Watch: Pitt Center Lyndon Cooper Mic'd Up

Coming up in a substantial Georgia high school program, Carrollton, Cooper initially took his talents to N.C. State, spending 2021 through 2023 with the Wolfpack. Once he transferred into Pittsburgh, he grabbed the starting center job, and ran away with it.

Cooper returns for his fifth collegiate season as a leader in the middle of the offensive line, flanked by newcomers from the transfer portal; a guard from Eastern Michigan and two tackles out of Michigan and Charlotte.

“Keith (Gouveia), he's playing left guard right now," Cooper said during a press conference last week. "Jeff (Persi), he's playing a little left tackle. Kendall (Stanley), he's playing some left tackle and right tackle,” Cooper said. 

“Honestly, them boys already know a little bit of ball. So, me, just letting them know where our communication is, make sure they're on the same pages with us, and just making sure they understand our culture here at Pitt.”

“Those three guys that came in, they came in with experience, and they understand the game. They understand football,” Cooper added. “So, like I said, it's more than just understanding our culture and our lingo as an O-Line, but having those guys come in is definitely a big improvement on our O-Line. I feel like our gel as an O-Line is more complete...We've got some depth to the line now.”

Cooper is a key piece of the puzzle in front of returning quarterback Eli Holstein and star running back Desmond Reid.