Quarterback Kenny Holstein’s Stellar Season at Pittsburgh After Transfer from Alabama

Over the past two decades, the University of Alabama has emerged as a premier destination for high school football players aspiring to compete at the collegiate level. The program, renowned for attracting highly-recruited players, often results in limited playing opportunities due to the abundance of talent. This scenario was no different for Kenny Holstein, who opted to transfer after spending a year with the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

Holstein seized the opportunity at the University of Pittsburgh, where he has excelled and secured the starting quarterback position. His outstanding performances have earned him the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Week honor four times consecutively. Through the first five weeks of the college football season, the Pittsburgh Panthers boast an impressive 4-0 record for the first time since 2000, unofficially ranked as the No. 27 team in the nation.

Holstein announced his transfer from Alabama to Pittsburgh on January 7, making the announcement on X (formerly Twitter) with the message “Time to get to work!!!!”. A native of Louisiana, Holstein did not participate in a single game during the 2023 season with Alabama. His decision to transfer was largely influenced by the limited playing time available and the depth chart hierarchy at Alabama, especially after Jalen Milroe announced his return for his senior season in December prior to the College Football Playoff.

He announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on January 3, just two days following Alabama’s loss to eventual national champions Michigan in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Holstein committed to Pittsburgh four days later. He clarified that the retirement of former Alabama coach Nick Saban did not influence his decision to transfer. “I just wanted a fresh new start,” Holstein expressed. “I didn’t really see myself growing in the ways that I wanted to at Alabama and I knew I needed to pursue other opportunities to grow the way that I wanted to. Pitt was the place for me to do that.”

Coming out of high school in Zachary, Louisiana, Holstein was recognized as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 8 quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class. Upon entering the transfer portal, he was re-evaluated as a three-star recruit and ranked No. 40 among quarterbacks in the portal by a recruiting website. Despite this ranking, he was considered the seventh-highest transfer commitment for Pittsburgh this past offseason.

As a dual-threat quarterback, Holstein has accumulated 1,372 total yards and 14 touchdowns. He has achieved a completion rate of 67.4%, which ranks fifth in the ACC. Nationally, Holstein stands fourth in touchdown passes with 12, sixth in total offense per game with 343.8 yards, and tenth in total passing yards at 1,186 among all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) quarterbacks.