Nate Yarnell is in a battle for the Pitt starting quarterback job, and according to Pat Narduzzi, he’s been in some battles during practice, too.
Narduzzi called into the Jim Rome Show on Friday afternoon and was asked about the quarterback competition. It’s a battle between Yarnell and Alabama transfer Eli Holstein that has gotten closer and closer since the end of the spring.
“Coming out of spring ball, Nate Yarnell was our starter,” Narduzzi said. “He’s done a heckuva job, he’s a leader, actually got into a fight at practice the other day. I’m like, what is going on here? Quarterback’s fighting.
“So, he’s got some stuff to him, he’s got an edge, and then Eli Holstein. A guy that came in here in spring ball, both of them came into the same offense, so it’s not like one is ahead mentally than the other. But they’re competing just like any position.”
Quarterbacks wear the non-contact jerseys during practice, so even touching a quarterback is grounds for discipline. But when a quarterback goes on the offensive? How does that work?
“(Yarnell) threw an interception and then he went and tackled the guy that got the interception,” Narduzzi said. “It was fun. They had to go run for it, so the team ran for it because there was a little fight there. Nate went over and got a little coaching, but it’s a good thing. Fights in camp means there’s an edge to the team, it’s important to them and they are competing.”
Narduzzi said that the rest of the team sees the fire, the competitive edge. There are fights in camp every year, which Narduzzi encourages, but it’s not often a quarterback jumping into the fray. The competition across the roster this season, as it is in prior seasons, isn’t limited to any one position group.
Narduzzi said he wants the competition to continue throughout camp.
“I hate to say, hey, the war’s over, because some guys are just going to let up a bit naturally,” Narduzzi said. “I think it’s an instinct to kind of go, oh, it’s mine. Nothing is anybody’s at any point. I think when we get to that first game, we’re going to line up, we’re going to have a starting quarterback and we’re gonna roll.”
He’s looking for a quarterback to manage the game. He wants a quarterback who doesn’t try to be someone he’s not and do too much. And maybe most importantly, he wants a quarterback who doesn’t turn the ball over.
Yarnell started two games last season. And in those two starts, against Boston College and Duke, he completed 36-of-54 pass attempts (66.7%) for 472 yards with four touchdowns (one rushing) and one interception.
Holstein hasn’t played a snap of college football yet, after redshirting as a true freshman at Alabama last season, but he’s not far removed from being one of the top quarterback recruits in the class of 2023.
The scrimmage Sunday could go a long way in cementing who will be the starting quarterback against Kent State on Aug. 31.