Pitt Trio Features on College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have had many great players over the years, including those that have a chance for the greatest recognition.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, quarterback Matt Cavanaugh and running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward all feature on the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot, the National Football

This makes it the second ballot for Donald and the seventh ballot for both Cavanaugh and Heyward.

Donald, an alum of Penn Hills, played for Pitt from 2010-13 and starred in 2013, making 59 tackles (43 solo), 28.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and three passes defended.

This earned him ACC Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-American honors. He also secured the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronco Nagurski Trophy for best defensive player, the Outland Trophy for best interior lineman and the Lombardi Award for the player who embodies the spirit of Hall of Fame head coach Vince Lombardi.

Donald also had an excellent NFL career with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, making the Pro Bowl all 10 seasons he played in, three NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards and is a member of the NFL All-2010s Decade Team.

He retired from the NFL after the 2023 season, also earning eight First Team All-Pro honors.

Cavanaugh started at quarterback for the Panthers from 1975-77, leading the program to three Bowl wins and the 1976 National Championship, the last for the program.

His best season came in 1977, as he completed 87-of-151 passes for 1,457 yards and 11 touchdowns, en route to First Team All-American honors. He also earned MVP honors in the Sugar Bowl win over Georgia that won Pitt the National Championship and the Gator Bowl the following season.

Heyward played three seasons for Pitt, 1984-87, missing the 1986 season, and is one of the best running backs in school history.

His best season came as a senior in 1987, where he rushed 357 times for 1,791 yards and 11 touchdowns, plus 21 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown as well. He earned concensus All-American honors, finished fifth in Heisman voting and his rushing yards ranks third best in a season in Pitt history.

He would finish his Pitt career with 3,086 yards rushing and 24 rushing touchdowns, ranking fifth and ninth best in program history, respectively.

Heyward died in 2006 at the age of 39, after a cancerous tumor metastasized in his brain for a year. He was also the father of Pittsburgh Steelers players, defensive end Cameron Heyward and tight end Connor Heyward.

Former Pitt wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is the most recent College Football Hall of Fame inductee, joining the 2024 class. Pitt has 25 inductees, players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame.