Can Pitt Finish with a Top-30 Recruiting Class in 2026?

Recruiting has never really been Pitt football’s bread and butter under Pat Narduzzi.

For many of the top programs in college football, recruiting can sometimes bring as much fanfare as game days, especially when trying to pull in an elite recruit.

The Panthers don’t get blue-chip prospects often or finish high in the team rankings. It’s also not their priority. Instead, Pitt focuses on developing those players once on campus and its turned into NFL draft success.

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Pitt’s best finish in a recruiting class under Narduzzi came in 2021 when the Panthers ranked 21st, according to Rivals. 2016 was another solid year for recruiting with an average ranking in the mid-30s.

Other than that, Pitt regularly finds itself in the mix between the 40th and 60th ranked programs by the time their recruiting class is signed.

With a new 2026 recruiting class on tap, Pitt is now pressing towards changing its national recruiting stance with a strong class.

As of Tuesday, June 24, Pitt has landed 20 recruits — with a 21st yet to announce — and 247Sports ranks the Panthers as the No. 24 recruiting class in the 2026 team rankings.

Pitt 2026 quarterback Angelo Renda with offensive coordinator Kade Bell and tight ends coach Jacob Bronowski.

Rivals ranks Pitt No. 32 and On3 has that Panthers at N0. 33 in its Industry Ranking, a compilation of all the major recruiting rankings.

Can Pitt lock down a top-30 recruiting class?

That’s not something asked very often when it comes to Pitt recruiting, but this year it is viable. Here’s what needs to happen.

First and foremost, Pitt has to hold onto all of its top recruits in the class. Four-star defensive end Reston Lehman, four-star wide receiver Jaydon Dunbar, four-star running back Damon Ferguson, four-star interior offensive lineman Day’Jon Moore are apart of a solid group of touted recruits in the class.

Each of those — and several more — were big recruiting wins for the Panthers, but now they have to hold onto them, and early National Signing Day is still quite a ways away.

Last year proved that anything can happen from now until signing day. Blue-chip defensive back Elijah Dotson was committed to Pitt for several months before ultimately flipping and staying home at Michigan. Wide receiver DaMarion Fowlkes turned into a four-star prospect when pledged to the Panthers, but he also flipped and signed with Missouri.

As hard as the Pitt staff pushed to land the players committed in the 2026 class, they’ll have to work even harder to keep them secured for signing day.

While Pitt looks to hold onto those recruits, the Panthers are still searching for more additions to the class. One commit has yet to announce, so that will already shift Pitt’s class and possibly its ranking.

Pitt still has room to add a running back, some defensive line help and a few more prospects to the secondary.

Those prospects don’t have to be of the four-star variety. A high three-star with a respectable offer sheet will suffice.

With a few more additions, Pitt’s class would be around 24 to 25 players. Between the four-star recruits already added and the sheer volume of players, Pitt’s class could make its case for a top-30 class.

It also all depends on what other programs do around them. There are plenty of school with a small number of recruits below Pitt: BYU (14 commits), Michigan (12 commits), Alabama (10 commits), Oregon (9 commits), Oklahoma (13 commits). Those teams will all rise.

Still, if Pitt can add some important recruits, the Panthers could be looking at one of its best overall classes under Narduzzi.

In the end, all the recruiting buzz surrounding Pitt is a positive. The Athletic labeled Pitt as a surprise team on the recruiting trail with its June haul. Also, it’s shown the recruiting capabilities of the new group of assistants from Kade Bell to Tim Daoust.

Here’s a look at home Pitt’s recruiting classes have ranked over the years, per the three major recruiting sites.