- Head coach: Pat Narduzzi (10th season)
- 2023 record: 3-9
- PFF power ranking: 74th
- Chance to win the ACC: 3%
- Strength of schedule: 60th
- Projected win total: 6.8
- FanDuel win total: 5.5
- 2024 recruiting rank (On3): No. 45 nationally, No. 10 in the ACC
The 2023 campaign was nothing short of a disaster for Pittsburgh. After going 20-7 across 2021 and 2022 — with an ACC championship win to boot — the Panthers finished with a 3-9 record in 2023, their worst record in the 21st century.
There's reason for optimism on the offensive side with the hiring of new offensive coordinator Kade Bell from Western Carolina and the solid performances from quarterback Nate Yarnell. However, significant concerns remain due to what was one of the worst offensive lines in the country last season and a defense that lost its three best players to the transfer portal.
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Biggest Strength: Solid skill-position players on offense with an intriguing quarterback
Pittsburgh returns its leading rusher from last season, Rodney Hammond Jr., along with three of its top four receivers from an average receiving corps. Quarterback Nate Yarnell also showed promise in 2023, earning a 74.9 passing grade. While not spectacular, it's a solid foundation for new offensive coordinator Kade Bell to build upon.
Biggest Weakness: Offensive line
The issue is that the front five will likely make it difficult for the offense to get anything going. Pittsburgh fielded the Power Five’s second-lowest-graded offensive line last year and didn’t do much in the transfer portal to fix it.
2023 Team Overview
Offense |
||||
| EPA per play | Yards per play | Successful play rate | Explosive run play rate | Explosive pass play rate |
| -0.124 | 5.4 | 31.0% | 12.0% | 15.0% |
| 115th | 92nd | 114th | 120th | 60th |
Defense |
||||
| EPA allowed per play | Yards allowed per play | Successful play rate allowed | Explosive run rate allowed | Explosive pass rate allowed |
| -0.015 | 5.4 | 31.6% | 13.6% | 16.2% |
| 68th | T-54th | 27th | 40th | 113th |
Three Notable Transfer Portal Additions
- EDGE Nate Matlack (Kansas State): 56.1 PFF Grade
- RB Desmond Reid (Western Carolina): 88.9 PFF Grade
- S Jaremiah Anglin Jr. (Kentucky): N/A
Three Notable Transfer Portal Losses
- LB Solomon DeShields (Texas A&M): 71.4 PFF Grade
- EDGE Dayon Hayes (Colorado): 78.5 PFF Grade
- LB Bangally Kamara (South Carolina): 69.9 PFF Grade
Quarterback Spotlight: Nate Yarnell
2023 Grade: 73.5
Key Stat: Three career starts (80.2 Passing grade in those games)
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