Pitt football has found new life — and it’s coming from an unexpected source.
When head coach Pat Narduzzi made the bold decision in early October to switch quarterbacks, moving from Eli Holstein to true freshman Mason Heintschel, Pitt needed a spark to salvage its season. The Panthers didn’t just get a spark — they got a full-blown turnaround.
The 18-year-old quarterback has delivered a surge of momentum, guiding Pitt to five straight victories, pushing the Panthers into the US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25, and thrusting them into the ACC championship conversation.
Along the way, Heintschel has earned multiple ACC Player of the Week honors, become a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, and drawn praise from both his head coach and former NFL coach Jon Gruden. Some within the program have even compared his early rise to former Pitt standout Kenny Pickett.
As Pitt enters a brutal closing stretch that opens with No. 9 Notre Dame — a matchup carrying major College Football Playoff implications — Heintschel faces the toughest test of his young career.
Here’s everything to know about the Panthers’ emerging star.
Who Is Pitt QB Mason Heintschel?
Heintschel arrived at Pitt as a lightly recruited quarterback from Ohio, starting the year as the backup. That changed ahead of Week 6, when Narduzzi elevated him to the starting job after the Panthers slid to 2-2.
For the freshman, the promotion was the moment he had been preparing for.
Heintschel immediately delivered, throwing for 323 yards in a dominant win over Boston College in his first collegiate start — becoming the first true Pitt freshman to win his debut since Kenny Pickett upset No. 2 Miami in 2017. The win also hinted at the poised, efficient style that has defined his play so far.
Narduzzi praised his readiness and compared the energy he brought to the same spark Pickett once provided. “He knows where the ball needs to go,” the coach said after one of Pitt’s recent wins. “Guys rally around someone who makes the whole team better.”
Why Heintschel Has Changed Pitt’s Season
Since taking over, Heintschel has led Pitt to a perfect 5–0 record as a starter. The Panthers sit at 7–2 entering Week 12 and are positioned for back-to-back bowl seasons for the first time since 2021–22.
More importantly, they are firmly in the hunt for a return to the ACC championship game.
The turnaround has made the freshman one of the biggest storylines in conference play this season.
Mason Heintschel’s Recruiting Background (247 Rating)
Heintschel was far from a national recruit coming out of high school.
According to 247Sports Composite rankings, he was a 3-star prospect and the No. 721 player in his class — with Pitt as his only Power Four offer.
But he has quickly outperformed those projections.
His breakout performance came against NC State, when he threw for 423 yards and three touchdowns, becoming:
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The first Pitt QB with a 400-yard passing game since Kenny Pickett (2021)
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The first freshman in program history to surpass 400 yards in a single game
That performance cemented him as one of the ACC’s fastest-rising young quarterbacks.
Mason Heintschel Stats (2024 Season)
Since becoming the starter, Heintschel has posted:
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115/180 passing (63.9%)
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1,511 passing yards
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12 touchdowns
Game-by-game performance
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Central Michigan: 3/4, 36 yards
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Boston College: 30/41, 323 yards, 4 TD; 28 rushing yards
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Florida State: 21/29, 321 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 64 rushing yards
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Syracuse: 13/24, 140 yards, 1 INT; 23 rushing yards, 1 TD
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NC State: 28/48, 423 yards, 3 TD
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Stanford: 23/38, 304 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 21 rushing yards
His combination of accuracy, pocket presence, and confidence has transformed Pitt’s offense into a balanced, dangerous attack.
What Comes Next?
Heintschel now faces the most challenging stretch of Pitt’s schedule — a three-game run against ranked opponents, beginning with Notre Dame. With ACC championship stakes and national attention growing, the freshman’s ability to handle the pressure will shape Pitt’s postseason fate.
Whether or not Pitt reaches the conference title game, one thing is already clear:
Mason Heintschel has become the surprising new face of Pitt football — and possibly one of the ACC’s next star quarterbacks.