Pitt CB Earns Freshman All-American Honors

After a standout true freshman campaign, a Pitt Panthers cornerback has earned a national honor for his play on the field.

Sep 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Central Michigan Chippewas wide receiver Nasir Williams (16) runs after a catch against Pittsburgh Panthers defensive back Shawn Lee Jr. (28) during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH - Shawn Lee Jr. wasn't a top-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, but he's one of top true freshman in the country following his first season in Pittsburgh.

On3 Sports has named Lee - a 5-foot-9, 180-pound cornerback from Harrisburg, Pa. - to its True Freshman All-American team. It's a well-deserved honor for perhaps the best freshman cornerback in college football this season.

Lee was a two-way star at Harrisburg High, playing in the highest classification in Pennsylvania, but he was forced to play his senior season at Milford Academy in New York - the same post-graduate school that Pitt legend LeSean McCoy played for.

He enrolled last winter and immediately made an impact. It's tough for young cornerbacks to crack the Pitt defensive lineup, but he impressed the coaching staff - especially during fall camp.

"I just think he's a football player," Narduzzi said before the season. "We're going to find out. He's a young guy that we're not afraid to put out on the field and find out what he's got, but we feel good with the corner depth."

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

Lee played in 11 games this season, making a start against West Virginia in which he played all 93 defensive snaps, and he was a key member of the secondary. Lee recorded 29 tackles (21 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, an interception returned for a touchdown and four pass breakups.

Lee played 404 defensive snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus. That's the third-most by any cornerback on the roster.

He was the strongest cover corner on the roster, albeit in a bit of a sheltered role, as he allowed just 14 completions on 29 targets for 71 yards and two touchdowns. He allowed the fewest yards against by any freshman cornerback with at least 200 snaps.

Lee should play an even bigger role in the defense next season as Rashad Battle and Tamon Lynum will have exhausted their collegiate eligibility following the Military Bowl.

Lee wasn't the only true freshman to make an impact this season, either. Mason Heintschel, Ja'Kyrian Turner and Trey Butkowski were all key contributors - and will be even better next season.

Heintschel went 6-2 in his eight starts after taking over for Eli Holstein and showed flashes of greatness. He completed 176-of-276 pass attempts (63.8%) for 2,098 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions - adding 84 yards and two more scores on the ground.

Turner emerged as the bellcow while Desmond Reid dealt with injuries this season, leading the team with 124 carries for 652 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns.

Butkowski connected on 19-of-22 field attempts and 41-of-42 point-after attempts, stepping into the huge shoes left behind by Ben Sauls.

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