WVU football fans far and wide know what week it is. It is Backyard Brawl week against the team that is approximately an hour ride up I-79, the Pitt Panthers. As the Mountaineers welcome their rival, they will go up against by far the most talented quarterback they have seen so far this season through two games, and one possibly of the best quarterbacks that they will see all season.
Lining up across the line of scrimmage from the WVU defense will be the leader of the Pitt Panthers' offense, Eli Holstein. Holstein is a redshirt sophomore from Zachary, Louisiana. The highly sought-after quarterback recruit was a four-star recruit, according to 247Sports, coming out of high school before committing to SEC powerhouse Alabama as a senior in high school.
The 6’4” passer from Louisiana was enrolled at Alabama for one season (2023), redshirting his one season with the program. He did not record any snaps in his freshman season before entering the transfer portal, ultimately landing at Pittsburgh University in January of 2024, before the start of the 2024 season.
Holstein has started his 2025 season red-hot, proving why he is one of the best quarterback prospects in the country
Holstein has started the season on a tear to begin his redshirt sophomore season. The right-handed quarterback has gone 36-for-51 passing (a 70.6 completion percentage) for 519 passing yards, eight touchdowns, along with only two interceptions through the first two games. The Panthers opened their 2025 season going 2-0 against Duquesne and Central Michigan, both games had Pitt favored by at least 20 points. Pitt’s starting quarterback is not much of a running threat, but Holstein has also added 77 yards on the ground on 11 attempts.
It can be argued that Holstein has not faced a tough defense, going up against FCS Duquesne and Mid-American Conference Central Michigan, but Holstein has done what he needed to do to give his team two early wins in their non-conference schedule. The Pitt Panthers and Holstein’s first game of the year drew a little concern from the media, as he did not play as many would have expected against an FCS program in Duquesne.
Holstein ended the game going 15-for-23 (a 65.2 completion percentage) with 215 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. However, Holstein seemed to turn it around in the 45-17 win over Central Michigan, as his stats looked about where they should be for the level of competition he was facing – he went 21-for-28, (a 75 completion percentage) for 304 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.
Holstein has the skills and physical ability to light up the scoreboard. He has not done that consistently in his Pitt career, but WVU will surely have a serious test going up against the former four-star high school recruit.