Former USC QB Kedon Slovis Announced as Pittsburgh Starter vs. West Virginia

Ahead of next week's season opener, Pitt has made its decision on its starting quarterback for the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia.

Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi named USC transfer Kedon Slovis the starter against the Mountaineers, the school announced Wednesday.

Slovis will have big shoes to fill at Pitt as he will be replacing Kenny Pickett, who led the team to an ACC championship last season and was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former Trojan beat out redshirt senior Nick Patti for the starting job.

An Arizona native, Slovis traveled across the country for an opportunity to start in the wake of a change in regime at USC. Former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley was hired to the same position with the Trojans, and Slovis entered the transfer portal in December. Shortly after entering the portal, he announced in The Players' Tribune that he will spend his final two years of eligibility as a Panther.

"I was so excited when Coach Narduzzi called, because I knew that Pitt and this program were the right fit for me to keep developing into the best leader I can be," Slovis wrote. "I'm ready to win now--and talking to the players who are returning, and seeing how hungry they are for next season, that got me pumped. They have a lot of talented players coming back."

In three seasons at USC, Slovis made 26 starts and threw for 7,576 yards, 58 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. There is a chance he's matched up against a familiar face in his Pitt debut, as ESPN's Pete Thamel reports West Virginia is expected to start former USC quarterback JT Daniels for the Sept. 1 opener.