Pittsburgh football is having a rough season with consecutive losses that have dropped them to 2-2. The Panthers are now making a new change at the most important position on offense.
Pitt will start 18-year-old freshman Mason Heintschel at quarterback on Saturday against Boston College according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. They are benching the previous starter, Eli Holstein. This will be Heintschel's first career start and clearly shows a major change after Holstein's disappointing performances in recent weeks.
Holstein, a redshirt sophomore that transferred from Alabama prior to the 2024 season, has been making costly mistakes, throwing interceptions in every single game this year. He has five picks through four games, three of which came in the red zone. These are the mistakes that can't be overlooked. The three picks in the red zone were thrown right into the end zone where defenders grabbed them.
The lowest point in his season came last week against Louisville, when he threw two interceptions, one at the 2-yard line, killing a scoring drive. Coach Pat Narduzzi took him out for the fourth quarter.
Holstein's numbers tell the full story of his struggles. According to ESPN rankings, he ranks 50th out of 68 quarterbacks nationally and 10th out of 17 ACC quarterbacks. His quarterback rating is 50.0, which is average.
Pitt turns to true freshman Heintschel at quarterback
Heintschel is a three-star recruit from Clay High School in Oregon, Ohio. He threw for 7,322 yards and 79 touchdowns in high school. He has only attempted four passes this season, which came late in Pitt's 45-17 win over Central Michigan.
What makes this move surprising is that Narduzzi named Holstein the starter earlier this week after seeing good practices from him. The Pittsburgh football coaching staff clearly changed their minds after further evaluation.
Pitt will be missing running back Desmond Reid for the second straight game with a lower-body injury. Reid is the team's top offensive weapon and has been out since the West Virginia game.
Boston College enters the matchup struggling with three straight losses and dealing with multiple injuries on its defensive line. However, Boston College football will get a boost from the return of offensive lineman Jude Bowry from injury.
