2026 Pitt Wrestling Mac Stout

Wrestling: Looking at 2026-27 Pitt’s roster and upcoming season

ByJude Hannahs

The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team’s 2026-27 season is right around the corner. This article examines how Pitt performed last season and where the current roster stands.

For those who may not recall, the Panthers placed fifth overall in the Atlantic Coast Conference last year with 37.0 points.

Pitt finished 26th nationally at the NCAA Championships, accumulating 13.0 points. During the 2025-26 season, the Panthers tallied an 11-4 record (5-2 at home, 6-2 on the road) and finished 3-3 in conference duals.

Over the past 10 seasons, Pitt holds a dual-meet record of 86-57 (.601 winning percentage), with head coach Keith Gavin leading the program for nine of those years. The Panthers’ best recent ACC season came in 2022-23, when they went 4-1 in conference play.

Pittsburgh’s complete official roster can be found on the university’s athletics website. 

Newcomers

  • Avi Wylen – Freshman
  • Santino Sloboda (125 lbs.) – Freshman
  • Caleb Rodriguez (285 lbs.) – Freshman
  • Mike Daly (133 lbs.) – Freshman
  • Eugene Harney (149 lbs.) – Junior
  • Mason Kernan (141 lbs.) – Sophomore
  • Kal Miller (149 lbs.) – Fifth-year senior (transfer from Maryland)

Notable Returners

  • Dayton Pitzer (285 lbs., Senior): The Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, native anchors the upper weight class as a veteran leader and two-time NCAA Championship qualifier.
  • Mac Stout (197 lbs., Senior): Stout provides high-level experience for Pittsburgh. He was an NCAA All-American and ACC Champion in 2025, and qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
  • Briar Priest (141 lbs., Senior): Priest is a reliable contributor when it comes to clutch dual victories. In the opening round of last year’s ACC Championships, he secured an overtime pin against fourth-seeded Tom Crook of Virginia Tech.
  • Chase Kranitz (184 lbs., Senior): Kranitz placed fourth at last season’s ACC Championship tournament and went 1-2 at the NCAA tournament. His jump from a 9-9 record in 2024-25 to 16-11 in 2025-26 makes him a key returner.
  • Dylan Evans (165 lbs., Junior): Evans is a multi-time NCAA qualifier alongside Pitzer and Stout. He captured the 157-pound title at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships and holds more than 45 career wins at Pitt.

Pitt remains one of the most respected NCAA Division I wrestling programs in the country. With Gavin at the helm, the Panthers are positioned to compete at a high level again this season.

The Panthers host their “Blue vs. Gold” intrasquad dual match at Victory Heights Arena and Sports Performance

Jude Hannahs is a staff writer for DreamBackfield since November 2025. 

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