We, Not Me | A Pittsburgh Panthers Dynasty

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Pitt looks to improve on 'dreadful' 2023 season


Not since the days of Pitt Stadium have the Panthers won three or fewer games.

PITTSBURGH — Three wins.

The 2023 Pittsburgh Panthers came into the season with high hopes. Local sports pundits predicted anywhere from eight to 10 wins for the team, and national sportswriters thought Pitt could win eight games.

Instead, Pitt racked up just three wins. One against FCS opponent Wofford; a 38–21 upset against No. 14 Louisville; and a late-season 24–16 victory against Boston College.

Their nine losses came both in devastating fashion and in blowouts. A 27–21 loss to Cincinnati. Losing to Notre Dame by 51 points.

"It was dreadful," head coach Pat Narduzzi said of the team's performance. "We should have been better."

With the 2023 season in the rearview mirror, Pitt now turns its focus to a 2024 season. And this year, Narduzzi thinks the team has new weapons.

"We added great guys, great players, on both offense and defense," he said.

The headline incoming transfer is quarterback Eli Holstein, a redshirt freshman who transferred from Alabama. Holstein, 19, stands 6'4" tall and has what Narduzzi called a "rocket arm." Standing eight inches shorter is transfer running back Desmond Reid, whose small frame enables him to evade defenders. Reid transferred from Western Carolina, where he played under Pitt's new offensive coordinator, Kade Bell. Pitt also added two receivers — Censere Lee and Raphael "Poppy" Williams Jr. — from the transfer portal, tight end Jake Overman, and lineman Lyndon Cooper.

On defense, the transfer portal gave Pitt two edge rushers — David Ojiegbe and Nate Matlack — defensive tackle Nick James, linebacker Keye Thompson, and defensive back Tamon Lynum.

In addition to the transfers heading to Pitt, the Panthers also had the 56th-ranked recruiting class per 247 Sports.

"We're also bringing a new mindset," Narduzzi said. "Kade [Bell] is a creative coordinator; I haven't seen anyone like him."

Indeed, Bell's Catamounts were a well-regarded FCS offense last season, averaging nearly 40 points per game.

In all, the Panthers are looking not only to bounce back from the 2023 season, but think they can prove they are capable of competing in the ACC.

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Re: We, Not Me | A Pittsburgh Panthers Dynasty

