When Mason Heintschel takes his first rep Saturday at Acrisure Stadium in Pitt’s 2026 Blue-Gold Spring Game, he’ll be in a vastly different position than a year ago.
Last April, he was a wide-eyed, true freshman at the bottom of the depth chart.
Still, despite being in the program for only four months at the time, he threw for 114 yards and a score – a 65-yarder to Blue Hicks.
Heintschel is the leading man now, Pitt’s returning quarterback who took over mid-season last fall, impressed and deflected opportunities to transfer in order to return to the Panthers.
At 1 p.m. Saturday, the 6-foot-2 true sophomore will try to demonstrate how he’s grown after starting eight games in 2025.
“I think the game’s slowed down a little bit for me, for sure,” Heintschel said. “Especially compared to last spring, coming in, my head was kind of spinning just trying to learn the offense. I’m just trying to play as fast as I can, trying to get the ball out. But now, being able to dissect the defense, watching film and seeing what they’re doing, identifying the different looks we’re getting.
“That’s only going to help us and the offense be better. It’s helped me to be able to know where to go with the football before we snap the ball. That’s a big thing for me, trying to have an answer for everything.”
Heintschel gave credit to Pitt’s offensive linemen for their performance this spring.
From left to right, the Panthers’ first-team unit has comprised of Penn transfer Netinho Olivieri plus returners Kendall Stanley, Ryan Carretta, B.J. Williams and Ryan Baer.
At tailback, rising redshirt freshman Synkwan Smith and Western Kentucky transfer La’Vell Wright will look to showcase how they might complement Ja’Kyrian Turner.
As far as Heintschel’s targets at wideout, that may well prove to be a revolving door, as Western Carolina transfer Malik Knight; sophomores Tony Kinsler, Tyreek Robinson and Bryce Yates; plus freshmen Rodney Dunbar, Demetrice MrCray and Dylan Wester are all candidates vying for a role.
Regardless of how the first-team reps shake out, Heintschel wants to lead a clean performance by the offense, ending spring on a strong note.
“Just want to be efficient, making sure our guys are lining up in the right spots and we’re being efficient as an offense, not getting behind the sticks,” Heintschel said. “That’s a big thing for us, staying ahead of the sticks and then getting the ball to our playmakers to put on a show — we’ve got some really talented skill players. … When the ball is in my hands, get it to our guys to go make plays.”
The aftermath of the spring game for Pitt and programs across the nation will be notably different this year.
That’s due to the elimination of the spring transfer portal window.
Previously, FBS student-athletes had the ability to enter the portal during two offseason windows: once in January and again in April, but last fall, the NCAA approved moving to a single offseason portal period in January.
With the opportunity to transfer having passed, no potential roster exodus will follow Pitt’s spring game.
“I know with that not looming on the horizon, I’m excited,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “As coaches, I think it’s the right thing to do. You’ve got your team together.”
Granted, the former spring window was rarely a time for expected starters to hit the portal. Instead, players seeing writing on the wall as to their place lower on the depth chart usually comprised the crowd that opted to seek new surroundings.
Either way, major changes to the roster won’t be something Narduzzi and his staff have to worry about beyond Saturday.
Note: Pitt’s spring game is not open to fans and will not be televised. A radio broadcast will be available on 1020 KDKA-AM.