Three Takeaways: Why Pitt Stars Came Back

After a dismal 2023 season, Pitt Panthers stars had different reasons for returning to Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers moved indoors to avoid the rain during their second practice of the spring and in the dry conditions, one quarterback got to show off his best attribute. 

Later, at the interview podium, a trio of Panthers stars that considered leaving the program discussed what brought them back to the Steel City. 

Here are three takeaways from practice and the ensuing conversations with three potential Pitt starters.

Three Pitt Stars Opt to Return
Three Panthers that figure to start this season - running back Rodney Hammond, tight end Gavin Bartholomew and linebacker Brandon George - took the podium to take questions from the media following their second practice of the spring. 

At certain points in the offseason, it looked like none of them would still be in Pittsburgh, wearing the blue and gold in 2024. Hammond and Bartholomew never entered the portal but admitted that leaving Pitt was a consideration. Ultimately, it was about pride for them. Not only do Hammond and Bartholomew see opportunities for better seasons in the new offensive scheme run by Kade Bell, but they didn't want their lasting memory as a Panther to be a 3-9 season that represents one of the worst in recent memory for this program. 

“I can say we didn’t want to leave business unfinished. A lot of us didn’t want to leave with that bad rep on our name," Hammond said. "You can’t just go out there, 3-9 and when stuff get tough, you leave. No, I’m not that type of person. I believe that everyone else who came out, they’re not that type of people."

George did enter the portal but found his way back to the Panthers. He said transfer portal recruiting reminded him of high school, when coaches would come "blow smoke" that he saw straight through. That, plus constant contact from linebackers coach Ryan Manalac, reminded him that Pittsburgh was home. 

“I was here at that point for five years," George said of his decision to enter the portal. "You sometimes go through that point in your life but when you leave and come back sometimes, you realize how special a place is and how special your teammates are when you do something like that. You talk to other coaches, you talk to other places and you realize it’s hard to find an ideal and a culture like we have."

Freshman Linebacker Looks the Part
We haven't gotten much of a glimpse of what any of Pitt's newcomers can really do playing live football yet but even before he's put on full pads, freshman linebacker Jeremiah Marcelin looks the part. He stands 6'2 and 235 pounds and doesn't look out of place among seasoned college football players. 

It takes more than just size to cut it as a Power 5 linebacker, but Marcelin is only two practices deep into his college career and he's starting to get up to speed. 

“You got young guys like Jeremiah Marcelin coming along, figuring out what’s going on," George said. "We’re running things like we should run things.”

The Panthers reached deep into their linebacker depth out of necessity. As injuries mounted, Pitt turned to guys like Kyle Louis, Braylan Lovelace and Jordan Bass. There's a deep corps of young linebackers waiting in the wings that the coaching staff hopes they won't have to dip into again, but in case of an emergency, it appears Pitt has done well to build for the future at that position.  

Veilleux Thrives On Air
"Arm talent" is a term used loosely and sometimes without much of a basis. With that in mind, Christian Veilleux has arm talent. There's no doubt about it and he showed it under the roof of the indoor facility. The ball leaves his hand in a near perfect spiral every time and is on target the majority of the time. That arm talent translated to mixed results in his starting action last season but its pretty clear that Veilleux is the best pure passer on the roster. 

There's an interesting dynamic going on with Yarnell as the established "QB1" and Veilleux as the logical, but unofficial backup that I recognize from a couple of years ago. Between Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti, Slovis threw the prettier ball. Whether or not he was better quarterback of the two is a matter that's up for debate. The consensus seems to be that Patti brought a moxie that the rest of the team responded to, and his athletic ability made up for whatever deficiencies he might have had as a passer. 

This isn't a one-to-one comparison between the Slovis-Patti competition and the Yarnell-Veilleux dynamic (not necessarily a competition, officially, but there is pressure on both to hold onto their positions). But there are similarities. Slovis and Veilleux were transfers given the nod ahead of homegrown talents like Patti and Yarnell and in limited action, the results were largely better for the homegrown guys. 

I don't think it's as simple as Pat Narduzzi and Kade Bell saying they have to zig when in the past, they've zagged but I think there is less of an inclination to trust something like arm talent, especially when there is plenty of game film to prove that sound decision-making is what the Panthers needed most last season.  

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