Three Pitt Offensive Players to Watch Against Virginia Tech

Pitt hasn't packed a bag yet this season. All four of its games, all wins, came at Acrisure Stadium. The first road trip of 2026 drops the Panthers into a sold-out Lane Stadium on Friday night, across from a Virginia Tech defense that leads FBS with 45 tackles for loss.

"It'll be one of the louder games we play," Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said this week.

Both teams are 4-0 and 1-0 in the ACC, and the winner climbs into a three-way tie for first in the conference. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Pitt's offense has come in two very different shapes. It scored 59 points against Miami (Ohio) and 59 more against FCS Bucknell, then managed 39 combined in grind-it-out wins over UCF and Syracuse.

Here are three players to watch on the Panthers' offense.

1. Mason Heintschel, Quarterback

Sophomore Mason Heintschel is 88 of 130 for 1,191 yards, 13 touchdowns and one interception. Every touchdown came against Miami (Ohio) or Bucknell. He threw seven in the opener, tying Pitt's single-game record and setting an ACC mark, then six more in just over two quarters against Bucknell.

Against UCF and Syracuse, the two Power Four teams on the schedule, he went 28 of 52 for 335 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.

His legs keep plays alive. He's run for 110 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. That runs straight into Virginia Tech's strength. The Hokies have 17 sacks through four games, and defensive coordinator Brent Pry's group piled up eight tackles for loss at Boston College.

2. Damon Ferguson Jr., Running Back

"They've got three backs who all play, and all play well," Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin said Monday.

The one carrying the heaviest load is a true freshman. Damon Ferguson Jr. leads Pitt with 239 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 45 carries, and he's added 10 catches for 73 yards and a score.

He stepped in for sophomore Ja'Kyrian Turner, last season's leading rusher with 745 yards, who hasn't played since the opener. Ferguson's breakout came against Syracuse: 102 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, good for ACC Rookie of the Week honors.

Turner was upgraded to probable Wednesday night, so the carries may get split. That doesn't shrink Ferguson's role. Pitt won both Power Four games by running the ball, and it needs his burst on early downs to stay out of third-and-long against a front that lives in the backfield.

3. Cataurus Hicks, Wide Receiver

Cataurus Hicks has turned 12 catches into a team-high 252 yards. That's 21 yards a catch, with a long of 53 on a touchdown from Heintschel in the opener.

The Louisville transfer has history with his quarterback. Hicks caught 24 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns last season, including an 84-yarder from Heintschel against NC State.

He hasn't been steady. Hicks had one catch for 8 yards against Syracuse and lost a fumble against Bucknell. But with Malik Knight out for a third straight game and Tony Kinsler questionable, Pitt needs him to perform on Friday.

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