Gavin Bartholomew decided to return to Pitt for one more season, hoping to finally show what he’s fully capable of at the college level. He’s shouldering high expectations.
Bartholomew — a 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end from Blue Mountain in Schuylkill Haven, Pa. — has been added to the watchlist for the Mackey Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding tight end in college football.
Bartholomew, despite a weird season of usage, is expected to take a massive leap in the 2024 season.
Bartholomew has spent three seasons at Pitt, and while it’s been an up-and-down time, he’s back for one more run.
Bartholomew met with Pat Narduzzi and the coaching staff following the end of the season and tried to express that he wanted to be able to help the team out. He wasn’t trying to be selfish, but he felt he could help the Panthers out more — get more involved and move around more. And how was that request met?
“They said they would, so yeah,” Bartholomew said in March at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
New offensive coordinator Kade Bell and tight ends coach Jacob Bronowski have spent all offseason working to get Bartholomew to a higher level — and increase his usage. In an offense that maybe lacks a true “star” skill player, Bartholomew offers a lot of potential.
It’s not as if Bartholomew is a secret, but it’s almost as if there was a secret way to utilize him that former offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. never figured out.
Bronowski watched all of Bartholomew’s film upon arriving. He sees the talent — the ball skills, the athleticism and the game-breaking ability. He’s challenged Bartholomew to be the same dude day in and day out. There’s an opportunity for him.
“Now for (Bartholomew) the challenge is, can you be that consistent pillar in everything that you’re doing, right?” Bronowski said. “And let that be contagious to those around you. Because we got a lot of youth, you look at that wide receiver room, there’s a lot of youth in there. So, he’s got a lot of hats to wear, but I think that ultimately is going to benefit him because now he’s going to be able to really take that next jump and get back to where he was and even more.”
Bartholomew recorded 18 receptions for 326 yards (18.1 yards per catch) with a touchdown in 2023 on the way to All-ACC honorable mention honors. He had the highest reception percentage (66.7%) and made 3-of-4 contested catches with just a single drop.
In three seasons at Pitt, Bartholomew has recorded 67 receptions for 935 yards (14.0 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns — thriving despite a serious disconnect between Bartholomew and the assortment of quarterbacks throwing the ball his way.
Bartholomew is expected to take a major step forward in his senior season, with the expectation that he will be the first Panthers tight end to be selected in the NFL Draft since Nate Byham and Dorin Dickerson were selected in the sixth and seventh round, respectively, of the 2010 NFL Draft.
