Pitt TE Gavin Bartholomew looking to use NFL Combine as hair-raising chance to impress scouts

INDIANAPOLIS — Gavin Bartholomew doesn’t have the best stats among tight ends at the NFL Combine.

He doesn’t have the top pedigree, either, among the 21 prospects at his position invited to attend the annual event.

But the four-year starter from Pitt excels in one easy-to-detect area.

Bartholomew arguably has the best hair at the scouting combine — at least the top mullet, which was on full display Thursday when he met the media.

Neatly shaved on the sides and his locks flowing behind his ears and down to his shoulders, Bartholomew rocked a mullet that would make Billy Ray Cyrus proud.

During his allotted time at a podium, Bartholomew faced nearly as many questions about his hair as he did his attempt to earn employment in the NFL.

“I had it in high school, shaved it when I got to college, grew it back my sophomore year, and I’ve had it ever since,” said Bartholomew, who completed his senior football season in the winter.

Asked for the key to keeping his hair on point, Bartholomew flashed a big smile.

“Lots of conditioner, a lot of shampoo,” he said. “I have to take care of it.”

Got a chance to catch up with Pitt tight end Gavin Bartholomew at NFL Combine. We did talk about his awesome mullet but was only on audio portion of interview. pic.twitter.com/qXG1xSTHoG

— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) February 27, 2025

Bartholomew wouldn’t mind following in the footsteps of another tall, 250-pound tight end who is known as much for his wild head of hair as his ability to catch passes. It’s perhaps fitting that Bartholomew patterns his game after the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle.

Kittle entered the NFL with little fanfare as a fifth-round pick in 2017 only to become a six-time Pro Bowl pick and two-time first-team All-Pro selection. He has topped 1,000 yards receiving four times and is averaging 67 catches a season.

“He’s someone I always watched,” Bartholomew said. “He really prides himself in being part of the run game, and so do I. He’s a big threat in the passing game, and that’s how I see myself: being a big playmaker.”

Bartholomew, though, wasn’t one of the top targets during his four seasons at Pitt. In 49 games, which included 41 starts — a modern school record for a tight end — Bartholomew totaled 104 receptions for 1,248 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged just 8.5 yards per catch in 2024 when he caught a career-best 38 passes for 322 yards and four touchdowns. As a junior, he averaged 18.1 yards per catch but had just 18 receptions in 10 games.

“I’m there to do my job: to play football,” he said. “All I can do is control what I can control and contribute as a run blocker or get open the best I can.”

Bartholomew received an invitation to attend the Senior Bowl, and he’s hoping to open eyes during combine testing Friday. His main goal in the workout Friday is a simple one.

“Run fast,” he said, laughing, then adding he would like to run the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds.

Bartholomew is rated as the No. 15 tight end prospect, according to CBS Sports. He enters a draft in which Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland are rated first-round picks, and four tight ends are among NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 prospects.

“I take it as a good thing,” Bartholomew said about being part of a deep TE pool. “I like to compete. It’s what I do. At the end of the day, I try my best to set up my future wherever I go.”

Although the numbers in his senior season didn’t reflect it, Bartholomew thinks he made the type of progression in 2024 that will impress scouts and talent evaluators.

“All of my aspects improved,” he said. “Blocking and downfield as a receiving threat. This year, I stepped my game up to another level and just got better everywhere.”

Since the Panthers’ season ended, Bartholomew has spent his training time working on creating separation in his route running and improving his speed getting in and out of his breaks. He thinks the intangibles will help him stand out in a crowded field of tight ends.

“My toughness and grittiness, my willingness to work,” he said. “I’m never going to give up on something. I take pride in that. When I get the ball in my hands, I’m a playmaker. Rarely am I ever going to be tackled by one guy. That’s the mindset that I have. It’s pretty much going to take the whole team to bring me down.”

Mullet and all.