Competition continues as Pitt set to play two quarterbacks in season opener

Pittsburgh Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi reportedly plans to play two quarterbacks in the season opener against Kent State. Both Nate Yarnell and Eli Holstein have been battling for the past eight months for the job, and it does not appear there is a winner yet.

Yarnell is a redshirt junior, while Holstein is a redshirt freshman who came over from Alabama . Yarnell tossed for nearly 600 yards last season in four games, including four touchdowns. He was who many felt was going to get the job. Holstein has done great work in the off-season, and as Narduzzi told the media Monday:

Eli has made some major, major improvements.It’s like he caught up. To me, they need to be put into a game-like situation and let it go from there. Both those guys are going to play on Saturday, and let the competition begin.

Both players have “OR” next to their name on the depth chart. Following the home game against Kent State, the Panthers’ 2024 season gets much tougher. They will head to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats, and then come back home and welcome West Virginia to town. Pittsburgh starts Atlantic Coast Conference play on October 5th at North Carolina .

Narduzzi has been the head coach at Pittsburgh since the 2015 season, going 65-50 in his career with the Panthers. He is also 2-4 in bowl games.

Before his time with Pittsburgh, he was the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati and then Michigan State .