Pitt dropped its final game of the 2024 season with a difficult 48-46 loss to Toledo in the GameAbove Sports Bowl in six overtimes on Thursday. The Panthers concluded the year with a 7-6 record, with six consecutive losses to finish the season.
With the 2024 season now officially in the rearview mirror, there is little choice but to look ahead for what looms as an important offseason for the Pitt program. On Friday, in the aftermath of the 2024 season ending, some roster ‘moves’ occurred surrounding the team.
Pitt received three announcements of players returning to the program for next season. The Panthers received affirmations on Friday from quarterback Eli Holstein and Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles, the team’s top two defenders from the 2024 season.
That trio joins a list of players who have already declared returns with star running back Desmond Reid highlighting that previously announced group. In today’s college football, these declarations are not binding, but they have become common practice for Pitt and many programs. With this window of the transfer portal window set to close on December 28th, most of the movement appears done surround ing the current roster.
Although, Sincere Edwards, a promising freshman defensive end, opted to leave Pitt for the transfer portal on Friday. Edwards came in as a four-star recruit from Florida and appeared in all 13 games this season, registering 17 tackles, six tackles for loss, and three sacks. He did not record a tackle in the bowl game, was credited with one quarterback hurry. Edwards is now the 14th scholarship player to depart from Pitt to the transfer portal.
In this case, this feels like the biggest loss among the transfers leaving Pitt to date. The defensive end position appears to be a priority for Pitt this offseason in their transfer portal recruiting efforts, but Edwards would have pushed for a starting position anyway, and stayed towards the top of the rotation for next season and years to come. His departure makes an already thin group needing more help this offseason.
The bigger news of the day still appears to be the players announcing their returns for the 2025 campaign. Pitt is now bringing back all three of its underclassmen who earned All-ACC honors this season in Biles, Louis, and Reid. Plus, the Panthers have the quarterback situation settled with Holstein’s return as well.
Holstein threw for 2,225 yards and 17 touchdowns, while rushing for 328 yards and three scores and orchestraing seven wins in his ten starts. He won ACC Rookie of the Week five times, but two separate injuries late in the year cost him three games.
Louis was one of the very best defensive players in college football in 2025, racking up several All-American honors, including first team by the Sporting News. He was also first team all-ACC and posted a ridiculous stat line of 101 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and four interceptions. Louis also managed to score a touchdown and run back a blocked extra point this season as well, and will enter the 2025 campaign as a preseason All-American candidate
Biles was second team All-ACC in his first year as a starter, and was not too far behind Louis in production. He went for 82 tackles, 15 TFLs, 6 sacks, and an interception.
There are still movements off the current roster that can happen, a the portal remains open until tomorrow, December 28th, plus a small window occurs following spring football as well. With Pitt’s biggest names set to return for 2025, the larger focus will fall on adding via the portal in the coming days.
Pitt has secured three transfers thus far in kicker James London (Murray State), wide receiver, Deuce Spann (Florida State), and Kendall Stanley (Charlotte), who should bring some much needed offensive line help.