2024 Pittsburgh Panthers Roster
#	OFFENSE	POS	HT	WT	CLASS	HOMETOWN
14	Ty Dieffenbach	QB	6'6"	220	FR	Calabasas, CA
12	Julian Dugger	QB	6'3"	210	FR	Pittsburgh, PA
10	Eli Holstein	QB	6'4"	225	FR	Zachary, LA
16	David Lynch	QB	6'3"	215	FR	East Grenwich, RI
19	Nate Yarnell	QB	6'6"	215	JR	Austin, TX
4	Daniel Carter	RB	5'10"	220	SR	Margate, FL
34	Derrick Davis, Jr.	RB	6'0"	205	JR	Pittsburgh, PA
26	Juelz Goff	RB	5'9"	190	FR	York, PA
6	Rodney Hammond Jr.	RB	5'9"	200	SR	Norfolk, VA
15	Montravius Lloyd	RB	5'10"	215	FR	St. Petersburg, FL
25	Desmond Reid	RB	5'8"	175	JR	Miami Gardens, FL
23	Zion Fowler-El	WR	6'0"	190	FR	Jersey City, NJ
2	Kenny Johnson	WR	6'1"	200	SO	York, PA
22	Censere Lee	WR	5'11"	175	JR	Clearwater, FL
27	Cameron Monteiro	WR	6'1"	180	FR	Brockton, MA
9	Konata Mumpfield	WR	6'1"	185	SR	Hoschton, GA
21	Che Nwabuko	WR	5'10"	180	SO	Austin, TX
46	Rashad Renfro	WR	6'4"	204	FR	Philadelphia, PA
3	Daejon Reynolds	WR	6'2"	210	JR	Springfield, IL
24	Tyreek Robinson	WR	5'10"	170	FR	Shreveport, LA
83	Lamar Seymore	WR	6'1"	190	FR	Miami, FL
5	Raphael Williams Jr.	WR	5'10"	165	JR	Fort Lauderdale, FL
86	Gavin Bartholomew	TE	6'5"	250	SR	Schuylkill Haven, PA
87	Jake Overman	TE	6'4"	245	SR	Yorba Linda, CA
88	Jake Renda	TE	6'4"	240	JR	Princeton, NJ
47	Nilay Upadhyayula	TE	5'11"	230	JR	San Jose, CA
53	Adham Abouraya	OT	6'5"	280	FR	Downingtown, PA
70	Ryan Baer	OT	6'7"	325	SO	Eastlake, OH
77	Jackson Brown	OT	6'6"	305	SO	Danville, CA
74	Terrence Enos Jr.	OT	6'5"	315	JR	Redford, MI
72	Isaiah Montgomery	OT	6'4"	300	SO	Virginia Beach, VA
67	Tai Ray	OT	6'6"	330	FR	Apopka, FL
78	Branson Taylor	OT	6'6"	330	SR	Lorain, OH
71	Ryan Carretta	OG	6'5"	305	FR	Galena, OH
50	Jason Collier Jr.	OG	6'6"	320	SR	West Deptford, NJ
76	Caleb Holmes	OG	6'3"	285	FR	Fairburn, GA
61	Ryan Jacoby	OG	6'5"	305	SR	Mentor, OH
55	BJ Williams	OG	6'4"	315	SO	Lawrenceville, GA
56	Lyndon Cooper	C	6'2"	310	JR	Atlanta, GA
58	Terrence Moore	C	6'5"	305	JR	Massillon, OH
#	DEFENSE	POS	HT	WT	CLASS	HOMETOWN
54	Chief Borders	DE	6'4"	245	JR	Chicago, IL
64	Mateo Bradley	DE	6'6"	269	JR	Coatesville, PA
53	Zach Crothers	DE	6'4"	255	FR	Weston, FL
90	Sincere Edwards	DE	6'1"	245	FR	Orlando, FL
39	Maverick Gracio	DE	6'4"	255	FR	West Palm Beach, FL
98	Nate Matlack	DE	6'5"	250	SR	Olathe, KS
43	David Ojiegbe	DE	6'3"	245	FR	Largo, MD
44	Jimmy Scott	DE	6'3"	260	SO	Buffalo, NY
6	Nate Temple	DE	6'4"	250	SR	Abbeville, SC
95	Francis Brewu	DL	6'1"	280	FR	Westerville, OH
55	Sean FitzSimmons	DL	6'3"	285	SO	Monaca, PA
96	Nick James	DL	6'2"	290	SO	Prattville, AL
4	Nahki Johnson	DL	6'2"	280	JR	Pittsburgh, PA
40	Jahsear Whittington	DL	6'0"	275	FR	Philadelphia, PA
57	Paxton Wright	DL	6'1"	275	FR	Hubbard, OH
20	Jordan Bass	OLB	6'4"	230	SO	Hampton, VA
31	Rasheem Biles	OLB	6'1"	215	SO	Columbus, OH
59	Nick Lapi	OLB	6'2"	220	JR	Upper Saddle River, NJ
24	Cameron Lindsey	OLB	6'0"	210	FR	Aliquippa, PA
38	Kyle Louis	OLB	6'0"	225	SO	East Orange, NJ
35	Braylan Lovelace	OLB	6'2"	225	SO	Leechburg, PA
37	Davin Brewton	ILB	6'0"	235	FR	Neptune, NJ
30	Brandon George	ILB	6'3"	240	SR	Reading, PA
32	Jeremiah Marcelin	ILB	6'2"	235	FR	Opa-lockta, FL
36	Keye Thompson	ILB	6'0"	230	SR	Barberton, OH
22	Jaremiah Anglin Jr.	CB	6'1"	185	FR	Lake Wales, FL
15	Rashad Battle	CB	6'3"	200	SR	Atlanta, GA
28	Noah Biglow	CB	5'11"	185	JR	Wesley Chapel, FL
26	Tamarion Crumpley	CB	6'1"	195	JR	Cincinnati, OH
19	Kam Duvernay	CB	6'4"	192	FR	Lexington, KY
10	Ryland Gandy	CB	6'0"	180	SO	Buford, GA
25	Tamon Lynum	CB	6'2"	190	SR	Orlando, FL
27	Nigel Maynard	CB	5'11"	180	FR	Murfreesboro, TN
23	Davion Pritchard	CB	6'0"	170	FR	Youngstown, OH
16	Jesse Anderson	S	6'0"	185	FR	Fort Lauderdale, FL
34	Cruce Brookins	S	6'2"	195	FR	Pittsburgh, PA
42	Gage Drummond	S	6'0"	180	SO	Verona, WI
7	Javon McIntyre	S	6'1"	195	JR	Bear, DE
3	Donovam McMillon	S	6'2"	205	SR	McMurray, PA
5	Phillip O'Brien Jr.	S	6'0	185	SR	Pompano Beach, FL
#	SPECIAL TEAMS	POS	HT	WT	CLASS	HOMETOWN
94	Sam Carpenter	K	5'11"	190	FR	Foxborough, MA
90	Ben Sauls	K	5'10"	185	SR	Tipp City, OH
91	Caleb Junko	P	6'1"	210	JR	Akron, OH

