There are two constants in Holden Heller’s life: family and wrestling.

As the Illinois native prepared to graduate from Hofstra with a degree in finance, he knew that he wanted to use his two remaining years of NCAA eligibility at a different destination. He also knew that his younger brother, Reece, would be coming with him.

The former Pride starters quickly decided that Pitt was the perfect destination.

What was the biggest selling point?

“The opportunity that they presented us with,” Holden said in a telephone interview on Sunday. “Pitt seemed like the place for us to make the most jumps in terms of skill level. They’ve proven that they can take guys that weren’t national finalists when they graduated high school and meld them into All-Americans. We were excited to get into the room with guys like that.”

Coach Keith Gavin is probably just as excited to get the Hellers into the room, as both could fill immediate needs for the Panthers. Jake Wentzel has moved on after a stellar career that included a national finals appearance in 2021, and Greg Harvey is also done after qualifying for three NCAA tournaments.

That leaves holes at 165 and 184 pounds that could be the perfect fit for the Hellers.

Holden started his career with the Pride as a 149-pounder - he said coach Dennis Papadatos even tried to talk him into cutting to 141 - but he moved up to 157 pounds as a sophomore and won the EIWA title there in 2021. He redshirted this season but impressed with a 10-5 mark at 165 pounds that included victories over NCAA qualifiers Ashton Eyler, Matthew Olguin and Danny Braunagle.

Reece, who has three years of eligibility remaining, followed a similar path. He stepped into the Hofstra lineup at 149 pounds as a true freshman, moved up to 165 as a sophomore, then took a redshirt this season, when he went 12-4 with wins over two-time NCAA qualifier Gerrit Nijenhuis as well as a win over Pitt’s Hunter Kernan.

A third Heller brother, Sage, also wrestled for the Pride but was done after this season. Reece knew that he would join Holden at his next destination.

“There was no way in hell one would go one place and the other one go somewhere else,” Reece said. “When we entered the portal, it was a big gamble. Coach Gavin and Coach (Jordan) Leen reached out right away, and it was exactly what we wanted to hear as far as growth and development. From the first call with Coach Gavin, I felt like I was going to be a Panther.”

Reece isn’t sure what weight he’ll be at next year, although it sounds like the Pitt staff would rather have him at 184. He said he’s weighing around 186 to 190 now and would need to put on another eight to 10 pounds to feel comfortable as a 184-pounder.

“I know the coaches are looking to get me in the weight room and pump me up,” he said.

Both Holden and Reece are pumped about joining Pitt and wrestling in the ACC.

“Looking at the team, I’m super excited to be competing alongside those guys,” Reece said. “I don’t have a lot of experience wrestling with guys that are All-Americans. Nino Bonaccorsi is an absolute stud. Jake Wentzel, Micky Phillippi, Cole Matthews - it’s another level of experience that I haven’t seen before, and it’s really exciting.”

Despite hailing from Illinois, Holden said he loved watching ACC wrestling.

“I’m super excited about the ACC,” he said. “As a kid in high school, that was the one that excited me the most. All six teams are top-notch programs with a lot of money behind them. They’re big wrestling schools. I’m excited to compete for ACC championships.”

Holden described his style as unique, saying that his long frame helps him confound opponents. Reece says he’s a “scrapper” whose best position is neutral, but he’s eager to improve his mat game with help from a coaching staff and teammates well-versed in top wrestling.

What’s the one thing that Pitt fans should know about the Hellers?

“We’re a wrestling family,” Holden said. “I think that’s the most important thing. Since we could walk, we were in judo. We made that progression to wrestling in first or second grade. “Everything we did from then on was geared toward being successful in wrestling. We live and breathe this, and this is our life.”