Pitt Leaders Feel Offense is ‘Light Years Ahead’ of Last’s

Pitt tight end Jake Overman stood at the podium in the Panthers’ team room with no other teammates in the room. Once he answered each question from the gathered media, he walked out and went on with his day. Nearly 15 minutes later, quarterback Eli Holstein strode into the room ready to field even more questions about the offense.

Perhaps Holstein’s ears were burning as Overman spoke. Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe it was not. But it’s hard to argue when two of Pitt football’s leaders relay the same exact message regarding where the offense stands through the first four practices of spring camp.

“We are light years ahead right now of where we were last year,” Jake Overman said Tuesday.

Holstein took it a step further.

“We are light years ahead of where we were, I would say midway through the season, with this offense,” he said.

Whether comparing the play from last spring or in October of the 2024 season, there appears to be a confidence brewing amongst the Panthers’ offensive personnel.

“Being able to play with a little more confidence, a little more swagger, I think we’re definitely seeing it right now. All the work we put in this past year, it’s just going to stack and stack until we’re able to go out and show it in our first game,” Overman said.

Primarily, head coach Pat Narduzzi and the players have seen an increase in tempo through the first two weeks of spring.

“I’m sitting there thinking to myself today, they’re doing a team tempo period and trying to go as fast as they can trying to get guys lined up,” Narduzzi said after last Thursday’s practice. “They’re getting lined up so much faster…it looks totally different as far as just the tempo.”

Holstein added: “Coach Bell has tweaked some things that’s going to benefit us a lot and makes me more comfortable in the offense and the receivers more comfortable with the tempo. We’re changing up some tempos. These guys are able to line up faster because of the way coach Bell’s changed it. Everything that we’ve done recently is making this offense better and better and I’m really excited about it.”

Pitt running back Desmond Reid (0) and Eli Holstein (10) during spring practice on March 13, 2025 / Ed Thompson. PSN.

Pitt has seven returning starters from a season ago mixed with a batch of new faces from the transfer portal on the offensive line and at receiver, along with a crop of young freshmen. Even in a short period of time, Holstein has already seen the communication and comfortability improve.

“We didn’t really lose that many starters on offense from last year’s team, so it feels like the same offense going out there. I’m really happy that those guys are back, excited for the timing, the glue of the offense we have and it’s the second year in this offense with everybody, so everybody’s really comfortable with what we’re doing right now. I feel like this offense is going to do a lot of great things and I feel like it’s going to be better than last year,” he said.

Overman echoed a similar sentiment with the importance of rhythm and comfortability from each piece of the offense.

“Our offense, in order for it to work, everybody’s got to know what they’re doing, everybody’s got to be on the same page. Knowing that our offense is a lot more comfortable in the scheme, we’re able to do a lot more not only with the tight end but a lot of other positions and we’re starting to see that here just after practices one through four.”

There’s a large stable of potential wide receivers pushing for opportunities in spring camp. Returning starters Kenny Johnson and Raphael Williams are welcoming in transfers Cataurus Hicks, Andy Jean and Deuce Spann. Tyreek Robinson, Zion Fowler-El, Cameron Monteiro as well as the freshmen Tony Kinsler, Cam Sapp and Bryce Yates are all competing at a high level.

Pitt wide receivers Tyreek Robinson (24) and Zion Fowler-El (23) run routes during spring practice on March 13, 2025 / Ed Thompson. PSN.

“These guys that were here during the season and these new guys that are here, they are all really excited about this offense,” Holstein said. “They want to play in this offense. Everybody’s playing with the right mindset. Everybody’s playing confident and nasty, which I like most of all. Our receivers are playing really physical right now and that’s really going to help us during the season.”

Even with the need to replace the production of Konata Mumpfield from a season ago, Holstein believes the receiver room is more than capable of filling those needs.

“This year, we have a lot of depth at the receiver position, which is something I didn’t feel like we had last year,” Holstein said. “I feel like no matter who’s in the game with me right now or with me in practice, we’re not going to skip a beat. Everybody’s on the same page. There’s not going to be any dips. Those guys, they want it, they’re pushing each other and they understand the next guy coming in, he can play as well, so he’s got to do his job, so everyone’s going full speed and doing the little things right, which is huge.”

Tight end Gavin Bartholomew is another loss in the receiving department, but Overman is prepared to take over the role and knows that Bell’s offense allows for players like him to thrive.

Pitt tight end Jake Overman during spring practice on March 11, 2025 / Ed Thompson. PSN.

“If you can get the tight end the ball, it’s challenging for defenses to stop tight ends because they really don’t know what we’re doing, where we’re lining up. We do so much with the tight end here on offense whether it’s motions, lining us up in the backfield, in the wing, out flexed, outside at No. 1. There’s a lot that we can do and we’re going to continue to work on those things and coach Bell is definitely, as we know, an offensive mastermind and he’s got those things ready for our position,” Overman said.

Just as Overman is looking to excel, Holstein is hoping to do the same much like he did to start 2024 as he settles in for the second year of Bell’s offense.

“Just being more comfortable with the reads that I’m making, quicker decisions, getting the ball out on time and on target,” he said. “When you’re more comfortable in the offense, the more time that you spend with coach Bell, with those guys going through the offense here, you’re able to go out there and make quicker decisions and that’s really big for a quarterback.”