Pitt Freshman RB to Burn Redshirt

PITTSBURGH — Pitt Panthers true freshman running back Ja'Kyrian Turner is expected to burn his redshirt this season, Pat Narduzzi announced on Sept. 8.

Turner had six carries for 26 yards and a touchdown in his Pitt debut in the 45-17 win over Central Michigan on Sept. 6.

"It was fun to get him some reps out there and see what he's got," Narduzzi said. "I think he can help us this season, and I don't anticipate him redshirting."

Turner is in a deep, but banged-up, running back room, headlined by star back Desmond Reid and backup Juelz Goff. There are also seniors Jalynn Williams, Derrick Davis Jr., and Justin Cook. Caleb Williams appeared at the end of the Week 1 game against Duquesne, but did not dress against Central Michigan, and true freshmen Synkwan Smith and Jaylin Brown have not been active this season.

Narduzzi said that the Week 2 game was Turner's "first scrimmage" because he wasn't available for the inter-team scrimmage in August.

South Sumter Raiders Ja’kyrian Turner (9) signals to the referee a touchdown after running back a 92 yard kick off return for a touchdown in the second half. The South Sumter Raiders hosted the Eastside Rams at South Sumter High School in Bushnell, FL on Thursday, November 7, 2024. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner] | Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Turner was a three-star recruit coming out of South Sumter High School in Bushnell, Fla. He was an underrated prospect coming out of high school. Out of the three freshman running backs the Panthers added in 2025, the 247Sports Composite and Rivals had Turner as the lowest-rated running back in the class.

247Sports had Turner as barely a top-200 player out of Florida and had him as the No. 109 out of all the athletes in the class and at No. 1,560 in the nation. Rivals had Turner ranked similarly at No. 187 out of his home state, the No. 56 athlete in the class and the No. 1,503 player in the country.

As a senior, Turner scored 10 touchdowns with 978 yards on 134 carries, averaging 108.7 yards per game and 7.3 yards per carry. He also had nine catches for 111 yards. In his final two seasons, he eclipsed 1,500 yards rushing.

Now, Turner is getting his opportunity to make a name for himself at Pitt.

"He had a big smile on his face after the game," Narduzzi said. "Having the chance to get in the end zone in the first game he's ever played in Acrisure Stadium. I think that's neat. He ran well and did what I thought he kind of might."

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