Pitt QB Mason Heintschel Named ACC Rookie of the Week
After a spectacular first-career start, true freshman Mason Heintschel has picked up his first ACC honor.
Heintschel has been named the ACC Rookie of the Week after leading the Panthers to a 48-7 win in the first collegiate start of his career.
The 6-2, 215-pound Heintschel completed 30-of-41 (73.2%) passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns, while not throwing an interception. He also ran for 28 yards on 10 attempts.
“I think he did a heck of a job,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said following the game. “He got the ball out. We moved the sticks. We got 40 minutes time of possession. I don’t know how many three-and-outs we had. We moved the ball. We had the ball in our possession. I thought he delivered the ball. He made good decisions.
Heintschel was named the Pitt starting quarterback over incumbent Eli Holstein after the Panthers dropped two consecutive games over West Virginia and Louisville in which the offense was far too inconsistent. Holstein threw two interceptions against the Cardinals before being benched. Heintschel also started over previously designated backup Cole Gonzales.
An Oregon, Ohio native, Heintschel saw the field one other time this season in relief against Central Michigan. He completed 3-of-4 passes for 36 yards with a long of 20 yards to tight end Max Hunt.
The 6-2, 215-pound Heintschel received a lot of buzz during spring ball and carried that over into training camp. During the Pitt spring game, he went 8-of-11 for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Heintschel was a three-year starter at Clay High School and finished with 7,322 passing yards and 79 touchdowns. As a senior, he completed 188-of-272 passes (69.1%) for 2,444 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also added 770 rushing yards and sic touchdowns as Clay won the 2024 NLL Cardinal Division championship.
Coming out of high school, Heintschel was a four-star recruit, according to Rivals, and was the No. 24 quarterback in the 2025 cycle.
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