Transfer portal · 2026
Pittsburgh Panthers
Both windowsProjected two-deep impacti
+18
Projected two-deep roles added · 2026 arrivals
Pittsburgh added 18 transfers projected into the two-deep (8 as starters) against 20 departures whose next roles aren’t tracked here. Every number on this page is counted, not modelled — no composite portal grade is published because no defensible one exists yet.
19
Arrivals
-1
20
Departures
0.85
Avg rating in
-0.01
0.86
Avg rating out
18
Proj two-deep in
—
—
Out roles untracked
10 of 19
’25 production in
—
14 of 20
’25 production out
What changed
Depth concern
More players out than in with no two-deep answer — depth, not the starting line, is the exposure.
How the roster changed
39 moves · 13 rooms touchediOffense-3 net players
Replaced+1 player
TE
+2 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Elijah Lagg in from UAB drives the room.
Replaced—
WR
+2 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Kenny Johnson out to Texas Tech drives the room.
Replaced-1 player
QB
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
Eli Holstein out to Virginia drives the room.
Replaced-1 player
RB
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
?
Juelz Goff out to Boise State drives the room.
Depth concern-2 players
OL
+2 in · −4 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Lyndon Cooper out to Vanderbilt drives the room.
Defense+1 net players
Upgraded+2 players
CB
+3 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Raion Strader in from Auburn drives the room.
Replaced+1 player
LB
+2 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Rasheem Biles out to Texas drives the room.
Replaced—
DL
+2 in · −2 out
InOut
Francis Brewu out to Notre Dame drives the room.
Unresolved-1 player
EDGE
+0 in · −1 out
InOut
No arrivals
Maverick Gracio out to Ball State drives the room.
Unresolved-1 player
S
+0 in · −1 out
InOut
No arrivals
Jesse Anderson out to Kentucky drives the room.
Specialists+1 net players
Upgraded+1 player
P
+1 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
No departures
Gabe Russo in from Idaho State drives the room.
Upgraded—
K
+2 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Sam Hunsaker in from NAU drives the room.
Replaced—
LS
+1 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Henry Searcy out to Charlotte drives the room.
ArrivalDepartureHeavy ring · proj starter inThin ring · rotation inDotted · depth role or no ’25 recordMarker size = ’25 usage share (smallest = none recorded)
Did Pittsburgh replace what it lost?
Role slots, not player-for-playerReplaced3 chains
OL
Starting slot
Out · to Vanderbilt
Lyndon Cooper
rating 0.86
Upgrade
Medium confidence
In · from Akron
Keylen Davis
rating 0.85 · 1 tkl · lg1 starter
Jan 8
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to Kent State
Davion Pritchard
rating 0.84 · 1 tkl
Upgrade
High confidence
In · from Auburn
Raion Strader
rating 0.87 · 9 tkl · 2 PD · rcb1 starter
Jan 8
▾ Detail
LS
Starting slot
Out · to Charlotte
Henry Searcy
rating 0.80
Replaced
Low confidence
In · from Purdue
Justin Schmidt
no ’25 production record · ls1 starter
Jan 9
▾ Detail
Partially replaced10 chains
QB
Rotation slot
Out · to Virginia
Eli Holstein
rating 0.86 · 38% ’25 usage · 77/125 · 1,081 pass yds · 12 TD · 6 INT
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Texas State
Holden Geriner
rating 0.83 · 4% ’25 usage · qb2 rotation
Jan 16
▾ Detail
RB
Rotation slot
Out · to Boise State
Juelz Goff
rating 0.86 · 11% ’25 usage · 270 rush yds · 3.9 ypc · 5 TD · 12 rec
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Western Kentucky
La'Vell Wright
rating 0.85 · 11% ’25 usage · 471 rush yds · 5.5 ypc · 10 TD · 10 rec · rb2 rotation
Jan 10
▾ Detail
WR
Starting slot
Out · to Texas Tech
Kenny Johnson
rating 0.86 · 8% ’25 usage · 47 rec · 658 yds · 5 TD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Western Carolina
Malik Knight
rating 0.83 · x1 starter
Jan 7
▾ Detail
WR
Rotation slot
Out · to Wagner
Zion Fowler-El
rating 0.84 · 5% ’25 usage · 7 rec · 60 yds · 1 TD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Western Carolina
Censere Lee
no ’25 production record · z2 rotation
—
▾ Detail
TE
Starting slot
Out · to LSU
Malachi Thomas
rating 0.86 · 3% ’25 usage · 13 rec · 192 yds · 2 TD
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Oklahoma
Carson Kent
rating 0.87 · 2% ’25 usage · 3 rec · 26 yds · te1 starter
Jan 9
▾ Detail
DL
Rotation slot
Out · to Notre Dame
Francis Brewu
rating 0.94 · 34 tkl · 6 TFL · 1 sk
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Illinois
Jeremiah Warren
rating 0.86 · 3 tkl · nt2 rotation
Jan 10
▾ Detail
DL
Rotation slot
Out · to Nebraska
Jahsear Whittington
rating 0.86 · 12 tkl · 3.5 TFL · 1 sk
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Tulane
Eliyt Nairne
rating 0.85 · 10 tkl · dt2 rotation
Jan 11
▾ Detail
LB
Starting slot
Out · to Texas
Rasheem Biles
rating 0.93 · 100 tkl · 17 TFL · 4.5 sk · 2 INT
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Purdue
Alex Sanford Jr.
