CFB Top 50, #39: 2025 Pittsburgh Panthers

by
Bracket Yard
July 15, 2025

Now into the 30s in the CFB Top 50 countdown, the 2025 Pittsburgh Panthers are the number 39 team.

Pitt had another winning season last year under Pat Narduzzi, who has become one of the most tenured ACC coaches at his school. I’m sure they will hope that if they make another bowl game in 2025 that perhaps they won’t go six overtimes and then lose it. Pitt may in fact be setting their sights a little higher this season.

2025 Pittsburgh Panthers Basic Facts

Head Coach: Pat Narduzzi (11th season)

2025 Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference

2024 Record: 7-6 (3-5)

Final Resolution of Last Season: Lost GameAbove Sports Bowl

2024 Scoring Offensive Rank: T-30th (32.9)

2024 Scoring Defensive Rank: T-91st (28.4)

Pitt Key Additions and Subtractions

IN – Cole Gonzales, quarterback. Transferred from Western Carolina (originally committed to Oklahoma).

IN – Josh Guerrier, defensive back. Four-star recruit from Florida.

OUT – Branson Taylor, tackle. Drafted by LA Chargers in 6th round of 2025 Draft.

OUT – Gavin Bartholomew, tight end. Drafted by Minnesota in 6th round of 2025 Draft.

Best Game on the Schedule in 2025

September 13 at West Virginia. Yes, they play teams like Syracuse, Miami, and Notre Dame, but this is the friggin Backyard Brawl. I’m glad they brought this classic rivalry back after having been gone for over a decade. Pitt won last year’s meeting, but their last win in West Virginia was in 2007.

2025 Pittsburgh Panthers: Outlook

Pitt lost a few key players to the professional levels of the sport in the offseason, with Gavin Bartholomew being one of them. However, one look up and down Pitt’s depth chart heading into the 2025 season, and they boast a lot of experience. Outside of quarterback Eli Holstein, the rest of the projected starting offensive 11 are upperclassmen, and on defense, it’s mostly the same story.

As for Holstein, he is coming off of a solid redshirt freshman season for the Panthers, and is hoping to build off of his success from a year where he went 7-3 as the starter.

It’s the defense which needs to shore up this coming season; they gave up far too many points in 2024. Most of the defense for Pitt are returning players, so for their sake, let’s hope they have developed.

Pitt will probably run out to a 2-0 start, and if they don’t, they should. The West Virginia game we have already mentioned is an interesting swing game that could help define the course of their season. Another season of about 7-8 wins seems likely, which will get Narduzzi and his men into another bowl game.