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Re: We, Not Me | A Pittsburgh Panthers Dynasty

Holstein, Reid named Week 1 starters


Redshirt freshman Eli Holstein beat junior Nate Yarnell out for the job.

PITTSBURGH — This was supposed to be Nate Yarnell's year.

Yarnell, a redshirt junior quarterback from Austin, took over some of the starting duties last year from Phil Jurkovec after Jurkovec was unceremoniously shifted to a tight end. Christian Veilleux, another rostered candidate for the 2024 starting quarterback role, transferred to Georgia State, leaving Yarnell the sole non-freshman passer on the roster.

But due to no fault of his own, Yarnell will once again ride the pine.

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi announced Thursday that Eli Holstein, the redshirt freshman who transferred from Alabama, will start the season under center. This marks a dramatic shift from Narduzzi's typical approach of starting the most senior signal-caller.

Another Pitt mainstay, senior running back Desmond Reid Jr., will play the backup role as well after Narduzzi favored another transfer player. Desmond Reid, the diminutive junior who transferred from Western Carolina before the season, will take the top rushing role for the Panthers in 2024.

"We just went with the best players available," Narduzzi said in a press conference. "Unfortunately, some of our guys didn't win the position battles."

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Re: We, Not Me | A Pittsburgh Panthers Dynasty

Pitt routs Kent State in season opener


Wideout Konata Mumpfield caught three touchdowns in Pitt's 51-point victory Saturday afternoon.

PITTSBURGH — It was a game the Pitt Panthers should have won. And they did. Handily.

The Panthers blew out the Kent State Golden Flashes in a 51-24 victory Saturday afternoon, which showed off Pitt's newest weapons.

Eli Holstein threw for more than 300 yards with three touchdown passes on 22 attempts, of which he completed 17. Holstein showed off his arm strength in the second quarter, tossing a 70-yard dime to Konata Mumpfield for a touchdown — the deep threat that was missing dearly from Pitt's anemic 2023 offense.

Also on offense, Desmond Reid hit the century mark on just 14 carries, although Reid was kept from the endzone.

Pitt's defense also rose to the occasion, keeping the Golden Flashes from racking up yards until it was garbage time. Kent State's quarterback, Kevin Kargman, threw two picks to Phillip O'Brien and Tamarion Crumpley, and the defense forced two fumbles.

