Pittsburgh opened the 2026 college football season with five straight wins, including two 59-point blowouts over Miami (Ohio) and Bucknell, along with gritty wins against UCF, Syracuse, and at Virginia Tech.
But their momentum stalled last weekend when they fell 21-17 to North Carolina at home. Pitt led at halftime, but the offense struggled after the break, and UNC's defense exposed the limitations of backup quarterback Holden Geriner, who had replaced starter Mason Heintschel after tearing his ACL in the Hokies game.
The Panthers now head into Saturday's game at Boston College at 5-1 overall and 2-1 in ACC play. The Eagles, meanwhile, are 2-3, giving Pitt a prime opportunity to bounce back.
But just before kickoff, the Panthers made another change at quarterback. According to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, Pitt is expected to start true freshman Corey Dailey against Boston College on Saturday.
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Dailey is a 6-foot-6, 200-pound true freshman from Seguin, Texas, who joined Pitt in January after graduating from Seguin High School. He was a four-star recruit ranked as the No. 13 quarterback in the 2026 class by 247Sports, and chose the Panthers over offers from Texas State, UTSA, San Diego State, Tulane, and others.
At Seguin High, he set school records with 9,138 passing yards and 100 passing touchdowns, while accounting for 122 total touchdowns over his career. As a senior, he threw for 2,921 yards and 22 touchdowns, adding 660 rushing yards and 13 rushing scores.
He's appeared in just one game at Pittsburgh so far, their 59-0 win over Bucknell, when he completed 3 of 5 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown.
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Geriner, a fifth-year senior transfer, completed 27 of 44 passes for 219 yards and zero touchdowns with two interceptions against UNC last weekend. The loss wasn't entirely on him, but it's also not surprising to see head coach Pat Narduzzi make a change.
Dailey offers impressive size and arm talent, and the Panthers are still in a strong position at 5-1. But they need to figure out the quarterback position fast after losing Heintschel, and Dailey now has an opportunity to prove he can steady the team and keep its season on track.