The quarterback battle at Pittsburgh is settled.
Coach Pat Narduzzi has chosen Eli Holstein as the starter for Saturday’s game against Cincinnati (1-0), removing the “or” that previously linked Holstein and Nate Yarnell on the team’s first official depth chart released last week.
Holstein, who transferred from Alabama, distinguished himself from Yarnell by passing for 336 yards and three touchdowns in a 55-24 win over Kent State in the opener.
The 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman completed 30 of 40 passes and appeared comfortable in the new up-tempo offense led by first-year offensive coordinator Kade Bell.
Narduzzi decided to name Holstein the starter for the time being after seeing his performance, saying on Monday that Holstein has earned the job until further notice.
“You look at the tape and he just made really good decisions,” Narduzzi said. “He’s calm. It’s his first start; you never knew what was going to happen. But Eli was impressive on game tape.”
Holstein’s 336 passing yards were the second most in school history by a freshman in his first start. But it wasn’t just the stats that impressed Narduzzi; it was also how Holstein managed the new offense with ease.
“Just his composure on game day, how he carried himself, how he led the offense, how there weren’t a bunch of false starts and mechanical issues as far as just the operation,” Narduzzi said. “It was a clean start. That’s tough to do for a redshirt freshman.”
Yarnell ended last season as the starter and was listed at the top of the depth chart at the start of training camp last month.
However, Holstein, who was limited by a hamstring injury during spring practices, gradually made progress and caught up. Although Narduzzi named Holstein the starter for the opener, he had indicated that both quarterbacks would play.
