Pitt Freshman All-American Returns for 2026

PITTSBURGH — In a sudden turn of events, All-American true freshman cornerback Shawn Lee Jr. has announced his return to the Pitt Panthers for the 2026 season, per his personal Instagram.

Lee reportedly entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on Jan. 1 and became one of the biggest portal losses for Pitt this offseason.

Lee now appears to be returning to Pitt with an Instagram post that says he is "Locked In" with the Panthers.

Nathan Breisinger of Pittsburgh Sports Now also reported that he received confirmation of Lee's return from a team source.

Big development here as CB Shawn Lee Jr. is set to return to Pitt for the 2026 season, per a team source.

Originally entered his name in the portal last week.

Was an On3 True Freshman All-American.
— Nathan Breisinger (@NateBreisinger) January 5, 2026

Pitt Returns Start CB

Lee is now the projected starter at cornerback for the 2026 season. Last season's starters of Tamon Lynum and Rashad Battle are both out of eligibility, which left senior Rashan Murray, redshirt sophomore Shadarian Harrison and redshirt freshman Zion Ferguson as potential starting candidates in the wake of Lee's reported departure.

Pitt has also made an effort to add a cornerback through the transfer portal, with former Maryland starter La'Khi Roland reportedly visiting Pitt on Jan. 5.

Lee had a stellar true freshman season, earning All-American recognition by On3 and being named to the Pro Football Focus All-Freshman team. He finished with 31 total tackles, four pass breakups and a pick-six, but his impact went beyond just the traditional box score.

Nov 1, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive back Shawn Lee Jr. (28) scores a touchdown on an intercepted pass by Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ben Gulbranson (15) during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

According to PFF, Lee allowed 14 catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns this past season. That's an average of 5.1 yards per catch allowed and an average of 1.1 receptions and 5.5 yards per game. The most yards he ever allowed in a game was 36 yards against No. 9 Notre Dame.

Pitt had nine defenders play at least 200 snaps in coverage in 2025. Of that group, Lee allowed the lowest number of receptions and yards, but was targeted the fifth-most. He and fellow true freshman Josh Guerrier were also the only Pitt defenders to allow less than a 50% catch rate against opposing receivers on the Panthers defense, according to PFF.

"I just think he's a football player," Pat Narduzzi said of Lee in August. "We're going to find out. He's a young guy who we're not afraid to put out on the field to find out what we've got."

Despite his impressive numbers, Lee started just one game as a true freshman and it was in the Backyard Brawl loss to West Virginia. In his first-career start, Lee played a whopping 93 snaps on defense and allowed just three catches for 10 yards.

Lee played a total of 427 snaps across 13 games, or 32.8 snaps per game. That will very likely increase next season with his apparent return to the Panthers.

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