Pitt Names Captains for 2024 Season

The Pitt Panthers named their football captians for the 2024 season.

Jul 23, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pitt tight end Gavin Bartholomew answers questions from the media during the ACC Kickoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers announced their football captians for the 2024 season, noting the leaders of the program.

These captains are sixth year linebacker Brandon George, redshirt senior offensive lineman Branson Taylor and seniors wide receiver Konata Mumpfield and Gavin Bartholomew.

George played his first two seasons, 2019 and 2020, on special teams and as a reserve linebacker, making 21 tackles (12 solo).

He saw an increased role as a junior in 2021, helping the Panthers win their first ACC Championship and making the Peach Bowl. He played in all 14 games, making 34 tackles (18 solo), five tackles for loss and a pass defended.

George only played in the first three games and the Sun Bowl, making 13 tackles (six solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack in 2022, helping him to redshirt and earn an extra year of eligibility. 

He apperared in all 12 games in 2023, coming off the bench and playing more than he had in any previous season. He accumulated 49 tackles (24 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and one pass defended.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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