Pitt offensive coordinator Kade Bell recruited this cycle with a more-the-merrier attitude about procuring quarterbacks.
The result was Pitt signing two signal-callers — 4-star Corey Dailey and Angelo Renda — from Texas.
“I’m always trying to take as many quarterbacks as I can get,” Bell said. “If you want to win a championship at any level, quarterback is the livelihood of the team and program. You’ve got to have a quarterback to win a championship. The players have to believe in the quarterback. The coaches have to believe in the quarterback. Everybody’s got to believe in the quarterback.
“You don’t want a roster where you’ve got one quarterback and then two, three or four other guys that aren’t very good or can’t play. Why not have a room of three or four quarterbacks that can all win you a championship? You can’t be scared to find guys.”
Projecting Pitt’s quarterbacks room once Dailey and Renda step on campus this January (both will enroll early) would be a useless exercise at this juncture.
Pitt still has to play its bowl game, and the transfer portal period from Jan. 2-16 could result in some attrition, not just behind center.
Regardless, the Panthers believe they have their man at quarterback in Mason Heintschel, who soon will complete what’s been a highly impressive freshman campaign.
When he was on the recruiting trail, Bell stayed attuned to the possibility of prospects not wanting to join a program with a solidified starter or be one of multiple quarterbacks in Pitt’s class.
In Dailey and Renda, Bell avoided players with such an outlook.
“Some kids don’t want to have two quarterbacks in a class,” Bell said. “I don’t like those kids, being really honest with you. If you’re a kid that’s scared of competition, if you’re scared to come to Pitt and compete, well, you’re not going to make it here or in the NFL one day. That’s what was so exciting about both these kids. They didn’t care how many quarterbacks we were taking at Pitt.
“They just wanted to come play in the system, come build what we’re building here and compete. When it comes down to it, we’re going to play the best player here, and we always have. Who gives us the best chance to win?”
What’s better than one Texan gunslinger… TWO TEXAN GUNSLINGERS ????????
COREY DAILEY IS A PITT PANTHER ✍️ @Dailey4Corey pic.twitter.com/GhhRcmn4fv
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) December 3, 2025
Dailey, 6-foot-6, was a three-sport (football, baseball, basketball) athlete at Seguin High School in Texas.
On the gridiron, he set school records for passing yards (9,138), passing touchdowns (100) and completions (757) over four years as starter. As a senior, he threw for 2,921 yards and 22 scores, with 247Sports ranking him as the No. 13 quarterback in the nation.
“I think Corey has a huge ceiling,” Bell said. “You’re talking about a kid who’s been a four-year starter. He has every single passing game record at his high school. He plays for his dad, so he’s a coach’s son who’s one of the best offensive coaches in Texas. What really makes Corey special is that he’s a winner in everything he does.”
Renda is 6 inches shorter than Dailey but is 28-1 in three years as Southlake Carroll’s starting quarterback. Southlake Carroll is ranked No. 1 in Class 6A in Texas at 13-0 this season and chasing its first state championship since 2011.
A gunslinger out of Texas ????
ANGELO RENDA IS A PITT PANTHER ✍️ @AngeloRenda2026 pic.twitter.com/edkJsGIGGP
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) December 3, 2025
Despite playing for a national powerhouse program, Renda enjoyed a quieter recruitment akin to that of Heintschel.
Aside from Pitt, SMU was his only Power Four offer, while UTSA, Jacksonville State and Tulsa also offered.
“He’s a dual-threat playmaker,” Bell said. “The one thing I love about him is just how consistent he’s been as a quarterback.”
Bell will have some configuring to do next spring when it comes to ensuring all Pitt’s quarterbacks are given meaningful reps.
Of course, only so many first-team snaps are available, but Bell isn’t concerned.
Dailey and Renda already will be in an advantageous position simply by joining the Panthers early.
Once they arrive, Bell is excited to get to work and begin developing them.
“Them coming in spring is huge,” Bell said. “They’re going to come in in January, start learning the system, they’re going to come through spring ball and installs, come back in the summer and go through more installs and come into (fall) camp and go through them again. That just puts you so much farther ahead when they come in early. That’s a good thing for quarterbacks.”
