'Couldn't be happier': Pat Narduzzi, assistants break down Pitt's 21-strong 2026 class

From Pat Narduzzi’s perspective, the early signing period probably is a roller coaster of emotions.

The excitement of welcoming in new recruits to Pitt’s program, the anxiety of some of those prospects potentially backing off their verbal commitments, on top of preparing the current Panthers squad for their upcoming bowl game creates a whirlwind.

However, Day 1 of the early signing period Wednesday was a smooth affair for the Panthers.

Pitt inked all 20 of its Class of 2026 commits and nabbed a surprise signing from Missouri safety commit Tony Forney.

“This is a 2026 celebration, this class,” Narduzzi said Wednesday on the South Side. “All the hard work they put in to get here, all the hard work our staff put in to get them here and just the first 7 a.m. calls this morning, the excitement out of our kids’ voices — you’re changing peoples’ lives as coaches with these scholarships and commitments on signing day.”

Narduzzi and his staff officially added three offensive linemen, four receivers, one tight end and running back, two quarterbacks, three defensive linemen, linebackers and safeties and one cornerback.

Geographically, Pitt’s signees varied from Pennsylvania (all four of whom came from the WPIAL ranks), Ohio, Georgia and Virginia (two recruits apiece) plus one from Michigan and Maryland.

Five Floridians gave the Sunshine State the highest percentage of Pitt’s 2026 class, followed by four prospects from Texas.

That's a wrap!! Let's get to work!! ???? #2THEBUR6H #H2P pic.twitter.com/kiVsEjRySs

— Pat Narduzzi (@CoachDuzzPittFB) December 3, 2025

“We’re bringing in the right guys that fit what we want to do,” Narduzzi said. “The last three signing classes, we’ve signed 21 in each one. Prior to that, it was 19. We’re averaging 20 or so players each recruiting class — that tells you how important high-school recruiting is. I’ve talked to some coaches that are singing two or three kids in the FBS. That’s not good. We want to still build our football team with high school football players. I want to make sure that’s clear.”

Narduzzi and his coaches were particularly pleased with their WPIAL signees: North Allegheny’s Lincoln Hoke (defensive line), Peters Township’s Reston Lehman (defensive line), Pine Richland’s John Curran (offensive line) and Steel Valley’s Da’Ron Barksdale (safety).

Hoke, the 6-foot-2, 260-pound son of 11-year Steelers veteran Chris Hoke, and Lehman, a 39-game starter at Peters Township, have their new position coach, Tim Daoust, fired up to get working with them.

“It’s a great feeling when you can set out recruiting here at the University of Pittsburgh to sell the d-line and we get the two best d-linemen in the state of Pennsylvania,” Daoust said. “The best defensive end in Reston Lehman and the best defensive tackle in Lincoln Hoke.”

Daoust won’t have to wait long.

Of the Panthers’ 21 new additions, 16 will join the team as early enrollees in January, Hoke and Lehman included.

All of Pitt’s defensive signees — lineman Joshua Pittman, linebackers Marcus Jennings, Desmond Johnson and Isaiah Simmons and defensive backs Isaac Patterson, Barksdale, Forney and Kentrail McRae — will be on campus in roughly a month.

As will Pitt’s two Texas quarterbacks, Angelo Renda and Corey Dailey, tight end Wyatt Villarreal, Curran, plus receivers Demetrice McCray and Dylan Wester.

Four-star tailback Damon Ferguson, Pitt’s highest-rated prospect, offensive linemen Nick Howard (one of three 4-stars Pitt landed this cycle) and Mike van der Oord and receivers Bryan Hamilton and Rodney Dunbar will join the team next summer.

For linebackers coach Ryan Manalac, the advantages of joining the program early are extensive.

“By the time a young man starts fall camp, he’s already had a winter install, a spring install, beginning of a summer install (and) 15 spring practices,” Manalac said. “The amount of knowledge they gain — football, on top of strength and conditioning, nutrition, knowing where everything is on campus and relationships with everybody in the whole program — is a huge growth potential. You can come into fall camp running and ready to go.”

Ferguson and Forney were interesting cases within Pitt’s newest recruiting class. The former was courted by a long list of Power Four programs, particularly after he verbally committed to Pitt in June.

But the Gwynn Oak, Md., native stuck with the Panthers despite all the interest and attention.

“He’s different than a lot of recruits this day and age,” tailbacks coach Lindsey Lamar said. “Honestly, he’s not a huge guy that’s worried about finances or worried about chasing these big logos — he’s all about loyalty. Schools would come in and offer him and every time, he would tell me, ‘Coach, I ain’t worried about them. They weren’t with me from Day 1. They didn’t see see the interest in Day 1. It’s cool they offered me, but I’m not worried about that. I’m all about relationships.’ He stuck to that from the beginning to the end.”

Pitt secondary coach Archie Collins had a relationship with Forney out of Decatur, Ga., prior to his high school career even beginning.

While Forney pledged to Mizzou over the summer, Collins stayed on him, leading to a “pleasant surprise” coming through Wednesday morning, as safeties coach Cory Sanders put it.

Offensive coordinator Kade Bell’s two recruits, both Lone Star State signal callers, are different physically.

Renda (Southlake Carroll) is 6-foot, 180 pounds, while the 4-star Dailey (Seguin) is 6-6, 195.

What’s better than one Texan gunslinger… TWO TEXAN GUNSLINGERS ????????

COREY DAILEY IS A PITT PANTHER ✍️ @Dailey4Corey pic.twitter.com/GhhRcmn4fv

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) December 3, 2025

QB

But that’s what partially attracted Bell to them both.

“I never want to recruit the same guys,” Bell said. “I think if you say, ‘Hey, we want the quarterback room to all look the same,’ you can get yourself in a lot of trouble. I want my guys to all be different. … It’s more of a skill set of are they accurate? Can they run the show? When the ball’s put in their hands, can they go win games? And then do they have that toughness and grit of competing? I love that they’re different. It’s fun to have different guys in the room, play to their strengths and obviously develop their weaknesses.”

Two days-plus remain for Narduzzi and Co. to haul in a few more surprises.

But with the vast majority of heavy lifting done, Narduzzi is taking stock of the players who will soon comprise a significant chunk of his program and likes what he sees.

“I couldn’t be happier about the players and prospects we got in this class,” Narduzzi said.