Sights & Sounds: Pitt Football Opens Fall Camp

PITTSBURGH — Year 10 under Pat Narduzzi is officially underway with the opening of the 2024 Pitt football training camp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.

The Panthers are one month away from opening their season against Kent State on Aug. 31 at Acrisure Stadium and there is a lot of work to be done as they look to improve upon a 3-9 campaign last fall.

There are a lot of storylines surrounding the Panthers this season as they search to get back into the mix in the ACC this season. Narduzzi has brought in an entirely new offensive staff, including offensive coordinator Kade Bell. Under Bell, the Panthers are planning to install an up-tempo offense, much different from the pro-style system Pitt has run in recent memory.

Offensively, the Panthers will turn to junior quarterback Nate Yarnell, who is expected to start the season with redshirt freshman Alabama transfer Eli Holstein as his backup.

Yarnell completed 66.1 percent of his passes last season while tossing for 595 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception in four games.

The offense will revolve around Yarnell’s weapons and the utilization of tight end Gavin Bartholomew, running back Rodney Hammond Jr., sophomore wideout Kenny Johnson and the Western Carolina playmakers Bell brought in — wide receivers Censere Lee and Raphael Williams, along with running back Desmond Reid.

On the defensive side of the ball, first-year defensive line coach Tim Daoust is hoping to return Pitt’s d-line to one of the premier sack leaders in the country after recording just 31 sacks a season ago, down from 48 in 2022.

In the secondary, Donovan McMillon leads what should be the Panthers’ best unit after he recorded over 100 tackles in his first year with the Panthers after transferring back home from Florida.

More from Pitt’s training camp opener: