players from the transfer portal this offseason, and today we're ranking them from No. 8 to No. 1. Which newcomer will help the Panthers the most this season? Which transfer was the biggest get? All that and more on the Thursday edition of the Morning Pitt.

Pitt got some recruiting news on Tuesday, as linebacker prospect Walter Hudson committed to the Panthers. On today's Morning Pitt, we're looking at what Hudson brings to Pitt, how he fits in the defense, how Pitt's recruiting class has come together, whether recruiting still matters and a lot more.

Pitt entered spring camp with plenty of questions on defense; now that camp is over, how many of those questions have been answered? On today's Morning Pitt, we're looking at the defense - what surprised us, who stood out, which questions we still have and a lot more.

Now that spring camp is over, we're looking back at what we learned over the course of camp and we're starting with the offense. What stood out the most on offense this spring? Which questions were answered and which are still lingering? What were the biggest surprises? All that and more on the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt.

When it's all said and done, which team will make you happier next season: Pitt football or Pitt basketball? Plus, what were the biggest surprises in spring camp? Who should start at shooting guard? And what's the best comp for Mason Heintschel? Answers to those questions and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.

Pitt added another transfer on Tuesday, and now the Panthers' 2026-27 roster is really coming into focus. How does A'lahn Sumler fit with the other pieces Pitt had brought in? What does the Panthers' roster look like now? And is this group starting to get your attention? All that and more on the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

After picking up three transfer commitments over the weekend, Pitt landed three more transfers on Monday, bringing the total to six - and giving the Panthers a potential starting lineup for the first time this offseason. We're breaking down the three new transfers, what the lineup could look like and what else Pitt needs on the Tuesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

We've been waiting for Pitt to start adding some players from the transfer portal, and it happened this weekend, as the Panthers secured commitments from Jonathan Powell, Jalil Bethea and Dominique Diomande. How do Powell, Bethea and Diomande fit on Pitt's roster? And what else do the Panthers need? All that and more on the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt. 

We've got some great questions about Pitt football, basketball and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag. What do we want to see in the final scrimmage of spring camp on Saturday? Is next season make-or-break for Jeff Capel? And can anyone talk Pitt fans off the ledge? All that and more in the Mailbag.

The week continues and so does the attrition for the Pitt basketball program, as the Panthers lost another returning player to the transfer portal on Wednesday. This time, it was sophomore wing Nojus Indrusaitis, and on today's Morning Pitt, we're looking Indrusaitis' departure, what's left on the roster, why all of this is happening and more.

There was news on the basketball front on Tuesday, as Pitt lost another player to the transfer portal and one recruit from the highly-rated class decommitted. What happened? Why did those players leave the Panthers? And what is Jeff Capel's next move? All that and more on the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

For our final Hot Take Tuesday of spring camp, we're keeping the focus on the offense with a rather bold opinion about what Pitt's offense will do in the 2026 season - and how good the Panthers could become.

We're looking back and looking ahead on today's Morning Pitt, as the transfer portal for men's basketball opens on Tuesday and the football team will be wrapping up spring camp this week. Plus, Pitt baseball, softball and lacrosse had big weekends. We're covering all of that and more on the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt.

From the roles of the general managers in Pitt football and basketball to the identity of the hoops team and more, we've got some great questions in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag. Like this one: What is Athletic Director Allen Greene's tipping point with Jeff Capel? What could next season's results mean for the future of the program? All that and more in the Morning Pitt Mailbag.

Spring camp scrimmages are always interesting, because you're never quite sure what to take from them. Pitt has held two scrimmages so far this spring, and on today's Morning Pitt, we're looking at the biggest takeaways from the scrimmages, what we've learned about the team and more. Plus: the NCAA got something right yesterday.

The transfer portal started claiming Pitt players on Tuesday, with three Panthers planning to enter the portal when it opens next week. One of those losses was a big one, though: forward Roman Siulepa, who is leaving Pitt after just one season. On today's Morning Pitt, we're talking about Siulepa's departure and where the Panthers go from here.

It's time for another Hot Take Tuesday, and this week we're talking about linebackers. Everyone spent the offseason worrying about how Pitt will replace Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles, and while it remains to be seen if the Panthers can make up for their production, there's one thing this year's linebackers might have that groups in previous years didn't. All that and more on this Hot Take Tuesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

When the Pitt coaches look at players in the portal, do they tend to shy away from certain positions due to the challenges of learning the offense or defense in a short span? And do you like the Panthers at over/under 7.5 wins in 2026? Answers to those questions and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.

