$2.1 Million College Football QB Named Most Underrated Quarterback in ACC

Pitt Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel opened his freshman season battling for the backup role, but finished the season looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC.

After sitting behind Eli Holstein for the first half of the season, Heintschel was called upon to provide a steadier hand at quarterback. Holstein was struggling to protect the football, throwing 12 touchdowns with six interceptions, while also seeing his completion percentage take a slight dip in comparison to 2024.

Heintschel took the role and ran with it as he was named ACC Player of the Week multiple times, and also went 5-0 as the starter through his first five starts.

He finished the season with 2,354 yards passing, completing 63.6% of his passes, while also throwing for 16 touchdowns and rushing for another two scores. Although they may not be a household name just yet, the people over at SleeperCFB opted to name him the most underrated quarterback in the ACC.

Most Underrated QBs in each P4 Conference:

ACC: Mason Heintschel (Pittsburgh)
Big 10: Colton Joseph (Wisconsin)
Big 12: Cutter Boley (Arizona State)
SEC: Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State) pic.twitter.com/k9cW7j94nH
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) February 17, 2026

While Heintschel would have been an intriguing name for the NCAA transfer portal, he expressed loyalty to the Panthers throughout the entire process, telling media members that he is hoping to prove all of his doubters wrong.

"I'm appreciative of what Pitt did for me and what it's doing for me right now," Heintschel said in October. "I think that's a testament to the coaching staff, especially coach Bell and coach Narduzzi, just having that trust and that belief in me. To come find me and take a kid from a small town in Ohio. I'm very appreciative and blessed. Gonna continue to try and prove everybody wrong."

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel. — Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) drops back to pass. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

As a recruit, Heintschel was ranked as a three-star out of Oregon, Ohio, with 247Sports having him as the No. 721 player in the country and the No. 44 quarterback in the class of 2025. The recruiting services reported just eight offers for him, as he chose Pitt over the likes of Bowling Green, Akron, Kent State, Coastal Carolina and Ohio, with the Panthers being his only Power 4 offer.

Despite his humble beginnings as a recruit, On3 now has Heintschel's NIL Valuation at $2.1 million, indicating he has far outperformed his initial projections.

With Heintschel surpassing him as the starter, Holstein opted to transfer to Virginia this offseason. So, what looked to be a depth piece in the quarterback room for Panthers before the 2025 season could very well end up being the team's key to contending for an ACC title and spot in the College Football Playoff.

The Panthers will open the 2026 season against Miami (OH) before a clash with the Big 12's UCF.