Pitt has received perhaps its most important “commitment” of the offseason.
Eli Holstein announced Friday on social media that he’s returning to Pitt for the 2025 season, ending speculation that he could look for greater NIL opportunities elsewhere. It’s a major boost for the Pitt offense, which went 7-1 with him under center this season.
Holstein didn’t have the strongest end of his redshirt freshman campaign, battling injuries, a poor offensive line and a freshman wall at times, but he showcased why the sky is the limit with offensive coordinator Kade Bell.
Eli Holstein completed 180-of-291 pass attempts (61.9%) for 2,228 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding 328 yards (4.0 yards per carry) and three touchdowns on the ground, in 10 games. 10 incomplete games.
He showed flashes of brilliance in leading double-digit fourth quarter comebacks against Cincinnati and West Virginia and racking 450 total yards and four touchdowns in the first win in Chapel Hill, N.C. in program history.
There’s a lot to work on this offseason, when it comes to Bell and Holstein, but there’s also a lot of potential to unlock together. Holstein has the tools to be a very talented quarterback at the college level, as he showed during his first season as a starting quarterback, and he has NFL potential down the line.
Pitt is set to return Holstein and Julian Dugger, a breakout performer in the GameAbove Sports Bowl, which bodes well for the future of the quarterbacks room. And Mason Heintschel arrived in time for bowl practices.
Pitt could still stand to add a veteran option in the room, but there’s a legitimate argument to carry Holstein and Dugger as the starter and backup next season.
