Senior Night at Pitt brings a rare kind of roster story into focus.
When the Panthers take on Florida State on Nov. 13 at Acrisure Stadium in their Week 11 matchup, it will be the final home game for a small group of players who did something that’s become increasingly unusual in college football: they stayed. Pitt has only five players who signed with the program out of high school and remained through their entire careers, and this weekend gives them one last run on the North Shore.
Ryan Baer stands at the front of that group. The team captain has been a steady force on the offensive line for several seasons, with his Pitt tenure beginning in 2022.
He has started every game since 2024, and his work at right tackle earned him All-ACC Honorable Mention in 2025. If his play keeps trending the way it has, he should have a shot in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Isaiah Montgomery has also been part of the program since 2022, though his path looked different early on. He didn’t see much action in his first two seasons, but he has played in 19 games across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, including three starts at right tackle. This season, Montgomery has appeared in the 59-14 win over Miami (OH) in Week 1, the 59-0 shutout of Bucknell in Week 4 and the 34-11 victory against Georgia Tech in Week 9.
On the defensive side, Sean Fitzsimmons has been one of Pitt’s most reliable interior pieces over the last few years. In 2024, he landed on the ACC Team of the Week three times after collecting 32 tackles in nine games.
He followed that with 25 tackles in ten games the next season. This year, Fitzsimmons has played in every game so far and has 24 tackles with two sacks for 16 yards lost.
Jimmy Scott has given Pitt another veteran presence on defense, starting in almost every game since 2024. He turned in a huge 2024 season with 30 tackles, 12.5 for loss and six sacks, and he was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week after recording six tackles and three sacks in a win over California. He led Pitt with 4.5 sacks the following season, and in 2026 he has nine tackles, four tackles for lost yards and one sack.
Linebacker Abe Ibrahim arrived as a walk-on in 2022 and didn’t get much run until he played in all 13 games in 2025. He finished that season with 16 tackles and a pass breakup. This year, Ibrahim has appeared in every game and has nine tackles.
The last of the group is tight end Adam Howanitz, who walked on in 2023 and has played in two games this season.
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