When Mason Heintschel broke the huddle for his first start on Oct. 4, Pitt’s season was teetering. The Panthers had dropped two straight, the offense was sputtering and the optimism that surrounded the fall had all but evaporated. But since that moment, since a true freshman stepped in at quarterback, the Panthers have rattled off five consecutive wins and climbed back into ACC contention.

At 7-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play, the Panthers are suddenly one of the league’s hottest teams, back in the conversation for an ACC championship appearance, though they’ll still need some help. The turnaround has been fueled by a wave of youth — something increasingly rare in the transfer portal era.

This might be coach Pat Narduzzi’s most productive true freshman class and maybe even his most

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