Pitt weekend notebook: midsummer news and notes
The start of the 2025 football season is just over a month away, and Pitt fall camp starts on Wednesday. It’s almost time for the football season. But with a few days to go, here’s a look at some news and notes from the weekend.
10 Pitt Panthers named to Shrine Bowl watchlist
The Shrine Bowl is one of the most regarded All-Star events for NFL hopefuls, and the Pitt Panthers have been well-represented over the years. It’s a good indication of which current Pitt players are being looked at as NFL prospects.
OT Ryan Baer
CB Rashad Battle
LB Rasheem Biles
C Lyndon Cooper
QB Eli Holstein
LB Kyle Louis
RB Desmond Reid
DE Jimmy Scott
OT Kendall Stanley
IOL BJ Williams
Obviously, not all these players will attend the Shrine Bowl (or even try their luck at the NFL level after the season), but they are the top players, both in terms of production and potential.
The 2026 Shrine Bowl will take place at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Tx. on Jan. 27.
Kenny Pickett to miss time with injury
Kenny Pickett, unfortunately, won’t be able to capitalize on a strong start to training camp this week.
Pickett injured his hamstring toward the end of Saturday’s practice, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported, and he’s expected to be re-evaluated later this week. It remains to be seen just how much time Pickett will miss.
It’s tough timing for Pickett, who has been in the driver’s seat of the QB1 battle against Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
Pickett served as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ backup last season, completing 25-of-42 pass attempts for 291 yards with three total touchdowns and an interception. He started one game, picking up a win against the Dallas Cowboys to seal the division.
He started his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, after being selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and now he’s looking to reclaim a place as a starter in the league.
MLB Draft pick declines Dodgers, commits to Pitt
The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Mason Ligenza in the sixth round of the 2025 MLB Draft, but the versatile athlete turned down the defending champions to play college baseball.
Ligenza – a 6-foot-6, 205-pound outfielder from Tamaqua in Tamaqua, Pa. – will play his college ball at Pitt.
ESPN ranked Ligenza as the 113th-ranked prospect in the class, while MLB Pipeline ranked him 217th and Baseball America ranked him 378th. PerfectGame, a scouting site for high school players, ranked him as the No. 1 prospect in Pennsylvania.
MLB Pipeline wrote this about Ligenza:
“There’s a lot of upside potential with Ligenza, starting with the 6-foot-5 frame he’s just starting to fill out. He has a ton of strength in his swing and at least plus raw power from the left side of the plate. While he dominated his high school competition, showing off a solid hit tool and getting to his power frequently, it wasn’t against the best pitching in the world, and he struggled more against better arms on the summer showcase circuit, with swing-and-miss issues concerning scouts.”
He turned down a 195th pick slot value of $317,200 to play for the Panthers over the next few seasons.
NFL news and notes
*The Carolina Panthers waived M.J. Devonshire over the weekend, and after going unclaimed, he was reverted to the IR. He was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft but didn’t see the field during his rookie season.
*The San Francisco 49ers waived Israel Abanikanda last week, and he was claimed by the Green Bay Packers almost immediately. He reported to camp this week and will look to earn a spot on the active roster this summer.
Abanikanda was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the New York Jets and played in six games during his rookie season.
