QB Mason Heintschel’s best friend died at 13. He honors him at Pitt.
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From the moment they met in third grade, Mason Heintschel and Lukas Mason were inseparable.
They played middle school football in their hometown of Oregon, Ohio, and dreamed of one day playing under Clay High School’s Friday night lights. Heintschel would be under center, and Lukas would block for him.
A few years before that dream could be realized, tragedy struck. On June 11, 2020, Lukas was biking past Clay High School when he was hit by a passing car. He died the next day. He was 13 years old.
As he dealt with the loss of his good friend, Heintschel’s career continued. He led Clay to its first Northern Lakes League Cardinal Division Championship in 42 years and joined Pittsburgh in 2025, where he became its starter within a month.
In 12 games with the Panthers, Heintschel has thrown over 3,000 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. He’ll look to continue his torrid stretch when Pitt hosts Syracuse Thursday. And when he lines up, Lukas will be honored, with his middle school football number, “63,” etched on Heintschel’s cleats.
“Even though he’s at Pitt now, Lukas is still a piece of his life he could never forget about,” said John Galyas, Clay High School’s former head coach. “He still honors Lukas, and it’s incredible.”
Heintschel didn’t seem to experience many growing pains when he became the Panthers’ starter on Oct. 4, 2025. The then-18-year-old threw 12 touchdowns in five straight wins.
Mason Heintschel throws a pass in Pitt’s season opener against Miami (Ohio). Heintschel finished with 453 passing yards and a whopping seven touchdowns in the Panthers’ 59-14 win. Courtesy of Pitt Athletics
Heintschel’s rise made it clear he’s the right guy to lead Pitt. He’s drawn national attention for program-record passing numbers and carries hefty expectations as he is believed to be the Panthers’ youngest captain ever.
“When Heintschel came in, we could see that this guy was special,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. “But did we think he was going to be starting (in 2025)? Absolutely not.”
Pitt started the 2025 season 2-2 after dropping back-to-back games against unranked West Virginia and Louisville. In that stretch, Panthers starter Eli Holstein led the Atlantic Coast Conference with five interceptions and tossed a game-sealing pick against the Cardinals. Holstein’s collapse motivated Narduzzi to search for a different option under center.
He chose Heintschel, and the change paid off immediately.
Heintschel set Pitt’s record for most passing touchdowns in a quarterback’s first start with four in a 48-7 stomping of Boston College. The moment never seemed too big for him that day, especially as he’d faced heavier moments before.
Heintschel didn’t overthink the starting role. When in doubt, he turned to a coach who’d been with him for years.
“I have the most faith in Coach Kade Bell,” Heintschel said. “I know he’s doing all he can to put us in the right spot to win games.”
Bell, Pitt’s offensive coordinator, was one of Heintschel’s main recruiters. He doesn’t watch quarterback film until their junior years, when Heintschel opportunely grew two inches and added 20 pounds. With Heintschel’s size, 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns, Bell gave him his first Power Four offer before his senior season.
Galyas said Big Ten schools sent scouts to games but always overlooked Heintschel despite earning NLL Cardinal Division Offensive Player of the Year twice. Pitt’s offer gave Heintschel a chance to prove those programs were missing out.
“I have no idea what they’re looking for, because to me it’s about production,” Galyas said. “And if you look at Mason’s high school career, it’s nothing but production.”
After Pitt’s early-season downfall last year, it took just a few games for Heintschel to propel the Panthers into the national spotlight. By mid-November, Pitt was ranked No. 22 and won seven of nine games. ESPN’s College Gameday even partially favored the Panthers before their matchup with then-No. 9 Notre Dame.
I have no idea what they're looking for, because to me it’s about production. If you look at Mason's high school career, it’s nothing but production.John Galyas, former Clay High School head coach
While Pitt fell short against the Fighting Irish, Heintschel’s modest performance was a one-off. He was named ACC Rookie of the Week in his first and fourth career starts and ACC Quarterback of the Week in his second.
Heintschel peaked in the Panthers’ 53-34 win over NC State. The quarterback set Pitt’s freshman record with 423 passing yards and added three touchdowns. After putting his name on a list alongside esteemed Panthers quarterbacks like NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino and NFL Draft first-round pick Kenny Pickett, Heintschel searched the stands.
Jodie Mason, Lukas’ mother, watched like she used to when Heintschel and Lukas dreamed about Fridays at Clay. Heintschel jogged to her after the final whistle and handed her a pair of his cleats, with “63” stitched across the heel.
The gesture wasn’t surprising to Galyas. He said, “It says a lot about who Mason is.”
“He leads our football team,” Narduzzi said. “His votes for captain didn’t just come from the offensive side of the ball. They came from the entire team.”
Heintschel started the 2026 campaign hot, throwing for over 450 yards and seven touchdowns in a Week 1 win over Miami (Ohio). His performance set the ACC’s single-game passing touchdowns record and earned him conference quarterback of the week honors.
Last week, Pitt stayed undefeated with a 12-7 win over UCF. Heintschel’s performance — 212 passing yards, zero touchdowns — wasn’t too special, but he did what was needed. His 332.5 yards per game now rank second in the ACC, only behind SMU’s Kevin Jennings (383.5).
Even when he enters a filled Acrisure Stadium against Syracuse Thursday, Heintschel’s playing for one person. He’s still the kid who wanted to play alongside his best friend.
And for Jodie, it goes both ways.
“As much as Mason carries Lukas in his heart,” Jodie told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “I know Lukas is looking down on Mason.”
