PITTSBURGH — Sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel was named to the preseason watch list for the 90th Maxwell Award. The honor recognizes the outstanding player in college football.
Heintschel established himself as one of the most productive young quarterbacks in the country during the 2025 season. He led Pitt to a winning record in his starts and set several freshman milestones for the program.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound native of Oregon, Ohio, completed 201-of-316 passes for 2,354 yards and 16 touchdowns during the 2025 season. He also recorded two scores on the ground. Pitt finished with a 6-3 record in games he started.
Heintschel became the first true freshman since Florida State’s Jameis Winston in 2013 to produce at least 300 passing yards and three touchdowns in three of his first six career games. During the 2025 season, he surpassed 300 passing yards four times and threw at least three touchdown passes in three separate games.
His performance against NC State made him the first Pitt quarterback since Kenny Pickett in 2021 to throw for 400 yards in a single game. Heintschel was also the first freshman in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the past 30 seasons to pass for 400 yards and three touchdowns in a contest. That game included an 84-yard touchdown pass, which tied the longest completion by a Pitt player at Acrisure Stadium and ranks as the fourth-longest in program history.
The sophomore was previously named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award. He also received individual conference honors twice as the ACC Rookie of the Week and once as the ACC Quarterback of the Week.
The Maxwell Award was established in 1937 and is named for Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, a former standout at Swarthmore College who became a sportswriter and official. The Maxwell Football Club, which was founded in 1935, is the oldest football organization of its kind in the country and supports academic and leadership programs.
Semifinalists for the award will be announced Nov. 10, followed by the announcement of three finalists on Nov. 24. The winner will be revealed Dec. 10. The award will be formally presented on March 13, 2027, at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta.
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