Eli Holstein committed to Pitt earlier this week, the newest quarterback to pledge himself to the Panthers, and he’s quite an intriguing addition to the quarterback room.
Holstein — a 6-foot-4, 240-pound quarterback from Alabama, who played his high school ball in Zachary, Louisiana — entered the transfer portal following the Crimson Tide’s loss in the College Football Playoff, and he made an official visit to Pittsburgh soon after entering the portal.
His arrival is a massive win for the Pitt coaching staff, which worked quickly to secure his commitment after entering the portal, and he’s exactly the sort of low-risk, high-upside quarterback (with four seasons of eligibility) that the Panthers needed.
But this also isn’t a case where Holstein will just waltz into the starting spot.
He will compete with Nate Yarnell and Christian Veilleux this offseason, likely through the spring and summer, in order to determine who will start the season opener against Kent State on Aug. 31.
Holstein was rated as one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2023. He flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Alabama during his recruiting process, choosing the Tide over the likes of Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State, but he never played a down at Bama.
He served as a scout team quarterback during his lone season in Tuscaloosa, but even just working the scout team against the Bama offense was a valuable experience. And he’s not far removed from a standout prep career at Zachary High School in Louisiana.
Holstein was ultra-efficient in 2022 as a senior at Zachary, completing 159-of-244 pass attempts (65%) for 2,153 yards with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions — adding 64 carries for 505 yards (7.9 yards per attempt) and nine touchdowns.
And he was even better as a junior, throwing for 3,264 yards, rushing for 515 more and scoring 43 total touchdowns on the way to a perfect 15-0 season — capped by a Louisiana state title.
