5. Pittsburgh Panthers
After finishing 3-9 last season, 2-6 in the ACC, help is on the way for Pitt via the transfer portal. A team led by a pair of quarterback transfers last season, Christian Veilluex from Penn State and Phil Jurkovec from BC, struggled, scoring more than 30 just twice. Head coach Pat Narduzzi hit the portal hard this weekend looking for an offensive spark and starting with a pair of former West Carolina Catamounts, Narduzzi may just be able to get the Panthers offense back on track.
First, running back Desmond Reid. The 5-8 sophomore running back was unbelievable for WCU last year, rushing for 897 yards and 13 touchdowns to follow an 824-yard, four touchdown freshman season. In addition to Reid, Narduzzi added the top target from the Catamounts, Censere Lee. The leading receiver for WCU last season, Lee finished with 792 and eight touchdowns after an outstanding freshman campaign.
On top of the offensive additions, Narduzzi bolstered the defensive front with the additions of Nate Matlack (Kansas State) and Nick James (Indiana). Look for Narduzzi and the Panthers to be a much better team when they take the field to start the 2024 season.