Pitt junior tight end Gavin Bartholomew was placed on the John Mackey Award Watch list on Friday, which recognizes the best tight end in college football.
Bartholomew has played in all 27 games the Panthers have played in these past two seasons, making 48 catches for 600 yards and six touchdowns.
The 6-foot-5 tight end made his name known as a freshman in the ACC Championship 2021 season, making 27 catches for 317 yards and four touchdowns as a back up to fellow tight end Lucas Krull. He saw his production go down as a sophomore in 2022, especially with Kedon Slovis at quarterback, with 21 receptions for 283 yards and two touchdowns.
His best game came against then ranked No. 24 Tennessee in Week two of the 2022 season. He made five catches for 84 yards, including a career-long 57 yards touchdown reception, which saw him hurdle a Tennessee defender on the way to the end zone.
Bartholomew came into Pitt as a three-star out of Blue Mountain High School in Schuykill Haven, Pa. There, he played a number of positions, including punter, defensive end and quarterback his senior year.
As a junior, Bartholomew has the chance to improve immensely, especially with new quarterback Phil Jurkovec under center. The real question is, will he?
