Holden Geriner Embraces New Role at Pitt: From Highly Touted Prospect to Veteran Mentor
Holden Geriner’s football journey hasn’t followed the script many envisioned when he came out of Benedictine Military School in Georgia as a four-star quarterback in the 2022 class. Back then, he was the kind of prospect who had his pick of the college football heavyweights-Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Florida State, Tennessee, and Arkansas all came calling. With over 3,300 passing yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound signal caller looked every bit the part of a future star.
But college football is rarely a straight line. At Auburn, Geriner found himself buried on the depth chart in a crowded SEC quarterback room.
Over three seasons, he threw just 20 passes-completing nine of them-for 116 yards, without a touchdown to his name. The talent was there, but opportunity never quite knocked.
After a brief stop at Texas State, where he attempted a single pass in 2025, Geriner entered the transfer portal once again. This time, though, it wasn’t about chasing playing time. It was about finding a place where he could still contribute at the highest level, even if that contribution came from the sideline.
Now at Pitt, Geriner steps into a very different role-one that he’s embraced with maturity and perspective. The Panthers are firmly in the hands of sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel, who burst onto the scene last season with a breakout campaign that rewrote the freshman record books at the position.
Geriner knows the score. Heintschel is the guy.
But that’s not stopping the veteran from bringing value to the room.
“I saw a great opportunity to come in and really just work with him and all the other guys,” Geriner said at his introductory press conference. “Kind of mentor them, give them some wisdom and things of that nature. That really is one of the reasons that I came here.”
It’s a selfless move in an era where many quarterbacks in Geriner’s position would be looking for a guaranteed starting job at a smaller program. Instead, he chose to join a Power Five team with an established starter and two promising true freshmen-Corey Dailey and Angelo Renda-already in the pipeline.
Geriner’s goal? Help them avoid some of the pitfalls he encountered early in his career.
He remembers what it felt like to be the young guy with the weight of expectations pressing down. In hindsight, he admits he may have put too much pressure on himself when he first arrived at Auburn. Now, he’s focused on helping the next generation of quarterbacks keep the game in perspective.
“It’s an incredibly high-stress environment around here-like around any college, any professional sports, anything,” he said. “Being able to just take a step back and enjoy the moments with your brothers, I think, is really super important. That’s something I maybe didn’t focus on early in my career, but as I’ve matured, I’ve really learned.”
Geriner is realistic about his place in the quarterback pecking order at Pitt. He’s essentially the emergency option-a stabilizing presence between the rising star in Heintschel and the two freshmen learning the ropes.
But that doesn’t mean he’s lost his competitive fire. If the moment comes and his number is called, he’ll be ready.
“I’d love to show I can still play,” he said. “But I also know what I signed up for. I’m here to help this team in any way I can.”
What’s clear is that Geriner brings more than just a clipboard to the QB room. He brings experience-four years of it, under four different offensive coordinators.
This season, he’ll be working with Kade Bell, his fifth OC in as many years. That constant turnover has forced him to adapt, to absorb new systems quickly, and to learn from a wide range of coaching philosophies.
It’s made him a student of the game in the truest sense.
“I think I’ve grown tremendously,” he said. “Obviously, I wish I could have played more, but that’s out of my control now. In terms of growth, just being in the film room, watching guys who really know what they’re looking for… I’ve had a tremendous amount of coaches pour into me, and that’s where I give the credit.”
Geriner’s understanding of the position is already making an impact on the younger quarterbacks around him. And while he’s not ready to commit to a post-playing career just yet, the idea of coaching has definitely crossed his mind.
“It’s definitely a possibility,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed taking a step back this year and reflecting on my past-thinking, ‘How can I pour my wisdom and experience into these young guys?’ Whether that’s coaching or just mentoring them this year, I want to put everybody in the best situation I can from my experience.”
In a sport that often spotlights the stars and stat lines, Geriner’s story is a reminder of the value of leadership, humility, and perspective. He may not be the face of the program, but inside that quarterback room, his presence could be just as important as any touchdown pass.