The Pennsylvanian hamlet of Zachary, home to 20,000 people, is no stranger to national prominence for the red-shirt freshmen. Who is the newbie? Eli Holstein, the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Panthers, is the guy. The Panthers are 5-0 for the first time in over thirty years. Don’t say quarterback Holstein gets all the glory; he’s exceeded expectations all throughout Western Pennsylvania. Brett McMurphy, a college football insider, tweeted, “Eli Holstein is the first quarterback from Pitt to win his first five starts since Dan Marino in 1979.” Why all the hype, one would wonder?

Well, that’s not bad for a 19-year-old who had not played a snap of football before this season, considering he also passed for 1,567 yards and 15 touchdowns while picking up 265 running yards and 3 scores on the ground. Correct? In addition, he led Pitt to an outstanding 38–34 victory over West Virginia at home on September 15, 2024. When questioned about the star quarterback following his victory, Brewerton, his high school coach, was all praise for his former main quarterback. Let’s see what he says.

Brewerton stated, “Great athletic ability … strong arm … all the tangibles and intangibles that you’re looking for in a quarterback.” Furthermore, he declared, “I am aware of the level of preparation he has dedicated his entire life to what the nation witnessed on Saturday. Eli is unknown to those who assume that, “Oh, the freshman just got a chance and went in there and just had a lucky day.” He also claimed that Eli had spent his whole youth preparing for that day. As a Division I quarterback starting for his team, it was how he had always seen himself. It appears like his ambitions have finally come true. Take a look over there; that’s where this adventure started.

Eli Holstein’s early football journey

Eli, who was born on October 26, 2004, began playing football at Zachary High School. Zachary won a Louisiana state championship, a 15-0 record, and MVP honors in the championship game held in the Caesars Superdome under Holstein’s guidance as a junior. Moreover, he accomplished 7,014 yards of passing with 62 touchdowns in addition to 1,233 yards and 30 touchdowns gained through running. Not just physically strong, but also academically strong. Are you aware?

During a recent interview, his high school coach said, ” There’s probably one more piece to that puzzle that certainly needs to get added. I’ve never seen him make a B in the classroom. He is an outstanding student, graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA and I know he’s doing really, really well in college, as well.“. Now, let’s dive into his collegiate journey. 

He committed to playing collegiate football in Alabama before moving to Pittsburgh; he was a player there for just one season before entering the transfer portal. The talented quarterback is currently getting ready for his next task in order to give Pitt the chance to contend for the playoffs this year. Without a doubt, given Holstein and Co.’s history, they have a good chance of winning this season. How do you feel? Please leave your comment below.