The 2026 campaign is far into the distance, but Pitt already has a good idea who will begin the year atop the depth chart at running back.
That would be Ja’Kyrian “Boosie” Turner, who, along with Mason Heintschel, emerged as one of the Panthers’ top performers last fall during an impressive freshman season.
Though Turner, behind a 745-yard, seven-touchdown season in 2025, should be set to again play a starring role in Pitt’s backfield, the need for experienced help led the Panthers to bring in graduate transfer La’Vell Wright from Western Kentucky.
Wright, who played one season at Austin Peay and three with Kentucky, is eager to leverage his collegiate experience as a dual-threat tailback with the Panthers.
“I show a lot of my power (and) a little bit of speed, but I feel like coming here is going to open up my game going into the route game, as well,” Wright said. “Amplifying that role in the pass game will be something that I want to display and put on tape.”
A year ago, Wright rushed for 471 yards on 85 carries for the Hilltoppers, scoring 10 touchdowns and adding 10 receptions for 88 yards.
At Austin Peay, he enjoyed his most productive collegiate campaign, running for 609 yards on 115 carries with five scores.
Wright was unable to emerge as a regular contributor at Kentucky, playing in 17 games from 2021-22 before missing all of 2023 with an injury.
Now, Wright gets another crack to make his mark at the Power Four level.
“Just how (Pitt uses) their backs, they’re key in the offense,” Wright said. “Finding a school that likes to use backs in all types of ways was something that drew my attention.”
How exactly Pitt utilizes the 5-foot-11, 215-pound Wright remains to be seen, but the historic deployment of tailbacks under coach Pat Narduzzi suggests he could carve out a sizable role for himself.
In Narduzzi’s 11 years, the Panthers more often have utilized something of a committee approach to the run game rather than a bellcow who received the lion’s share of carries.
Falling into the latter category would be Israel Abanikanda, who averaged about 22 rushes per game for the 2021 ACC champion Panthers, the most of any running back in the Narduzzi era.
James Conner of the 2016 squad (16.6 carries per game) ranks next in terms of heaviest usage, followed by Qadree Ollison (16.3) in 2015.
But last year, for example, Turner only took an average of 11.6 carries.
In 2024, Desmond Reid averaged 16.6 in an All-American campaign. Rodney Hammond’s weekly average was 9.8 in 2023.
With Reid graduated and on his way to the NFL Combine, and complementary back Juelz Goff having transferred to Boise State, there appears to be a workload with Wright’s name on it.
“Just being able to capitalize on the things that I can do and improve at them is going to be something I’m shooting for,” Wright said.
Granted, 4-star freshman tailback Damon Ferguson also will be vying for carries and receptions.
Also, who’s to say Turner isn’t capable of being a true bellcow in 2026?
Answers to those considerations likely will take at least some of the regular season playing out to be revealed.
Before then, Wright will get settled with the Panthers, learn coordinator Kade Bell’s playbook and look ahead to navigating spring ball and fall camp in August.
Between now and then, Wright aims to bring leadership to position coach Lindsey Lamar’s group.
“Walk in and be a pro,” Wright said. “Coach Lamar does a great job with that, expressing that to them about being a pro. All the guys in there, they might be young, but they also give off that pro mentality. It’s not too hard to bring them along because they’re already brought along by coach Lindsey.”
