This has been posted in various threads, but just to get everybody on the same page. Pitt is expected to host two transfer candidates today:

Western Carolina QB Cole Gonzalez
Mercer DE Brayden Manley

The priority is still on offensive linemen, but in the meantime, these are two interesting positions to target.

Gonzales obviously has the connection to Kade Bell. While playing for Bell at WCU in 2022 and 2023, Gonzales appeared in 19 games and completed 65% of his passes for 4,139 yards, 39 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. This season with Bell gone, Gonzales only played eight games but threw for 2,543 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He went into the portal after the season and stands as an intriguing target.

From Pitt's perspective, a capable backup quarterback could be very valuable. Eli Holstein is the returning starter, and he'll be the starting quarterback this season. But Holstein also missed two full games and parts of three others due to injury; that doesn't guarantee that he'll miss time in the future, but it's a possibility Pitt should be prepared for. After Nate Yarnell and Ty Dieffenbach transferred, the Panthers were left with two scholarship quarterbacks on the returning roster and one incoming freshman. The ideal scenario would have been to bring Yarnell back, but with that off the table, Gonzales is a pretty good option, given his knowledge of the offense.

From Gonzales' perspective, though, I don't quite get it. Like I said, Pitt has a starting quarterback, and Gonzales would have to know that going into the visit. Additionally, I don't see Pitt using a lot of the NIL budget on a backup quarterback. So I would have to think Gonzales could find better options if he's looking for 1. A starting job, and/or 2. A decent NIL amount. But he's visiting, so there's something to monitor, and like I said, he would be a pretty great option as the backup QB.

Manley went into the transfer portal on Monday and almost immediately got offers from Pitt, Arizona, Toledo, Memphis, Virginia, Western Michigan, Charlotte, UAB and Eastern Carolina on his first day in the portal. Indiana and North Carolina have also joined the mix in the last day.

Manley had a breakout this season, recording 18 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He's 6'2" and 245, so he's not a big pass-rusher, but he's productive and obviously has drawn a lot of interest. I think Pitt would love to add a defensive end to go with Jimmy Scott and Sincere Edwards (I suppose Chief Borders would fill out that rotation). Manley is also a sophomore, so he's got two years of eligibility remaining, which is another positive.

Big loss, but what's the difference anymore, honestly? This team seems pretty doomed while Narduzzi is still at the helm.

Login to view embedded media
Any idea who this could be or is it potentially old news?

Why didn't they give UGa a quasi-home game in Atlanta as the 2 seed?

Scores After Quarter
Q1: 32-7 SMU
Q2: 49-18 SMU
Q3: ............ 49-46 SMU
THEY WENT ON A 28-0 RUN

Cignettied yet again.

TVD to reunited with Rhett Lashlee.


Also, there's this...

Login to view embedded media
Transfer?

I don’t think this was a previously known issue, was it? Hopefully a one time thing

With the ACC getting stomped in bowl games this year..and watching other bowls and playoff games. It's almost like the teams with injuries and Portal entries have had a harder time in bowl games. The team that had its starting QB play....has won almost every bowl game vs a team playing there 2nd, 3rd, or 4th string guy. It almost seems like the portal has hurt more teams than it helps at this point in the year. It must be a coincidence.

** I’m going to write most of this entry this evening pretending the game ended at the under 8 timeout of the second half.

** That is because I honestly don’t know what the heck happened in the last 8 minutes. Allow me to suggest however, that we didn’t consciously stop playing.

** It appeared to me more like we completely ran out of gas. Bone dry.

** So we looked around for a ride and found ourselves all alone in the middle of a desert heated by the Dukies sizzling 55% three point shooting and Coopers back to back posters.

** Had Beebah hit that wide open three at the 7 minute mark that would have cut the lead to 8, perhaps that would have somehow added a little more to the tank. But no.

** I say we ran out of gas because for most of those first 32 minutes, we were using all the energy we could to battle the Dukies.

** And we did battle. We just didn’t play very good basketball against a very good basketball team.

** I think what can be said is that for most of the game, the Panthers tried to replace composure with energy, attempting to make plays before the masterful Blue Devils size and talent could get to them.

** And with that, they really never let this game come to them, they rushed too much and missed some plays they often make.

** This was certainly true of both Jaland and Ish. They were both really trying to bring it. They were likely even trying too hard. But as we know, the results were often kinda ugly.

** I’m not worried about Ish and Jaland though. I appreciate the relationship they have with their Coach. I know he’s going to work with them about decision making and trying to involve others.

** I’m not attempting to suggest that the Panthers really had much of a shot in this one after half time. But some of our defensive work in both halves gave us opportunities, even on fast breaks, which we rushed or didn’t convert.

** There’s no doubt that our Panthers were truly troubled by the size of the Dukies. I believe they tried to adjust in the second half and instead they just kept trying tougher and tougher shots instead of moving the basketball.

** My only wonder about this one is the overall offensive game plan. It was clear that Capel wanted to spread out and let Ish and Jaland play iso to create. Maybe he thought this was the best way to attack Duke’s size. From early on however, this didn’t look like a good plan.

** It’s telling that we didn’t have a single trip to the line in the second 20 minutes.

** Still I do believe it’s noteworthy that we are watching the continued progression of Cam Cohren. This was the kind of performance that will help the Panthers win plenty more games.

** His embarrassing move with 30 seconds left notwithstanding, Damien showed us he’s ready to help. This comes at a good time.

** I’ll close by reminding all Panther Hoop fans that perhaps they can take some solace in the thought that this 29 point defeat was not the worst of the evening. That honor goes to the 30 point boat race the #1 team in the county received from the teeth of the Florida Gators.

** At the 7 minute mark of that one, the same mark when we were shooting to cut the lead to single digits, the Vols were losing by 32.

** I hope both our Panthers and Panther fans can move on and pick things up back up with a full tank of gas against the Cardinals at noon on Saturday. I think we will!

Just played real bad across the board no real positives
Better regroup LVille is no pushover

Mine are pretty simple. Be competitive and keep the game within single digits. That’s the minimum for me. Do I think Pitt can win? Sure, if our guards have a big night and they make a decent amount of 3’s as a team, it will be interesting. They need to make Duke work for their points and nothing easy.