The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

By Chris Gates | The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

If there’s one unit I trust going into every season under Pat Narduzzi, it’s the defense.

That doesn’t mean Pitt is going to have the No. 1 defense in the country every year. It doesn’t mean there won’t be frustrating moments where they give up a few explosive plays that leave you pulling your hair out.

But year after year, this defense does enough to put Pitt in position to win football games.

That’s been one of the defining characteristics of the Narduzzi era.

The formula is usually pretty simple: give the team a change to win, and hope the offense can score enough to win.

I expect that to be true again in 2026.

Replacing Star Power Won’t Be Easy

The biggest challenge for this defense is obvious.

You don’t simply replace players like Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles and expect everything to look exactly the same.

Those are NFL-caliber players.

Kyle Louis is off to the NFL, and Biles left through the transfer portal for Texas. Losing two impact linebackers like that is significant.

Because of that, I think linebacker is probably the one position group where it’s fair to expect some regression.

Not a collapse.

Just a step back.

That’s okay if the rest of the defense takes a step forward.

The Defensive Line Might Be Better Than People Think

Ironically, I think the defensive line is the unit that has a chance to surprise people.

I’m actually pretty bullish on this group.

Sean FitzSimmons has shown he can be an extremely productive defensive tackle when he’s healthy.

Nick James gives Pitt another experienced interior presence.

The concern, once again, is depth.

If those two stay healthy, I think Pitt will be in good shape inside.

If injuries start piling up, things become much more complicated.

The same goes for defensive end, although I actually feel a little better there.

Jimmy Scott, Jaeden Moore and Isaiah Neal give Pitt multiple players capable of rotating throughout the game, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Zach Crothers becomes the breakout player everyone is talking about by the end of the season.

He has that kind of potential.

Jaeden Moore is another interesting player to watch.

He transferred in from Oregon before last season but dealt with injuries that limited his impact. When he was healthy, though, he flashed enough that it’s easy to envision him taking a much bigger role this fall.

If those defensive ends can consistently pressure quarterbacks without relying exclusively on blitzes, this defense becomes much more dangerous.

The Secondary should Be the Strength of the Defense

If I had to pick one unit that excites me the most, it’s probably the secondary.

I think this group has a chance to be the best Pitt has had in several years.

Cruce Brookins and Josh Guerrier give Pitt experience and playmaking ability at safety.

At corner, Shadarian Harrison returns, and Auburn transfer Raion Strader adds another intriguing piece.

Shawn Lee provides additional experience and should build on a really impressive freshman season.

More importantly, this group feels deeper than some recent Pitt secondaries.

That’s important because modern college football forces defenses to defend the entire field.

Having multiple corners and safeties you trust allows Pitt to stay aggressive, which has always been a trademark of Narduzzi’s defenses.

Why I Still Trust This Defense

One of the reasons I’m optimistic is simple.

Pat Narduzzi has earned that trust.

Early in his tenure, there were definitely growing pains.

I still remember games where Pitt gave up enormous passing numbers.

Clemson. North Carolina. Those games were rough.

But once Narduzzi got his players into the program, the defense became remarkably consistent.

Year after year, Pitt fields a defense that keeps them competitive.

And I expect that to happen again in 2026, even with the change in defensive coordinator from Randy Bates to Cory Sanders.

It doesn’t have to be perfect.

It just has to keep doing what it has done for years. And I believe it will.

The Biggest Variable Is Health

If there’s one thing that could derail this defense, it’s injuries.

That’s true across the roster, but especially up front.

College football has changed.

Between NIL and the transfer portal, programs like Pitt simply don’t have the kind of defensive line depth they used to.

The first-team defensive line looks solid.

The second-team depth is where questions begin.

That’s why staying healthy feels even more important this season than it has in years past.

If Pitt avoids major injuries, I think this defense will once again be one of the better units in the ACC.

If not, things could get challenging in a hurry.

Expect the Defense to Do Its Job

When I look at this team as a whole, I actually have more questions about the offense than I do the defense.

That’s probably the biggest compliment I can give Pitt’s defensive program.

Every August, we find ourselves asking who the breakout players will be, how they’ll replace NFL talent, or whether they’ll generate enough pressure.

And every year, they usually figure it out.

Will linebacker be quite as dominant after losing Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles?

Probably not.

But I think the defensive line has a chance to be better than people expect.

I think the secondary could quietly become one of Pitt’s strengths.

And I think Pat Narduzzi’s defensive system continues to give Pitt something that every good football team needs:

A chance to win every Saturday.

If the offense takes the next logical step forward, I have very little doubt the defense will hold up its end of the bargain.