It was not a fun season in Pittsburgh in 2023, as the Panthers faithful suffered through a 2-9 season that featured a search for a signal-caller. With several departures and a freshly loaded roster thanks to the transfer portal, Pitt will look to get back to its winning ways in the Coastal division. Who will be the Panthers players to help Pitt regain prominence in the new-look ACC in 2024?
Pittsburgh Panthers Top 10 Returning Players 2024
Analyzing the returning players at every school is a difficult task in the transfer portal era. As such, we’ve included transfer portal athletes who were included on each team’s roster page to open fall camp in addition to the rostered players from last year.
10) Chief Borders, EDGE
Chief Borders arrived in Pittsburgh by way of the transfer portal, looking for a fresh start after spending time in Nebraska and Florida. The biggest adjustment for Borders will be going from a traditional stand-up linebacker to an EDGE player, which should play to his advantage.
Borders is an athletic freak. His 6’4″ frame carries his 245 pounds well, and the transition to a new position should allow him to utilize that athleticism and get after the quarterback, something that Pitt will need desperately after nearly all their sack production departed via portal or graduation.
9) Brandon George, Linebacker
Brandon George is the holdover from a defense that lost several players to graduation and the portal. George played primarily in reserve in 2023 and managed to compile 49 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and an interception.
His leadership will be depended upon more than anything in 2024. George is in his sixth year, all of which have been in Pittsburgh. The physical LB will need to bring the same kind of energy to his role as the defensive leader in the huddle that he does on the field.
8) Nate Matlack, Defensive End
Another in a slew of players brought in via the transfer portal, Nate Matlack comes to Pittsburgh having spent his career playing for Kansas State. Despite only starting in seven games, he amassed 39 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a blocked kick during his time in Manhattan.
Matlack brings energy and a relentless drive to get after the quarterback. He’s a big prospect on the edge at 6’5″ and 250 pounds and should give the Pitt defense the kind of attitude that has become a hallmark for the Panthers.
7) Konata Mumpfield, Wide Receiver
With 44 receptions, Konata Mumpfield was the Panthers’ leading pass catcher last season, even though Bub Means had more yards overall. Mumpfield caught five passes for touchdowns in 2023 and averaged 13.9 yards per reception.
Mumpfield leads a young group of wide receivers in 2024, and while an additional cast was added through the portal, he’ll be the elder statesman of the group.
6) Phillip O’Brien Jr., Safety
A starter in four games, Phillip O’Brien Jr. is part of a three-headed monster at safety for the Panthers. Who starts where will undoubtedly be the question, as O’Brien spent four games at free safety.
His 41 tackles, three interceptions, and two pass breakups helped rank Pitt in the top half of the conference in interceptions and in the top 10 on the team in tackles. O’Brien will see the field, the question is simply where.
5) Javon McIntyre, Safety
Arguably, Javon McIntyre was the best safety on the field last season. He could be interchanged with O’Brien, as they both had standout seasons for Pitt a year ago.
McIntyre started all 12 games, moving back and forth between both safety spots, so his versatility gives him a slight edge in the rankings.
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Eighty-five tackles (second on the team), seven pass breakups, and 3.5 tackles for loss are the production the Panthers will look to get out of McIntyre.
4) Nate Yarnell, Quarterback
Nate Yarnell won the starting job in the spring. While head coach Pat Narduzzi has hinted that the quarterback position is always in competition, Yarnell was solid in his two starts in the final games of 2023.
Yarnell completed 66% of his passes for 595 yards, four touchdowns, and, more importantly, just one interception. If he can avoid the 12 interceptions thrown as a group from last season, it will bode well for an offense that finished dead last in the ACC last year in total and scoring offense.
3) Rodney Hammond Jr., Running Back
Rodney Hammond Jr. is a downhill hammer. He has the feet and niftiness to avoid tacklers at the point of attack and break through to the secondary, where his speed is a major advantage. Hammond ran for 547 yards on 118 carries, an average of 4.6 yards, and scored four touchdowns.
Hammond started in six games, notching his best production towards the end of the season as he rushed for 145 yards against Boston College. A new offensive scheme and a bolstered defense should give the bruising Hammond more touches, especially catching out of the backfield, where he was decently effective despite only catching eight passes.
2) Gavin Bartholomew, Tight End
A highly underrated talent, Gavin Bartholomew missed the final two games last year due to injury and still managed to post 18 catches for 326 yards and a touchdown. The one trip to the end zone happened to be on a 60-yard catch, the longest of the season for Pitt.
Bartholomew is a good athlete at the position. He has the speed to evade defenders once he breaks free, and he’s landed on the radar of NFL scouts. A revamped offense should give him more opportunities to make an impact.
1) Donovan McMillon, Safety
The biggest win in the offseason was keeping Donovan McMillon on the roster. The former Florida Gator found his stride at Pitt, being named an honorable mention All-ACC after leading the team in tackles with 105.
McMillon was a bit of a late bloomer, starting his first game on Sept. 16 when Pitt took on West Virginia. He just so happened to collect 18 tackles against the rival Mountaineers.
McMillon comes into the 2024 season with high expectations. The defense is going to need his prowess, and while the exact role he will play may change from game to game, he should become a big piece of the defense in addition to emerging as a playmaker.
If McMillon can make the same jump he did last season, it would have a huge impact on the Panthers in their efforts to turn things around after last season.
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