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The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/usffan on 2025-07-10 12:53:13+00:00.
The cumulative link to the preseason rankings can be found here.
Pitt (high = 34, low = 58) gets us back on our run through the projected middle of the ACC at #44 nationally (and 8th in the conference). Pat Narduzzi returns for his 11th season as head coach looking to surpass John Michelosen to become the longest tenured coach in Panthers history. He’s seen some highs (2 conference championship game appearances, 1 ACC title) and some lows (3-9 two seasons ago where he threw his players under the bus and had to backpedal after getting some blowback), and last year was kind of a microcosm of the Narduzzi experience, opening 7-0 before dropping their last 5 games of the season and then the 6 OT bowl game against Toledo. What do you do for an encore after that?
Roster outlook
You start by bringing back a significant chunk of the roster from the previous season. The Panthers rank 27th nationally in returning production, including starting QB Eli Holstein who led the Panthers to a 7-2 start before getting injured in the Virginia game and then getting knocked out for the season in his comeback attempt vs. Louisville. They also get back starting RB Desmond Reid and a full WR corps that caught 10 TD passes. On defense, they lose their 115 tackle S Donovan McMillon (Cleveland Browns), but do return 100 tackle LB Kyle Louis. Narduzzi must like what he already has in house, because his recruiting (11th in the ACC) and portal (14th in the ACC) classes failed to land in the top 50 in the country. He did bring in Michigan LT Jeff Persi to try to protect Holstein a little better and Oregon edge Jaedon Moore to beef up the pass rush.
Schedule and outlook
The Panthers look well poised to roll into Morgantown 2-0 for this year’s version of the Backyard Brawl with home games against Duquesne and Central Michigan. They then get a week off before opening ACC play hosting Louisville. The conference schedule misses both of the ACC’s playoff teams from last year, but with road trips to Tallahassee, Syracuse and Atlanta plus home games against Notre Dame and Miami, there are enough challenging games on there that 2025 could very well be another roller coaster ride. An optimist could put on their homer goggles and see an 11-1 record and ACC title game appearance. A pessimist sees them eat shit at West Virginia and not even make a bowl. It will almost certainly be somewhere in between, but it will definitely be entertaining as hell!