Justin Guerriero stories, Page 3
Pitt acquires transfer portal help at tight end, special teams
Friday marks the halfway point of the transfer portal window (Jan. 2-16), which began a week ago and remains open for seven more days. So far for Pitt, it’s been a revolving door of new players joining the program and others opting to leave. Heading into the weekend, the Panthers...
Former Pitt RB Randy McMillan, anchor on 1979-80 squads, dies at age 67
Randy McMillan, an anchor and running back on the 1979 and 1980 Pitt football teams, died Wednesday at the age of 67. The Indianapolis Colts announced his passing Friday. McMillan was drafted 12th overall in 1981 by the Baltimore Colts and spent his entire NFL career with the team. McMillan,...
Following 2 narrow losses to open league play, Pitt aims for 1st ACC win vs. Syracuse
It does not take rose-colored glasses to see Pitt wasn’t too far off from starting ACC play 2-0. Instead, behind a 76-69 loss to Miami and a 73-68 defeat to Clemson, Pitt (7-8, 0-2) is winless as Syracuse (9-5, 0-1) visits Petersen Events Center on Saturday. Two close losses following...
Another former WPIAL cornerback, Auburn’s Raion Strader, joins Pitt from transfer portal
As Pitt’s 2025 campaign came to an end with a defeat in the Military Bowl, acquiring additional help at cornerback quickly became a priority. That was due to the team’s two primary corners, Rashad Battle and Tamon Lynum, declaring for the NFL Draft. As the transfer portal window (Jan. 2-16)...
Retool at receiver commences as Pitt lands Western Carolina transfer Malik Knight
The Western Carolina to Pitt pipeline is not a new phenomenon. When Kade Bell, who spent 2021-23 calling plays for the Catamounts of the Football Championship Subdivision, joined Pat Narduzzi’s staff as coordinator at Pitt in 2024, he immediately brought some WCU standouts with him. Now, following in the footsteps...
Pitt lands commitment from speedy 2-sport Slippery Rock standout Kanye Thompson
Kanye Thompson immediately became an incoming player to watch as the Panthers continue tweaking their roster for 2026. Thompson, a McKeesport native, shined brightly as a star in football and track at Slippery Rock over the past few years, earning All-American honors in both sports. He committed to the Panthers...
Pitt defensive tackle Francis Brewu, kicker Trey Butkowski enter transfer portal
Movement in and out of the Pitt football program has continued as the transfer portal window (Jan. 2-16) remains open. So far, the majority of news surrounding Pitt has consisted of players from the 2025 squad entering the transfer portal. Most recently, defensive tackle Francis Brewu and kicker Trey Butkowski...
‘Everyone’s just been doing their job’: Plenty clicking for Penguins during season-best 5-game winning streak
One month ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins suffered the first of eight consecutive losses, marking the worst skid by the franchise in nearly 20 years. But fast forward to Jan. 7, 2026, as the Penguins prepare to host New Jersey on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena, and the club has reversed...
Pitt DT Sean FitzSimmons plans to stay with Panthers
These days, college players announcing they are not entering the transfer portal and staying put at their respective program is as newsworthy as those who do seek new surroundings. Laxed regulations on the portal have seen to that, keeping coaches everywhere on guard more so than ever before as it...
Jeff Capel acknowledges impact of injuries, limited personnel for Pitt this season
As a season that’s far from over but already has been underwhelming continues, a mid-September practice at Petersen Events Center remains fresh in the memory of Jeff Capel. It was a preseason session and Capel, for the time being, had all the pieces he’d assembled for the campaign in front...
Pitt CB Shawn Lee reverses course, announces return to program for 2026
The prospect of losing Shawn Lee, when the true freshman cornerback entered the transfer portal Jan. 1, was doubtless disappointing for Pitt. However, encapsulating the fluidity and unpredictable nature of the portal these days, Lee has reversed course. On Monday afternoon, the honorable mention All-ACC selection posted to Instagram that...
Pitt fills 4 coaching vacancies, as Pat Narduzzi rounds out staff
On top of suffering several significant player transfer portal defections over the last month, Pitt also has had to navigate losses to its staff. Defensive coordinator Randy Bates retired, linebackers coach Ryan Manalac was hired as UConn’s defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Jacob Bronowski departed for Auburn...
