Pitt RB Coach Touts Recruiting Outcomes

From the outset of spring camp, early-entry freshmen were standing out in the Pitt Panthers offense.

At quarterback, an important freshman given the roster is made up of just three scholarship passers, mid-year enrollee Mason Heintschel proved to be beyond what many expected developmentally and in terms of college readiness.

Running backs coach Lindsey Lamar took note, as stated in the press conference that followed Saturday’s spring game.

“Yes, sir. All spring,” Lamar stated when asked if Heintschel’s strong play reflected his camp performance. “All spring. I mean, in the beginning, he had to get adjusted a little bit. Coach Kade Bell got him adjusted rather quickly...than any other normal freshman. But after that, he's been doing that all spring, so it's no surprise to us.”

Beyond Heintschel and along with tight end Max Hunt who drew strong reviews, Florida import Ja’Kyrian Turner - often referred to as “Boosie” - was consistently mentioned as a standout through 15 spring sessions, another freshman who enrolled in January.

To Coach Lamar, it boiled down to the combined effort from the coaching staff, led by Kade Bell offensively, in the trail last cycle.

“I think our staff did an amazing job recruiting, and getting those guys to come in mid-year, and seeing them perform this spring and continue to get better throughout the spring, every single day, I thought they did a really great job. And it was great to see,” Lamar said.

“Now we see what we have. Now, they got in early, so now they come in in the summer and do a lot of good stuff in the summer, and continue to learn the offense, the better they're going to be.”

What a blessing! The backs got to spend time with some amazing people today at @MarioLemieuxFdn children’s home! #H2P pic.twitter.com/0A9ZdquV2m
— Lindsey Lamar (@LindseyLamar5) April 11, 2025

Lamar’s comments weren’t limited to the rookies at quarterback, tight end, and running back, though.

The three early-entry freshmen pass-catchers stood out consistently through spring camp, and they collectively made plays in the Blue-Gold Game, too.

“I mean, with Cam Sapp, Tony Kinsler, Ja'Kyrian, Bryce Yates, all those guys, and then, of course, Mason (Heintschel), I think it's awesome, and I think they're going to be okay,” Lamar said.

While reliance on the transfer portal seems to increase year to year, Lamar is confident that Pitt will continue to lean on the annual pool of varsity talent.

“It says a lot. I mean, that's the name of the game. It's recruiting, you know? That's the thing, too, we're going to go get high school guys, too. That's still a thing here,” Lamar said. “I think Coach (Pat) Narduzzi did a great job with the high school guys that we did sign. And they're all young.

“So, it just says that the future is bright here at Pittsburgh.”

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