Transfer portal · 2026
Pittsburgh Panthers
Both windowsProjected two-deep impacti
+17
Projected two-deep roles added · 2026 arrivals
Pittsburgh added 17 transfers projected into the two-deep (9 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.
18
Arrivals
-2
20
Departures
0.85
Avg rating in
-0.01
0.86
Avg rating out
17
Proj two-deep in
—
—
Out roles untracked
10 of 18
’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
38 moves · 13 rooms touchediOffense-3 net players
Replaced+1 player
TE
+2 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Malachi Thomas out to LSU drives the room.
Replaced—
WR
+2 in · −2 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
Kenny Johnson out to Texas Tech drives the room.
Replaced-1 player
RB
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
?
La'Vell Wright in from Western Kentucky drives the room.
Replaced-1 player
QB
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
Eli Holstein out to Virginia 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.
Defense0 net players
Upgraded+2 players
CB
+3 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
DeMarco Ward in from Memphis drives the room.
Replaced—
DL
+2 in · −2 out
InOut
Francis Brewu out to Notre Dame drives the room.
Replaced—
LB
+1 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Rasheem Biles out to Texas 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
Trey Butkowski out to Michigan 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 production percentile (smallest = none recorded)
Did Pittsburgh replace what it lost?
Role slots, not player-for-playerReplaced4 chains
WR
Starting slot
Out · to Wagner
Zion Fowler-El
rating 0.84 · 35th pctl ’25 production · 7 rec · 60 yds · 1 TD
Replaced
Medium confidence
In · from Western Carolina
Censere Lee
no ’25 production record · wr21 starter
—
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to Kent State
Davion Pritchard
rating 0.84 · 0th pctl ’25 production · 1 tkl
Upgrade
High confidence
In · from Auburn
Raion Strader
rating 0.87 · 47th pctl ’25 production · 9 tkl · 2 PD · cb21 starter
Jan 8
▾ Detail
K
Starting slot
Out · to Michigan
Trey Butkowski
86th pctl ’25 production · 20/23 FG · 103 pts
Replaced
Medium confidence
In · from Western Illinois
Antonio Chadha
no ’25 production record · ko1 starter
—
▾ 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 replaced9 chains
QB
Rotation slot
Out · to Virginia
Eli Holstein
rating 0.86 · 64th pctl ’25 production · 77/125 · 1,081 pass yds · 12 TD · 6 INT
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Texas State
Holden Geriner
rating 0.83 · 9th pctl ’25 production · qb2 rotation
Jan 16
▾ Detail
RB
Rotation slot
Out · to Boise State
Juelz Goff
rating 0.86 · 65th pctl ’25 production · 270 rush yds · 3.9 ypc · 5 TD · 12 rec
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Western Kentucky
La'Vell Wright
rating 0.85 · 75th pctl ’25 production · 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 · 89th pctl ’25 production · 47 rec · 658 yds · 5 TD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Western Carolina
Malik Knight
rating 0.83 · wr1 starter
Jan 7
▾ Detail
TE
Starting slot
Out · to LSU
Malachi Thomas
rating 0.86 · 76th pctl ’25 production · 13 rec · 192 yds · 2 TD
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Oklahoma
Carson Kent
rating 0.87 · 30th pctl ’25 production · 3 rec · 26 yds · te1 starter
Jan 9
▾ Detail
OL
Starting slot
Out · to Vanderbilt
Lyndon Cooper
rating 0.86
Partial replacement
Low confidence
In · from Pennsylvania
Netinho Olivieri
rating 0.83 · lt1 starter
Jan 4
▾ Detail
DL
Rotation slot
Out · to Notre Dame
Francis Brewu
rating 0.94 · 84th pctl ’25 production · 34 tkl · 6 TFL · 1 sk
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Illinois
Jeremiah Warren
rating 0.86 · 14th pctl ’25 production · 3 tkl · dt2 rotation
Jan 10
▾ Detail
DL
Rotation slot
Out · to Nebraska
Jahsear Whittington
rating 0.86 · 53rd pctl ’25 production · 12 tkl · 3.5 TFL · 1 sk
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Tulane
Eliyt Nairne
rating 0.85 · 34th pctl ’25 production · 10 tkl · dt22 rotation
Jan 11
▾ Detail
LB
Starting slot
Out · to Texas
Rasheem Biles
rating 0.93 · 99th pctl ’25 production · 100 tkl · 17 TFL · 4.5 sk · 2 INT
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Purdue
Alex Sanford Jr.
rating 0.86 · 72nd pctl ’25 production · 47 tkl · 3.5 TFL · 1 PD · money1 starter
Jan 14
▾ Detail
K
Rotation slot
Out · to Sam Houston
Sam Carpenter
23rd pctl ’25 production · 1/3 FG · 9 pts
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Northern Arizona
Sam Hunsaker
rating 0.83 · ko2 rotation
Jan 14
▾ Detail
Not replaced3 chains
QB
Production lost
Out · to Charlotte
Cole Gonzales
30th pctl ’25 production · 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 · 35th pctl ’25 production · 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 · 18th pctl ’25 production · 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 production record
High-upside betProven impactDevelopmentalExperienced depth0th pctl25th pctl50th pctl75th pctl
’25 production · national position percentile
8 unrated moves not plotted — see the ledger
How much Pittsburgh depends on transfers
Projected 2026 two-deep · 56 slotsQuarterback50%
1
1
Skill (RB/WR/TE)60%
4
1
5
Offensive line40%
6
2
2
Front seven (EDGE/DL/LB)42%
7
2
3
Secondary (CB/S)30%
7
1
2
Specialists58%
5
1
6
Returning signeesPrior-cycle transfers2026 transfers
46%
Projected two-deep from transfers
26 of 56 two-deep slots
13 of 28
Projected starters from transfers
10 from the 2026 cycle, 3 held over
44th
ACC percentile · transfer share
10th-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 · DT21 starter
73rd pctl
’25 production · Pittsburgh
Kendall Stanley
OL · from Charlotte · 2025 cycle · LG1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Keith Gouveia
OL · from Richmond · 2025 cycle · C2 rotation
—
no ’25 record
Rashan Murray
CB · from PennWest California · 2025 cycle · CB2 rotation
18th pctl
’25 production · Pittsburgh
Jaeden Moore
EDGE · from Oregon · 2025 cycle · DE22 rotation
9th pctl
’25 production · Pittsburgh
Cataurus Hicks
WR · from Louisville · 2025 cycle · WR31 starter
76th pctl
’25 production · Pittsburgh
Where Pittsburgh’s transfers came from — and where they went
Sources · 18 arrivals20 departures · destinations
Arrived from · 18
Non-FBS
7 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
7arrivals came from Non-FBS programs — the single largest source.
17arrivals are projected straight into the two-deep (5 of 18 arrivals came from P4 leagues).
1departure stayed inside the ACC.
How the window developed
Cumulative net moves · in − out2 undated moves not plotted
All portal moves
38 of 38 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★