Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi Offers His Thoughts on Kedon Slovis’ Transfer

When Kedon Slovis didn’t walk on Senior Day, claiming then that he didn’t want to walk if his entire family wasn’t present, it didn’t quite signify that he was returning.

The words of Pat Narduzzi, who consistently stood by his quarterback all season, did.

“I would do it all over again,” Narduzzi said before the Virginia win. “I think (Slovis is) very, very talented and he’s got another year. I would imagine, in another year, he’s gonna be a heckuva lot better than he is this year.”

Slovis may be a heckuva lot better next year, but it won’t happen at Pitt. He entered the transfer portal the day it opened, allowing former Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec to return home, ending his Pitt career after one season.

It just didn’t work out at Pitt. In his lone season, Slovis threw for 2,397 yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 games, completing 184-of-315 passing attempts (58.4%) with nine interceptions. It was the worst season of Slovis’ college career.

Pitt won eight games in 2022, seven with Slovis under center, but it just never seemed to truly click. Narduzzi holds no ill will toward Slovis for deciding to move on, however.

“Everyone’s got decisions to make around the world, and obviously in the football world, but I respect everybody’s decisions,” Narduzzi said. “And obviously, there are conversations back and forth with anybody that’s in that position, and we wish every one of those guys luck.”

Narduzzi said he wasn’t going to comment on any one individual transfer situation, as only the people sitting in the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex know what exactly is going on, but he said that every decision is made in the best interest of the individual — there are decisions to be made to enter the portal just as there are to enter the NFL Draft.

 But when it comes to Slovis, Narduzzi sees it for what it is.

“It’s life,” Narduzzi said. “And I’m going to support all our guys. I’m going to support all of them. I’m going to be positive. 

“I love Kedon. Kedon’s a great kid, did a nice job for us, helped us win eight football games, and I believe at that point, he was the best quarterback to lead our 2022 season. And we’ll leave it at that.”

Narduzzi said that Pitt has entered the offseason, following the Sun Bowl, of course, looking for upgrades at every position — not just quarterback.

When it comes to the quarterback room, Pitt has added Jurkovec, former Penn State quarterback Christian Veilleux and 2023 three-star Ty Dieffenbach (Agoura Hills, California). The quarterback room has been completely revamped, and the onus is on improving upon the 2022 season.