College Football 27 dynasty · ACC

Pittsburgh Dynasty in CFB 27

Pittsburgh opens a College Football 27 dynasty with the 41st-rated projected lineup among 138 FBS teams (80.1 OVR). The strongest unit is defensive line (83, 19th); the weakest is wide receiver (78, 93rd). 12 of the 22 projected starters are listed as seniors.

Ratings: “Freshmen Update 8/27/26” · updated Aug 31, 2026

Starter avg: 80.1; 41st of 138
Offense: 80; 47th nationally
Defense: 80.2; 36th nationally
Senior starters: 12 / 22; listed as seniors

Where the roster stands

Unit ratings

Pittsburgh Panthers unit ratings in College Football 27
Unit	Projected starters	Avg OVR	National rank
Quarterback1 starter · 5 on roster	Mason Heintschel 83	83	33rd / 138
Running back1 starter · 7 on roster	Ja'Kyrian Turner 86	86	35th / 138
Wide receiver3 starters · 12 on roster	Cataurus Hicks 81, Bryce Yates 78, Censere Lee 75	78	93rd / 138
Tight end1 starter · 6 on roster	Carson Kent 75	75	75th / 138
Offensive line5 starters · 13 on roster	Ryan Baer 88, BJ Williams 80, Ryan Carretta 79, Keylen Davis 78, Kendall Stanley 77	80.4	30th / 138
Defensive line4 starters · 12 on roster	Nick James 85, Jimmy Scott 84, Sean FitzSimmons 82, Isaiah Neal 81	83	19th / 138
Linebacker3 starters · 13 on roster	Braylan Lovelace 82, Cameron Lindsey 76, Alex Sanford Jr. 72	76.7	51st / 138
Cornerback2 starters · 8 on roster	Raion Strader 84, Shawn Lee Jr. 79	81.5	45th / 138
Safety2 starters · 6 on roster	Cruce Brookins 85, Cole Woodson 72	78.5	65th / 138
Kicker1 starter · 2 on roster	Samuel Hunsaker 75	75	87th / 138
Punter1 starter · 1 on roster	Gabe Russo 67	67	132nd / 138

Projected starters are the highest-rated players at each position group: 1 QB, 1 HB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 5 OL, 4 DL, 3 LB, 2 CB and 2 S. Kickers and punters are not included in the starter average. This is our calculation from the roster ratings, not EA’s official team rating.

Year-one departures

Senior starters to replace

Pittsburgh Panthers projected starters listed as seniors
Player	Pos	Class	Archetype	OVR
Censere Lee	WR	Sr.	Elusive Route Runner	75
Carson Kent	TE	Sr.	Vertical Threat	75
Ryan Baer	RT	Sr.	Raw Strength	88
BJ Williams	RG	Sr.	Raw Strength	80
Keylen Davis	LG	Sr.	Agile	78
Kendall Stanley	LT	Sr.	Agile	77
Nick James	DT	Sr.	Pure Power	85
Jimmy Scott	RE	Sr.	Pure Power	84
Sean FitzSimmons	DT	Sr.	Pure Power	82
Braylan Lovelace	MLB	Sr.	Thumper	82
Alex Sanford Jr.	ROLB	Sr.	Lurker	72
Raion Strader	CB	Sr.	Boundary	84

Class year as listed on the College Football 27 roster. Redshirt status isn’t in the data, so a player listed as a senior may still have a season left.

Freshmen and sophomores

Young core

Highest-rated Pittsburgh Panthers freshmen and sophomores
Player	Pos	Class	Archetype	OVR
Ja'Kyrian Turner	HB	So.	East/West Playmaker	86
Mason Heintschel	QB	So.	Pocket Passer	83
Shawn Lee Jr.	CB	So.	Field	79
Synkwan Smith	HB	Fr.	Backfield Threat	79
Bryce Yates	WR	So.	Elusive Route Runner	78
Jaylin Brown	HB	Fr.	East/West Playmaker	77
Cameron Lindsey	LOLB	So.	Lurker	76
Max Hunt	TE	Fr.	Physical Route Runner	74

Roster composition

Roster by class

Freshmans: 29
Sophomores: 18
Juniors: 14
Seniors: 24

Rivalry games

Pittsburgh rivalries

Pittsburgh Panthers rivalries and all-time series records
Opponent	Rivalry	All-time series	First met	Streak
Penn State	—	Penn State leads 54–43	1893	L3
West Virginia	Backyard Brawl	Pittsburgh leads 63–42	1895	L1
Notre Dame	Notre Dame/Pitt Rivalry	Notre Dame leads 51–21	1909	L5
Syracuse	Pitt/Syracuse Rivalry	Pittsburgh leads 45–32	1916	W2
Cincinnati	River City Rivalry	Pittsburgh leads 9–5	1921	W1

Full Pittsburgh CFB 27 roster Pittsburgh Panthers team page

Sources & notes

EA Sports College Football 27 roster ratings — Ratings from “Freshmen Update 8/27/26” roster update, imported 2026-08-31 via Teamcrafters. Ratings change with each roster update.
EA Sports College Football 27 rivalry data — All-time series records as they ship in the game, before any dynasty games are played.

Last updated Aug 31, 2026.