ACC Transfer Portal Breakdown: Pitt
As SMU football nears its first season competing in the ACC, On the Pony Express will break down the transfer classes of every team in the conference.
The series continues with Pitt, currently ranked No. 13 out of 17 teams in the ACC. The Panthers have 21 players leaving and 12 coming in.
That gives Pitt a -6 Index Score in the On3’s Team Transfer Portal Index.
Pitt Transfer Class Breakdown
There is certainly some high-end talent in this Pitt class. That includes former four-star recruits Eli Holstein (QB, Alabama), David Ojiegbe (Edge, Clemson) and Nick James (DL, Indiana). Former Kentucky safety Jeremiah Anglin is Pitt’s top rated transfer at 89 while Holstein, Keye Thompson (LB, Ohio) and Desmond Reid (RB, Western Carolina) are all 88s.
Reid is joined at Pitt by former Western Carolina teammates wide receivers Censere Lee and Raphael Williams. Williams spent last season at San Diego State.
It’s a solid class overall with 11 of the 13 transfers coming in with a rating of 86 or above.
Top Offensive Transfer: QB Eli Holstein
Pitt was in the market for a new signal caller as it graduated one of its starters from last year and the other, who took over following an injury, transferred. Holstein was the No. 7 quarterback in the 2023 class, choosing Alabama out of over 20 offers.
He did not play last season for the Crimson Tide, so it is still unclear of how good Holstein will be be at the college level. But at a position that is so important to a team, let alone an offense, having a capable long-term answer there is a big step in the right direction.
Top Defensive Transfer: LB Keye Thompson
This pick is about the amount of work and success Thompson has already had on the football field before coming to Pitt. Ojiegbe is rated higher, but only has two games under his belt. Meanwhile, Thompson has seen plenty of action at the collegiate level.
Thompson played in 45 games with 32 starts over six seasons for Ohio University. He redshirted in 2018, had the Covid year in 2020 and missed 2021 due to injury. But he was excellent for the Bobcats in 2022 and 2023.
This past season he was a first team All-MAC selection with a team-high 94 tackles to go with 10 for loss including 1.5 sacks, an interception, three fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and three pass breakups.
Key Losses
Two of Pitt’s biggest losses come on the defensive side with edge Dayon Hayes and linebackers Solomon DeShields and Bangally Kamara. Hayes is a four-star transfer while DeShields and Kamara have 89 transfer ratings.
Pitt also loses quarterback Christian Veilleux, who started five games, and former four-star tight end recruit Karter Johnson.
