In Pitt QB shakeup, Julian Dugger enters portal, ex-Western Carolina star transfers in

Pitt’s quarterback depth chart underwent a major overhaul Saturday.

Redshirt freshman Julian Dugger, a Penn Hills graduate, announced he was entering the transfer portal hours after the Panthers landed a commitment from another quarterback, Cole Gonzales, who’s already well connected with offensive coordinator Kade Bell.

A 6-foot, 198-pound senior, Gonzales comes to Pitt after a semester at Oklahoma where he transferred in December. Before his stint with the Sooners, Gonzales passed for 6,682 yards and 51 touchdowns in three seasons at Western Carolina.

Bell was the Catamounts’ offensive coordinator from 2021-23.

Dugger saw his only action last season in the GameAbove Sports Bowl. He came off the bench to pass for two touchdowns and rush for another in a 48-46 overtime loss to Toledo.

He transfers with four years of eligibility remaining.

“This was an extremely difficult decision to make but is best for my future (and) development as a QB,” Dugger wrote on his X social media account while thanking coach Pat Narduzzi, the football staff and his Pitt teammates.

Dugger was one of four quarterbacks on Pitt’s roster, including redshirt sophomore Eli Holstein, who passed for 2,228 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 starts last year. Redshirt sophomore David Lynch also returned from last season, and freshman recruit Mason Heintschel enrolled in January.

Gonzales on Saturday revealed his plans to join the group.

His sophomore season at Western Carolina was his best. He passed for 2,803 yards and 28 touchdowns to eight interceptions and was named the 2023 SoCon Offensive Player of the Year in media voting.

Bell’s coaching bio notes that Western Carolina led all FCS teams in total offense that season with an average of 504.1 yards per game. The Catamounts also ranked third in passing offense (321.1 ypg) and fourth in scoring (37.5 ppg).

He earned first-team SoCon honors again this past season after passing for 2,543 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. As a freshman, Gonzales passed for 1,336 yards and 11 touchdowns.

As both a sophomore and junior, Gonzales was among the 30 finalists receiving votes for the Walter Payton Award, given each year to the most outstanding offensive player in FCS.

The Gainesville, Fla. native is the son of Florida wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales.

Dugger at Penn Hills was ranked by Rivals.com as the 17th best dual-threat quarterback nationally when he committed to Pitt.