Pitt All 105: QB Julian Dugger Will Grow During Freshman Season

All 105 is a Pittsburgh Sports Now series profiling each of the 105 members of the Pitt 2024 training camp roster. 

Julian Dugger, a freshman quarterback from North Hills in Pittsburgh, Pa.

2023 season: Dugger starred at Penn Hills last season, leading the Indians to a WPIAL Class-5A Northeast title and a run in the WPIAL playoffs

Stats: Dugger put together the strongest season of his high school career as a senior, completing 101-of-192 pass attempts (53%) for 1,646 yards and 20 touchdowns — adding 126 carries for 776 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns

Camp outlook: Dugger is going to work with the 3s during the summer as he continues to adapt to life at the college level

Projected role: Dugger isn’t going to see the field during his true freshman season, and likely not for a couple of seasons, but he’s a big, athletic prospect with a live arm who could develop into a talented option with time

Julian Dugger (6-foot-4, 205 pounds) committed to Pitt last summer, choosing the Panthers over a couple of MAC programs, and it was a dream come true for the Pittsburgh native.

Dugger put together a strong senior season at Penn Hills, completing 101-of-192 pass attempts (53%) for 1,646 yards and 20 touchdowns, adding 126 carries for 776 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns. And Pat Narduzzi wouldn’t say that he’s a dual-threat option either — just a bonafide quarterback.

“I don’t think it matters which way that ball comes out,” Narduzzi said. “He’s talented. He’s athletic. And he fit our offense. You know, you talk about dual threat and drop back. … He’s got capabilities of doing both. It’s not like this athletic quarterback that we’re just gonna make all these quarterback runs up now because he’s got a great arm.

“And I don’t want to put in that box of a dual threat. I think he’s a drop-back quarterback that’s athletic enough to get out of trouble — use his feet, make plays with his feet. He can throw the ball. He’s got great touch and he’s really, really intelligent.”

Dugger enters the summer as the No. 5 quarterback on the roster, and while he’s already well-built, it will benefit him immensely to spend his first season growing on and off the field.