Pitt needs a new starter at safety, but with Cruce Brookins returning from a breakout season in 2025 and Josh Guerrier set to step into a bigger role, could the Panthers be on the verge of rolling out their next great safety duo?

This week has started with two days of coaching news on the basketball front, as the Pitt women's hoops team has a new head coach and two assistant coaches won't be returning to the staff of the men's team. On today's Morning Pitt, we're breaking down the new hire, Jeff Capel's changes and more.

It's Tuesday, and that means we've got another hot take because it's Hot Take Tuesday. After giving a hot take about the receivers last week, we're keeping the focus on Pitt's offense, and this week's hot take is about the Panthers' running backs and rushing attack. Can Pitt get something out of the running game in 2026? We're looking at that question and more on today's Morning Pitt.

The Pitt football team has held two weeks of spring camp and one scrimmage so far, and the early returns on the Panthers' offense have been positive, to say the least. Should we start getting excited about Mason Heintschel and the rest of Pitt's offense? Let's talk about it on the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt.

We've got some great questions in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag. What is Pitt's most attractive football game this season? Is there a good comparison for the Panthers' receiver room in 2026? And how much money is available for Jeff Capel? Answers to those questions and more in the Morning Pitt Mailbag.

The first over/under win totals are out for the 2026 college football season, and the number for Pitt is 7.5. Do you like the over on that? Or do you think the Panthers are headed for seven wins or less? We're looking at that number, how it compares to the rest of the ACC, how Pat Narduzzi has done against the win totals over the years and a lot more on today's Morning Pitt.

If Pitt is going to run it back with Jeff Capel, then this offseason is crucially important. Can Capel and his staff build a winning roster? Today, we're looking at Capel's history with transfers and breaking down what general manager Jay Kuntz adds to the equation. All that and more the Wednesday edition of the Morning Pitt.

We're debuting a new feature today: Hot Take Tuesday, where we say something relatively outlandish - or at least somewhat unbelievable - and then try to make a case for it. Up first: could Pitt's receivers be better in 2026 than they were in 2025?

The decision has been made: Jeff Capel is coming back for another season. Now that it's done, we're looking forward. What's next for the Pitt basketball program? What does the staff need to focus on this offseason? What players do they need to retain and what should they target in the transfer portal? All that and more on the Monday edition of the Morning Pitt.

What does Pat Narduzzi's coaching tree look like? How much of Pitt's basketball roster can be salvaged? Do the Panthers have more four-star recruits than usual? And who was the best center of the Jeff Capel era at Pitt? Answers to those questions and more in this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag.

With yesterday's 98-88 loss to N.C. State in the second round of the ACC Tournament, Pitt's 2025-26 season is over - and that means even more questions for the Panthers, as Athletic Director Allen Greene must now make a decision about the future of the program. On today's Morning Pitt, we're looking at the game, the season, Jeff Capel and a lot more.

Don't put this season in a casket just yet, as Pitt used a tremendous defensive performance and a buzzer-beating put-back to beat Stanford 64-63 in the opening round of the ACC Tournament yesterday. On today's Morning Pitt, we're looking at the standout performances in that game, what happens next and a lot more.

It's the postseason, and we're getting ready for Pitt's opening-round game in the ACC Tournament by looking at some keys to the rematch with Stanford and more. Plus, we've got some other things you should know about Pitt sports with the spring season underway.

Pitt came back from Syracuse on Saturday with a win - and a lifeline of at least one more game this season. Now the Panthers are headed to Charlotte as the No. 15 seed in the ACC Tournament, where they'll face Stanford on Tuesday at 2 pm. Today, we're talking about the win over the Orange, some standout players and more.

Eli Holstein didn't improve in his second year as Pitt's starting quarterback; what makes us confident that Mason Heintschel will? In this week's Morning Pitt Mailbag, we're answering that question and more, ranging from the potential returning hoops roster, WPIAL recruiting, basketball GMs and a lot more.

Spring camp is underway for the Pitt football team, who held its first two practices of camp on Monday and Wednesday of this week. We've been in the South Side for both sessions, and today, we're looking at some of the storylines that have stood out the most so far.

"I truly believe through the portal that we've got a better football team right now than we had last year." That's what Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said during his first press conference of spring camp on Monday, so for today's Morning Pitt, we're asking a simple question: Is he right? Let's take a look at the Panthers' 2026 roster and compare it to last year.