Inside The Panthers

Four Pitt Players Make Senior Bowl Watch List

Four Pitt Panthers made the Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List ahead of the 2024 season.

Dominic Campbell

Nov 4, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Konata Mumpfield (9) runs after a catch against the Florida State Seminoles during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. The Seminoles won 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 4, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Konata Mumpfield (9) runs after a catch against the Florida State Seminoles during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. The Seminoles won 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers saw four of their football players make the Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List ahead of the 2024 season, recognizing them as some of the best upperclassmen in the country.

These players include seniors in tight end Gavin Bartholomew, defensive back Donovan McMillon and wide receiver Konata Mumpfield, plus redshirt senior offensive lineman Branson Taylor.

Bartholomew had a great freshman season in 2021, playing in all 14 games and starting eight as Pitt won the ACC Championship.

With Heisman finalist quarterback Kenny Pickett under center, Bartholomew made 27 catches for 317 yards and four touchdowns. He earned an All-ACC Honourable Mention, as well as second team Freshman All-American honors from The Athletic and Pro Football Network for his efforts.

These past two seasons should've shown improvement for Bartholomew, but his stats remained either similar or lesser than his freshman campaign.

Offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. didn't put much emphasis into getting Bartholomew the ball as much, plus the struggles of quarterbacks like Kedon Slovis, Phil Jurkovec and Christian Veilleux, led to a stagnation in statistical production.Ā 

Bartholomew had 21 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore in 2022 and then only 18 catches for 326 yards and a touchdown as a junior last season.Ā 

McMillon, who played for nearby Peters Township High School, spent his first two seasons in college at Florida. He played in all 13 games as a freshman in 2021, making 10 tackles (six solo) and then played in 12 games as a sophomore in 2022, making 20 tackles (12 solo) and one tackle for loss, serving as a special teams ace.Ā 

Following the end of the 2022 season, McMillon would transfer from Florida and go back home to Pitt, enrolling mid-year.Ā 

He played in all 12 games for the Panthers in 2023, starting eight at strong safety. He made 105 tackles (54 solo), one pass defended and one forced fumble, earning him an All-ACC Honourable Mention. His 105 tackles led the team and finished as the most since Jordan Whitehead had 109 in 2015.

One of McMillon's best games came against West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl, where he made 18 tackles, the second most of any defensive player under head coach Pat Narduzzi.

McMillon will play safety alongside redshirt junior Javon McIntyre, fellow senior in Phillip "P.J." O'Brien Jr. and redshirt freshman Cruce Brookins for the Panthers this season.

Mumpfield had an excellent freshman campaign with Akron, leading the team with 63 catches, 751 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He also had three 100-yard receiving games, including career-highs of 11 catches for 121 yards, plus two touchdowns against Western Michigan in Week 10.

He then transferred to Pitt ahead of the 2022 season, playing in 12 games, missing just one, and starting nine games. He made 58 receptions for 551 yards and a touchdown that season, including three games of seven catches. He also had a season-high of 78 yards and that touchdown in the Sun Bowl win over UCLA.

Mumpfield led the Panthers with 44 catches last season and also had 576 yards and five touchdowns. His season-high of 99 yards on three catches came in a loss to then ranked No. 4 Florida State in Week 10, when he had an 82-yard reception. He had a touchdown catch in the win over then ranked No. 14 Louisville and tied a career-high of two touchdowns in the loss against Cincinnati in Week 2.

With a new offensive coordinator in Kade Bell, who likes to spread out the offense, Bartholomew and Mumpfield have the opportunity to thrive in 2024, as they prepares to enter the following NFL Draft.

Taylor initially started at left tackle, doing so for four games in 2022, but would switch to right tackle in 2023, starting the first three games. Starting left tackle Matt Goncalves went down with a season-ending injury, moving Taylor back to left tackle, where he started eight of the final nine games.

He will start this season at left tackle again, with redshirt sophomore Ryan Baer starting at left tackle.

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Dominic Campbell

DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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