Since 1975, Pitt has honored its two most improved players during spring drills with the Ed Conway Award, named for the former Panthers radio play-by-play voice who died a year prior.

On Saturday, the 51st iteration of the Ed Conway Award was presented to offensive lineman Kendall Stanley and linebacker Davin Brewton.

“Honestly, I don’t even have any words,” Stanley said. “To understand that my peers and my coaches think that of me, I really appreciate it. Just have to continue to go to work.”

Brewton was similarly touched by the honor.

“I definitely was surprised,” Brewton said. “I was really happy. Heart was beating fast when I got up there, but I knew I put a lot of work in, going from the winter time to the spring time, so I knew there was a lot of improvement along the way. I definitely was happy, but also surprised.”

Stanley, a UNC Charlotte transfer who joined Pitt in 2025, enjoyed a large role with the Panthers in Year 1.

Playing in all 13 games and starting seven in a revolving role at left guard and tackle last fall, Stanley this spring has positioned himself as a full-time starter up front.

While he continues to express a willingness to play multiple positions, this spring, coach Pat Narduzzi played him primarily at left guard, flanked at tackle by Penn transfer Netinho Olivieri.

Along with fellow returners Ryan Carretta (center), B.J. Williams (right guard) and Ryan Baer (right tackle), Stanley will add continuity at offensive line for Pitt heading into 2026.

For Narduzzi, the leaps Stanley has made in his second year at Pitt have been palpable.

“He’s played some tackle, he’s played some guard, he’s athletic, he’s put on 15 pounds,” Narduzzi said. “He was playing light last year at left tackle and guard. It’s another year in the program, his second spring, it’s called development and that’s what we do.

“I just think another year of the terminology, knowing where to go and being able to play fast,it’s hard to play fast when you don’t know what you’re doing. … You have to know what you’re doing, you have to put in the time but it’s a process.”

Brewton’s role with the Panthers this season remains a question mark.

Brewton, a redshirt sophomore in his third year at Pitt, played in nine games last year.

To be sure, it is a new era at linebacker for Pitt, which saw position group leader and All-American Kyle Louis declare for the NFL Draft, with All-ACC selection Rasheem Biles transferring to Texas in the offseason.

To replace those key players, Pitt went out and got Alex Sanford Jr. from Purdue and DeMarco Ward from Memphis.

Plus, Braylan Lovelace is back for his senior campaign, Cam Lindsey returns and Jeremiah Marcelin looks to get in the mix following a season-ending injury suffered last August.

Where Brewton fits into the mix this fall remains to be seen, but with his improvement this spring he’s made himself a more trustable asset for the Panthers.

“Davin’s worked his tail off,” Narduzzi said. “He’s in early, he’s studying the game and I think (linebacker) coach (Joe) Bowen’s done a great job with developing him. It’s really fundamentals and him becoming a better finisher.”