The expectations coming off a 3-9 season aren’t usually very high, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to Pitt entering the 2024 season.
It’s obviously still very early in the offseason, with spring ball still weeks away, but it’s never too early to start looking ahead to next season. 247Sports looked ahead to next season with a way-too-early ACC power ranking.
Pitt checked in at 14th, ranked higher than just Wake Forest, Stanford and Virginia.
“Settling on a quarterback is priority No. 1 for the Panthers during spring practice after taking Alabama’s Eli Holstein in the portal to compete with former Penn State transfer Christian Veilleux. The arrival of Western Carolina’s Kade Bell as offensive coordinator could spark production. Holstein was recruited by Bell previously, and he brought his running back, Desmond Reid, with him from the Catamounts. Pat Narduzzi signed a couple offensive linemen and edge rushers too to try and correct some of the issues the Panthers had at the line of scrimmage last fall.”
The No. 1 priority is certainly to figure out who will be starting against Kent State in the season opener on Aug. 31, but it’s remiss to forget Nate Yarnell. In fact, as it stands before spring ball, Yarnell should be viewed as the most likely Week 1 starter.Â
New offensive coordinator Kade Bell will lead an almost entirely new offense, which now features offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau, running backs coach Lindsey Lamar and tight ends coach (and special teams coordinator) Jacob Bronowski leading their respective position groups, and the spring will be a very important period of learning and installation.
There are losses to replace across all three levels of the defense, especially on the defensive line and at cornerback, but the Pitt coaches have done a good job adding defensive reinforcements from the transfer portal.
Pitt currently sits well over the 85 scholarship cap, and there will be additional arrivals and exits in the days, weeks and months ahead. It’s a good bet that the class of 2024 isn’t done yet either. The idea that the Panthers will be a basement dweller in the conference for the second straight season is just that at this point in time. An idea.
It’s still too early to realistically project what will happen in the ACC in 2024, but it’s clear that Pitt will not be viewed very highly by the national media.
Pitt finished 12th in the ACC last season (out of 14 teams), and another finish of that caliber would not bode well for Pat Narduzzi’s future in Pittsburgh.
247Sports’ Way-Too-Early ACC Power Rankings
- Florida State
- Louisville
- Miami
- Â North Carolina State
- Clemson
- Virginia Tech
- SMU
- Georgia Tech
- North Carolina
- Duke
- Syracuse
- Cal
- Boston College
- Pitt
- Wake Forest
- Stanford
- Virginia
That is a long list of teams there…
And yet, despite finishing 12th, they had a fairly decisive win over the #2 team. The nice part about being in the ACC is that with all the mediocrity, you’re never all that far from the top.
it’s early and that ranking seems low but … given how we ended the year and looking ahead at all the changes and looming uncertainty, maybe 14 is ok. I don’t know how the other teams shook out over the off-season so it’s hard to say where we’ll end up. I’m hoping for somewhere in the 8-11 range. H2P !
Looking at this list and how we finished from last season; I say we gamble a little and play like we have nothing to lose. I’m optimistic that we’ll have at least a .500 season. H2P!
The 3-9 record this past season was completely unnecessary. If Pitt had the right Quarterback and offensive coordinator from the start of the season, their record would have at least been 7-5. With that resolved, an easier schedule and completely different offensive scheme for opponent’s to defend , an 8-4, 9-3 record should be reachable. Being underrated is always a motivator. H2P!