Pitt Football: 4 Key Areas to Watch vs. Miami

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Confident about its sophomore quarterback and running back there are four highlighted areas for Pitt fans to watch for as the season opens against Miami University Saturday at Acrisure Stadium at 12:30p.

WR explosion

• Panthers lost a big-play receiver, Kenny Johnson, to Texas Tech in the offseason and also second-leading receiver Poppi Williams to eligibility, and haven’t had a one-thousand-yard receiver since Jared Wayne in 2022. We’ve heard Panthers coaches rave about the speed at the receiver group, but who will step up?
• Blue Hicks showed big-time plays including an 84-yard TD in 2025, but can he be more consistent? Malik Knight is a burner and fifth-year transfer from Western Carolina where he played with OC Kade Bell. It’s the last shot for Censere Lee, another Western Carolina transfer, who was hurt for most of last year. Tony Kinsler essentially had an offensive redshirt as a freshman-he had two, thousand-yard seasons in Florida high school. Bryce Yates and Cam Sapp have shown promise in practice. Can one of these receivers be a steady, explosive force on this offense?

Offensive line

• It’s three seniors and a pair of fifth-year players in a group that offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau says is the deepest in his three years at Pitt. Ryan Baer is settled in at his comfortable right tackle spot and is a leader in his fifth season. BJ Williams has started 32 games at right guard, Ryan Carretta moves from guard to starting at center for the first time in his career. Carretta been in the program since 2023. After three years at Charlotte, Kendall Stanley started at both tackle and guard last year and will start at left guard and this year’s newcomer is Netinho Olivieri where he was an Honorable Mention All-American last year as a senior at Penn. Coaches seem confident in his ability to play at this level, but will the group give quarterback Mason Heintschel more time?

Big play D

• Year-to-year you can expect an aggressive, top end of the conference defense from Pat Narduzzi’s teams. There is a new coordinator in Cory Sanders, but he’s been in the program since 2018, so don’t expect major changes. What is new is finding who will make those game-changing plays—Kyle Louis led a group of linebackers called ‘the sharks’ for their hunting down offenses. Louis is now in the NFL, Rasheem Biles transferred to Texas. Braylan Lovelace returns and has that potential. The defensive line is deep-can seniors Jimmy Scott, Jaeden Moore, Isaiah Neal or the return of Zach Crothers help with pressure off the ends. If there is a player to watch in the Damar Hamlin/Paris Ford potential of big plays, it’s safety Cruce Brookins. New Pitt assistant head coach Harlan Barnett said, even before coaching him in a game, he’s the best player he’s ever coached. Can the Steel Valley HS grad be a game-changer on defense?

Focus

• Last year, Panthers took care of business against Duquesne and Western Carolina, but in 2024 was in a seven-point game with Kent State in the third quarter and lost to Toledo in a bowl game. Below is what Pitt said about focus against the RedHawks.