Possible return of tailback Ja’Kyrian Turner comes as Pitt running game surges
Pitt put together its season-best rushing performance Sept. 17 vs. Syracuse minus the services of star tailback Ja’Kyrian Turner.
Turner has not played since the Panthers’ season-opener against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 5 because of an unspecified injury, missing matchups with Central Florida and the Orange.
As a result, position mates Damon Ferguson Jr., a true freshman, and sixth-year La’Vell Wright combined for 183 rushing yards and two scores vs. Syracuse.
Per coach Pat Narduzzi, Turner could have played against the Orange but was held out because of a coach’s decision.
Now, Narduzzi must weigh the prospects of putting Turner back into the mix Saturday at home vs. Bucknell a week removed from the solid outings by Ferguson and Wright.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Narduzzi said. “We, obviously, know what (Turner) can do when we hand it off to him or he’s out running a route. We’re going to play those guys, keep them fresh and get them rolling.”
As a true freshman last season, Turner supplanted Desmond Reid, who struggled most of the season with injuries, as Pitt’s featured tailback.
He proceeded to lead the team with 745 rushing yards, scoring seven times, while adding 25 catches for 150 yards.
So Turner has showcased what he can do. His re-addition to the fold, whenever that might be, gives Pitt another playmaker.
“I feel like we’re all explosive in our own ways,” Ferguson said of his teammates. “Everybody in that running back room can do whatever they put their mind to. (Tailbacks coach Lindsey Lamar), once again, he coached us all to be very explosive, powerful backs and helping us with the reads and everything. I think we all are explosive.”
Turner’s injury has presented Ferguson with an opportunity to play early, in similar fashion to a year ago when Reid’s absence paved a path for Turner.
Through three weeks, Ferguson has impressed, as he leads Pitt in rushing yards (183) and has scored a touchdown in all of his team’s games.
With Turner unavailable, Ferguson has started the last two contests.
“He’s loose,” Narduzzi said. “He’s, obviously, intelligent. He’s smart just as far as a freshman goes. I think tailback is a spot (where) if you’re talented and you play loose, you can play as a freshman. He’s got speed. You see him take an edge and turn the corner. He’s a talented young freshman.”
Wright’s nomadic college career led him to Pitt as a transfer in January.
He began at Kentucky, where he played from 2021-23, missing his final season with an injury. Wright then joined Austin Peay for 2024, rushing for a team-high 609 yards. In 2025, he transferred again, this time to Western Kentucky, where he ran for 471 yards and led the team in rushing touchdowns (10).
Wright opted to conclude his collegiate career at Pitt, his fourth program.
At 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, he boasts the largest frame among Pitt’s scholarship tailbacks, which Narduzzi sees him putting to good use.
“He’s a big-time back,” Narduzzi said. “He’s a big back that can run. He can make you miss, and he can run you over. You’ve got to love what he’s done the first three games. Just keep getting more of it.”
Whether Turner returns to action Saturday, or it’s sophomore Synkwan Smith, who’s also coming off an injury, Narduzzi views the prospects of having additional available personnel at tailback through a positive lens.
“It’s a good problem to have,” he said, “when you’ve got three dudes back there that can run the ball.”