Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis ‘not sure’ about his plans for 2023
Share this post:
Nearing the end of a season complete with more frustration and defeat than anyone expected, Kedon Slovis said he’s not ready for a serious discussion about his future as Pitt’s quarterback.
“We gloss over it, really just the decision-making process,” he said of talks with coach Pat Narduzzi about next season. “We have two more games (prior to a bowl). We’re focused on that. Really just organizing the types of things I need to know and the information I need to get to make a decision.
“I told coach I’m not sure yet.”
Slovis said decisions made by teammates on offense about staying or leaving could impact what he decides.
“That’s a big part of it,” he said. “You’re not going to know what everyone is doing until the end of the season. (Narduzzi) is not sure yet what people have to say. We’ll make a decision at the end of the year.”
It’s been a frustrating season for Slovis and his teammates, who stand 6-4 (3-3 ACC) while approaching the 11th game Saturday against Duke at Acrisure Stadium.
He suffered a concussion against Tennessee near the end of the first half of the second game, missed the next one and had trouble regaining a comfort level in the offense until Pitt ended a period of three losses in four games by winning the past two.
“It felt like it took a few weeks for us to get back in sync offensively, for sure,” he said. “I felt fine physically. I think I was fine mentally. The mental stuff wasn’t necessarily from the injury, moreso just finding a rhythm offensively, passing-wise.
“When you’re a quarterback and you don’t have completions, you don’t have the success you have initially, you try to find it. It took us a while to find it.”
After transferring from USC this year, Slovis needed to learn a new offense under Pitt’s first-year offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr.
The results haven’t been ideal, with Slovis last in the 14-team ACC in touchdown passes (six), 10th in passing efficiency (126.3) and completion percentage (59.2%) and seventh in yards per game (216.1).
“You’re learning it. Everybody else is learning it,” he said of the Cignetti’s offense. “(Pass catchers) are running routes a way they’ve probably never done it before. They’re adjusting and getting better, and you can see them getting better week-in and week-out. It’s a big process for everyone. I haven’t played in an offense like this.
“I learned a lot. I feel I’ve grown a lot as a player. Obviously, we hit some adversity and had a lot of growth as a team in the new offense. Proud of the way the guys handled it.”
Slovis said football often breeds frustration.
“There’s not a football season anyone’s been a part of that they haven’t been frustrated with things or execution or what-not,” he said. “That’s there in every season I’ve probably ever played.”
Part of his discussions with his coaches have centered on how quarterbacks often find an increased comfort level in a new offense by sticking through a second season.
At the end of this season, Slovis will be four years removed from high school and, by rule, eligible for the NFL Draft. But his pro prospects could be enhanced if he used his final year of eligibility in 2023, courtesy of the bonus season granted by the NCAA after the 2020 covid-19 pandemic.
There are two recent examples of Pitt quarterbacks making significant progress from their penultimate season to their last.
Nathan Peterman threw for 2,287 yards, with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2015 before increasing his yardage to 2,855, with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2016.
Kenny Pickett, who likely would have been a late-round draft choice in 2021, decided to return to Pitt, and he set several school records and became a Heisman finalist and first-round selection. Pickett’s strong relationship with former offensive coordinator Mark Whipple significantly impacted that decision.
In nine games in 2020, Pickett threw for 2,408 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing only 61.1% of his passes. Stronger and wiser in 2021, he threw for 4,217 yards and 42 touchdowns and increased his completion percentage to 67.2%.
“More confidence, more reps in the system, the better you’re going to be,” Slovis said.
Technically a senior, Slovis said he won’t be part of the Senior Day festivities Saturday before the Duke game. But he advised not to read anything into that decision.
“I talked to coach. I’m not going to walk,” he said. “That’s moreso just because not all of my family can be there. It doesn’t mean anything for future decisions. If I was going to do that, I’d want all my family to be there, not just a few members.”