rating 0.86 · 47 tkl · 3.5 TFL · 1 PD · money1 starter
Jan 14
▾ Detail
K
Starting slot
Out · to Michigan
Trey Butkowski
20/23 FG · 103 pts
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from NAU
Sam Hunsaker
rating 0.83 · pk1 starter
Jan 14
▾ Detail
K
Rotation slot
Out · to Sam Houston
Sam Carpenter
1/3 FG · 9 pts
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Western Illinois
Antonio Chadha
no ’25 production record · pk2 rotation
—
▾ Detail
Not replaced3 chains
QB
Production lost
Out · to Charlotte
Cole Gonzales
13% ’25 usage · 11/22 · 118 pass yds · 1 TD · 1 INT
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No further two-deep addition
1 two-deep arrival answers other losses
Jan 8
▾ Detail
EDGE
Production lost
Out · to Ball State
Maverick Gracio
rating 0.84 · 4 tkl · 1.5 TFL · 1 sk
Unresolved
Loss not replaced
In
No portal addition
Jan 10
▾ Detail
S
Production lost
Out · to Kentucky
Jesse Anderson
rating 0.85 · 2 tkl
Unresolved
Loss not replaced
In
No portal addition
Jan 9
▾ Detail
Quality vs experience
Portal rating
0.750.800.850.900.951.00
No ’25 usage recordHigh-upside betProven impactDevelopmentalExperienced depthHolsteinWright
0%20%40%60%
’25 usage share of previous team’s snapsets
9 unrated moves not plotted — see the ledger
How much Pittsburgh depends on transfers
Projected 2026 two-deep · 52 slotsQuarterback50%
1
1
Skill (RB/WR/TE)60%
4
1
5
Offensive line40%
6
2
2
Front seven (EDGE/DL/LB)50%
6
2
4
Secondary (CB/S)20%
8
2
Specialists88%
1
1
6
Returning signeesPrior-cycle transfers2026 transfers
50%
Projected two-deep from transfers
26 of 52 two-deep slots
13 of 27
Projected starters from transfers
9 from the 2026 cycle, 4 held over
38th
ACC percentile · transfer share
11th-most transfer-dependent two-deep of 17 ACC teams
Returning portal corePrior-cycle transfers still in the two-deep
Nick James
DL · from Indiana · 2024 cycle · NT1 starter
21 tkl
’25 · Pittsburgh
Kendall Stanley
OL · from Charlotte · 2025 cycle · LT1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Keith Gouveia
OL · from Richmond · 2025 cycle · LG2 rotation
—
no ’25 record
Jaeden Moore
EDGE · from Oregon · 2025 cycle · LDE2 rotation
2 tkl
’25 · Pittsburgh
Cataurus Hicks
WR · from Louisville · 2025 cycle · Z1 starter
6%
’25 usage · Pittsburgh
Where Pittsburgh’s transfers came from — and where they went
Sources · 19 arrivals20 departures · destinations
Non-FBS
8 players
Big Ten
3 players
American Athletic
3 players
SEC
2 players
Mid-American
1 player
Conference USA
1 player
Other
1 player
+
SEC
4 players
Conference USA
3 players
American Athletic
2 players
Big Ten
2 players
Mid-American
2 players
+
Unannounced
1 player
+
Other
6 players
Pittsburgh
-1 net moves
Arrived from · 19
Non-FBS
8 players
Big Ten
3 players
American Athletic
3 players
SEC
2 players
Mid-American
1 player
Conference USA
1 player
+
Other
1 player
Departed to · 20
SEC
4 players
Conference USA
3 players
American Athletic
2 players
Big Ten
2 players
Mid-American
2 players
+
Unannounced
1 player
+
Other
6 players
8arrivals came from Non-FBS programs — the single largest source.
18arrivals are projected straight into the two-deep (5 of 19 arrivals came from P4 leagues).
1departure stayed inside the ACC.
How the window developed
Cumulative net moves · in − out3 undated moves not plotted
All portal moves
39 of 39 moves match · 25 shownShow
Role in
Sort
PlayerPosDirectionOrigin / destinationRating’25 productionEligProjected roleDate
RS
Winter window · 3★
CK
Winter window · 3★
JW
Winter window · 3★
AS
Winter window · 3★
KT
Winter window · 3★
KD
Winter window · 3★
DW
Winter window · 3★
LW
Winter window · 3★
EN
Winter window · 3★
EL
Winter window · 3★
ZF
Winter window · 3★
NO
Winter window · 3★