Pitt HC Offers Updates on QB Status

As the spring game nears, Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi and others continue to praise the progress of No. 2 quarterback Julian Dugger. 

In the wild 48-46 bowl loss to Toledo, via six overtime periods, Dugger rushed the football 21 times for 88 yards and a touchdowns, throwing 7-of-13 for 72 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. 

Judging the way Coach Narduzzi has described Dugger’s progress this off-season, Pitt fans should see improved numbers from the in-state product should his number be called in the 2025-26 season. 

“Julian's been really good,” Narduzzi said in Tuesday’s press conference (available on YouTube). “I mean, like I said, all three quarterbacks have been good, and we're happy with them all. There's those up-down days. But Julian's going to beat you with his feet. 

“On the scrimmage (the offense) won, he had a beautiful 69-yard (rushing touchdown). Nobody touched him. He strides it out." 

“Julian is taking it to the next level. He's a totally different player, mentally and physically. I think he's studying the game more. I don't know if he studied a lot of practice last spring. You can probably ask him if he watched a lot of tape on his own. But he's just a totally different player.”

Although the clash with Toledo represented the sixth consecutive loss following an exciting 7-0 start to the 2024-25 season, Dugger took plenty away from his first start at the college level, according to Narduzzi. 

“That bowl game was great for him as far as just his confidence and going, 'Okay, I got it.' And I think it's given that opportunity here when January came around just to study it more and kind of go, ‘Okay, I’ve got this,” Narduzzi said. “So, he's really dedicated to it.”

When he made the comment, Coach Narduzzi was guessing, admittedly. But he attributed much of the rising sophomore’s off-season rise to simply studying film. 

I know he's watching a lot of tape on his iPad...I bet you there's a world of difference where he is mentally or he is physically,” Narduzzi said. 

All the while, projected starting quarterback Eli Holstein may not be fully recovered from the string of injuries he suffered last season, but he’s getting close and he’s practicing as though he’s full-go. 

“We've got a work in progress,” Narduzzi said. “Again, I think (Holstein is) still not 100 percent. Rick, our PT guy, is still making sure he's 100 percent. He's been out there going live, but he's obviously not getting hit, but he's running like he's live."

“We do all kinds of testing in the training room to make sure. There's still a little hesitation, in my opinion, from him. Rick sends me all these numbers. Rick, our PT, does an unbelievable job, but we're just going to make sure he's back 100 percent. 

“He's done well. But again, that's with all of January, February, not doing a whole lot, not throwing a whole bunch, just really getting healthy, mainly. So, I think it's a work in progress, and we're happy with where all the quarterbacks are at this point.”