Kent State Golden Flashes at Pittsburgh Panthers
Aug 31, 2024 1 2 3 4 F KENT (0-1) 0 14 3 7 24 PITT (1-0) 10 21 7 13 51 Top Performers PASS: Devin Kargman (KENT) - 27/39, 426 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT RUSH: Desmont Reid (PITT) - 14 Car, 100 Yds REC: Chrishon McCray (KENT) - 7 Rec, 213 Yds, 2 TD	Team Stats Comparison KENT PITT First Downs 22 32 3rd Down Efficiency 5/13 7/13 4th Down Efficiency 1/2 0/1 Total Yards 519 652 Passing Yards 426 359 Rushing Yards 93 258 Penalties-Penalty Yards 0-0 2-20 Turnovers 4 1 Time of Possession 15:56 32:04
Scoring Summary FIRST QUARTER SCORING KENT PITT 8:29 (PITT) Daniel Carter 1 Yd run (Ben Sauls kick) 0 7 1:24 (PITT) Ben Sauls 49 Yd FG 0 10 SECOND QUARTER SCORING KENT PITT 11:44 (KENT) Gavin Garcia 8 Yd run (Andrew Glass kick) 7 10 8:25 (PITT) Rodney Hammond Jr. 3 Yd run (Ben Sauls kick) 7 17 7:09 (KENT) Chrishon McCray 30 Yd pass from Devin Kargman (Andrew Glass kick) 14 17 3:35 (PITT) Konata Mumpfield 70 Yd pass from Eli Holstein (Ben Sauls kick) 14 24 1:53 (PITT) Konata Mumpfield 12 Yd pass from Eli Holstein (Ben Sauls kick) 14 31 THIRD QUARTER SCORING KENT PITT 5:52 (PITT) Konata Mumpfield 17 Yd pass from Eli Holstein (Ben Sauls kick) 14 38 1:31 (KENT) Andrew Glass 45 Yd FG 17 38 FOURTH QUARTER SCORING KENT PITT 10:35 (PITT) Che Nwabuko 43 Yd pass from Nate Yarnell (Ben Sauls kick) 17 45 9:48 (KENT) Chrishon McCray 85 Yd pass from Devin Kargman (Andrew Glass kick) 24 45 5:48 (PITT) Sam Carpenter 50 Yd FG 24 48 0:00 (PITT) Sam Sarpenter 43 Yd FG 24 51
Kent State Golden Flashes PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Devin Kargman 27/39 426 2 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Gavin Garcia 13 47 3.6 1 Ky Thomas 5 41 8.2 0 Devin Kargman 8 5 0.6 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Chrishon McCray 7 213 30.4 2 Conner Muldowney 4 54 13.5 0 Stanley King 3 44 14.6 0 Sebastian Brown 5 39 7.8 0 Gavin Garcia 4 36 9.0 0 Ky Thomas 2 21 10.5 0 Luke Floriea 2 19 9.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Dallas Branch 15 0.0 1 0 Alex Branch 12 0.0 0 0 Stephen Daley 9 0.5 0 0 Antoine Campbell Jr. 6 0.5 0 0 Keenan Landry 5 1.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LG Andrew Glass 1/1 3/3 6 45 PUNTING TOT YDS AVG -20 Josh Smith 3 134 44.6 0 Pittsburgh Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Eli Holstein 15/22 301 3 1 Nate Yarnell 3/4 58 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Desmond Reid 14 100 7.1 0 Rodney Hammond Jr. 14 62 4.4 1 Eli Holstein 9 58 6.4 0 Derrick Davis Jr. 9 29 3.2 0 Montravius Lloyd 2 6 3.0 0 Daniel Carter 2 3 1.5 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Konata Mumpfield 5 185 37.0 3 Che Nwabuko 1 43 43.0 1 Rodney Hammond Jr. 4 36 9.0 0 Kenny Johnson 2 30 15.0 0 Gavin Bartholomew 3 30 10.0 0 Censere Lee 1 19 19.0 0 Raphael Williams Jr. 1 12 12.0 0 Jake Overman 1 4 4.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Javon McIntyre 9 0.0 0 0 Kyle Lewis 8 1.0 0 0 Jimmy Scott 2 1.5 0 0 Phillip O'Brien Jr. 2 0.0 1 0 Tamarion Crumpley 2 0.0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LG Ben Sauls 1/1 6/6 9 50 Sam Carpenter 2/2 --- 6 50 PUNTING TOT YDS AVG -20 Caleb Junko 2 81 40.5 1 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Che Nwabuko 3 35 11.6 0

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Re: We, Not Me | A Pittsburgh Panthers Dynasty

No. 17 Clemson upsets No. 1 Georgia, jumbles Top 25

[redsox907]

Re: We, Not Me | A Pittsburgh Panthers Dynasty

nice opening win over Kent.

Hopefully the freshman is a standout this season! Pitt's always a team that is dangerous, but never seem to break through. Hopefully you can get them over the hump!