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Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Pittsburgh running back Desmond Reid (RB17) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

How Pitt Developed Its 2026 NFL Draft Class

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Ari Meyer | Last updated Apr 11, 2026 9:47 AM ET

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers football team is gearing up for a draft in their own city, as the city of Pittsburgh prepares to host the 2026 NFL Draft from April 23 to 25.

With that in mind, the team has a couple of players who could convincingly hear their name called when it comes time for all 32 teams to make their selections in a couple of weeks. Namely, Pitt's top names that may hear their names called are first and foremost linebacker Kyle Louis, followed by running back Desmond Reid and wide receiver Deuce Spann.

They all took vastly different paths to get to Pitt, and therefore to the possibility of the NFL, highlighting the many paths that college athletes offer in a fast-changing environment such as the current one.

Kyle Louis

Louis, who is the only sure draft piece from the team, took the most traditional route of all the players. A Panther for his entire college career, Louis was initially committed to Temple out of high school, but changed his commitment before enrolling.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While at Pitt, he received All-American honors for his stellar linebacker play in 2024, as well as earning first-team All-ACC honors in 2024 and second-team All-ACC in 2025. Likely to convert to box safety, Louis is a likely Day 2 selection out of Pitt.

Desmond Reid

Reid had a path that was quite commendable in the pre-transfer portal and NIL era, as he moved from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level ahead of the 2024 season. When Pitt hired his former offensive coordinator at Western Carolina as their current offensive coordinator in, Kade Bell, sought to bring the FCS phenom with him to the next level. Reid did not receive Power offers out of high school due to his 5'6" frame, which led to him playing the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Catamounts before moving to Pitt.

At Pitt, Reid featured as the top running back, with a first-team All-ACC season in 2024 due to over 1,500 total yards between rushing and receiving, as well as ten touchdowns. In 2025, Reid struggled to stay on the field due to multiple injuries, but still accumulated five touchdowns and 595 total yards.

Deuce Spann

Spann had the most non-traditional path of the three, having been recruited as a quarterback out of high school, ending up at Illinois for his first two seasons of college football and changing positions to wide receiver. After two seasons, Spann transferred to Florida State, where he spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons, narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff in 2023 with 348 yards and a touchdown across two seasons. Spann would then transfer for his final season of eligibility, notching 479 yards between receiving and returns, as well as two touchdowns. His Pro Day performance showed his impressive athleticism, and caught scouts' eyes.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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