Pitt lands commitment from Penn transfer offensive lineman Netinho Olivieri
As disaster in the Military Bowl turned to the offseason for Pitt, the transfer portal had been nothing but unkind to the Panthers. Standouts such as linebacker Rasheem Biles, receiver Kenny Johnson and center Lyndon Cooper hit the portal, forcing coach Pat Narduzzi and his staff to brace as the...
Pitt can’t close gap late with Clemson, loses ACC home opener
Pitt’s dominant start in the ACC opener Tuesday at Miami was followed by a second-half collapse, spoiling a shot at topping one of the league’s best teams. On Saturday at Petersen Events Center, the Panthers aimed for their first conference win, with Clemson, another top ACC squad, visiting town. Pitt...
Pitt’s 2026 transfer portal tracker
Beginning at midnight Friday, the transfer portal officially opened, with players across college football free to enter their names and formally begin the process of finding new homes. At Pitt, a trickling of portal announcements began early last month, before the Panthers’ eventual loss to East Carolina in the Military...
Pitt forward Papa Amadou Kante to miss remainder of season
Pitt redshirt sophomore Papa Amadou Kante will undergo an arthroscopic right knee procedure and miss the remainder of the season, the Panthers announced Friday morning. Kante, a 6-foot-10 senior from Dakar, Senegal, had been limited to eight appearances for Pitt this season. He most recently played Nov. 28 in the...
2025 in Pittsburgh college sports: Penn State football tries to recover from implosion
The 2025 year in local college sports featured a blend of results on the scoreboard on top of major administrative maneuvering, as athletic directors adjusted to a new revenue-sharing ecosystem. Pitt football, behind a surprise change at quarterback, looks like a team potentially ready to be a legitimate contender in...
Pitt turns in-house for new defensive coordinator, promotes safeties coach Cory Sanders
Immediately following defensive coordinator Randy Bates’ retirement, Pitt forewent a national search and instead turned in-house in naming his successor. Cory Sanders, on staff since 2018 as safeties coach, will be calling the defensive shots for the Panthers. Sanders, 40, was named assistant head coach in 2024 by Pat Narduzzi,...
Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates to retire following Military Bowl
As Pitt’s offseason approaches, coach Pat Narduzzi will have a major hire to make, as the eight-year tenure of defensive coordinator Randy Bates has reached a conclusion. Bates, 65, announced he’ll be retiring from coaching after Pitt’s Military Bowl appearance Saturday against East Carolina. Overseeing Pitt’s defense since 2018, Bates’...
East Carolina hit harder by transfers, staff defections than Pitt leading into Military Bowl
The current landscape of college sports, with the fluidity of movement for coaches and players alike, breeds tumultuous offseasons. Unfortunately for teams and their fan bases across the nation, the tumult is increasingly encroaching upon the calendar. Look no further than Lane Kiffin’s pre-College Football Playoff departure from Ole Miss...
Pitt throttles Penn State in Hershey, riding career-high 28 points from Roman Siulepa
Three decades-plus of irregular meetings has obscured the historical legacy of Pitt vs. Penn State on the hardwood. The two men’s basketball programs, which have played only 10 times since 1992, own a history that dates to 1906, featuring 148 total matchups. Sunday at the Giant Center in Hershey was...
Rivalry review as Pitt meets Penn State on the hardwood
Behind a 40-point thumping of Binghamton on Wednesday, Pitt’s men’s basketball team managed some stabilization following three straight defeats. Though beating up on an America East foe offered something to build off, a taller task awaits Sunday in Hershey as the Panthers face Penn State for their final nonconference game....
Following Kyle Louis, Pitt tailback Desmond Reid declares for NFL Draft
A few hours after his teammate and fellow All-American Kyle Louis did so Friday, Pitt tailback Desmond Reid declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. Like Louis, he will forego participation in the upcoming Military Bowl on Dec. 27 versus East Carolina. Reid played two seasons with the Panthers after transferring...
Pitt’s Olivia Babcock wins AVCA National Player of the Year for 2nd straight season
Following Pitt’s Final Four loss to Texas A&M on Thursday, Olivia Babcock won’t get the opportunity to add a national championship to her extensive list of individual accomplishments. But Friday, the Panthers right-side hitter further etched her name into the Pitt athletics and NCAA volleyball history books, winning her second...
Pitt tailback Juelz Goff enters transfer portal
The biggest news of the day for Pitt football Friday undoubtedly was All-American linebacker Kyle Louis declaring for the NFL Draft. But around the same time Louis made his announcement, redshirt freshman tailback Juelz Goff revealed he will be entering the transfer portal. Goff, a York native who played two...

