Pitt opens the 2026 season on Saturday with a noon-adjacent test against a Miami RedHawks team that arrives at Acrisure Stadium carrying plenty of recent MAC credibility. Chuck Martin’s group is coming off a 7-7 season and a 6-2 mark in league play, and the RedHawks were picked to finish second in the conference in the preseason poll.
Miami has spent the last few years looking like one of the MAC’s steadiest operations. Under Martin, now in his 13th season in Oxford, the RedHawks have gone 20-4 against league opponents over the past three seasons, reached the MAC title game in each of the last three years and won the championship in 2023. The program’s consistency is part of why the expectations remain high again this fall.
There’s also a fresh look to this team. Miami enters the season with 119 players on its roster, and 46% of it is new after bringing in 27 transfers and 28 freshmen. That turnover hits especially hard on defense, where the RedHawks are replacing five All-MAC players from last season and eight of their top 10 tacklers are gone.
At quarterback, Miami is turning to Kansas transfer David McComb. He has not thrown a pass in a college game yet, but the former three-star is viewed as a player with upside and will make his first career start on Saturday.
The backfield should have a more established feel, with transfer Rodney Nelson expected to play a major role after a strong season at Monmouth in the FCS. He’ll run behind a veteran offensive line that includes Pittsburgh native Greg Smith Jr., a Steel Valley High School product.
The numbers from 2025 show a Miami team that was solid overall but not overwhelming on either side of the ball. The RedHawks ranked 108th in total offense at 337.6 yards per game and 95th in scoring at 23.5 points per game. They were better on defense, finishing 36th in total defense at 334.6 yards allowed per game and 41st in points allowed at 41.7 per game.
Pitt’s own statistical edge is clear in a few spots. The Panthers were 20th nationally in scoring at 33.7 points per game and 20th in passing offense at 273.3 yards per game. Miami, though, was ahead of Pitt in rushing offense and pass defense, while Pitt held the advantage in run defense.
This game also carries a familiar coaching thread for Pat Narduzzi. The Pitt head coach is entering his 12th season and has been on the sidelines a long time, beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 1990. He also spent the 2003 season in Oxford as Miami’s defensive coordinator, and was part of the staff for the RedHawks’ 13-1 season and AP Top 10 finish, a team anchored by Ben Roethlisberger.
Saturday also puts two of college football’s longer-tenured head coaches on the same field. Martin has been at Miami since 2014, while Narduzzi has held Pitt’s job since 2015. Only a few active coaches have been in place longer than Martin: Kirk Ferentz at Iowa, Troy Calhoun at Air Force, Dabo Swinney at Clemson and Dave Doeren at NC State.
The matchup has some Western Pennsylvania flavor too. Miami has five players from the WPIAL on its roster: Jackson Pons from Norwin, Cade Yacamelli from Penn-Trafford, Scoop Smith from Woodland Hills, Greg Smith from Steel Valley and Tristan Reed from Washington. Pitt, meanwhile, has 22 players originally from Western Pennsylvania on this year’s team.
There’s a little upset history in Miami’s recent profile as well. The RedHawks beat Cincinnati in 2023 and Northwestern in 2022, and Pitt has to be aware of that track record. Still, the Panthers are 36-6 all-time against current MAC programs, and their last regular-season loss to one came in 2021 against Western Michigan, 44-41.
One more note to watch: Pitt starting cornerback Raion Strader started his career at Miami. The Penn Hills native made an immediate impact in Oxford, earning freshman All-American honors in 2023 and All-MAC recognition in 2024 before transferring to Auburn for a season.
In Other News...
Pitts First Depth Chart Reveals Which Transfers Already Earned Real Trust
Pitts first depth chart of the season gave an early look at how quickly the Panthers have blended their transfer class into the mix before the opener against Miami (OH). The board keeps all returning starters in place, but it also shows several newcomers already pushing their way into meaningful roles, with Alex Sanford Jr. at linebacker, Raion Strader at cornerback, Netinho Olivieri at left tackle, Malik Knight at wide receiver and Carson Kent at tight end all surfacing in starting or backup spots.
For a roster trying to settle in before the first kickoff, that kind of immediate trust matters. It also extends beyond the offense and defense, with Pitt naming new special teams starters and setting up several transfers for their first game action in a Panther uniform, a sign that this group was built not just to add depth but to contribute right away. [Read more 🡒]