A few hours after his teammate and fellow All-American Kyle Louis did so Friday, Pitt tailback Desmond Reid declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Like Louis, he will forego participation in the upcoming Military Bowl on Dec. 27 versus East Carolina.
Reid played two seasons with the Panthers after transferring from Western Carolina, following coordinator Kade Bell to Pittsburgh.
TRUELIVIN???? pic.twitter.com/clJFJtHxG7
— Desmond Reid (@fastboidez) December 19, 2025
In his debut campaign in 2024, the 5-foot-8 speedster from Miami Gardens, Fla., earned national attention, rushing 183 times for 962 yards and averaging 5.3 yards per carry with five scores.
Reid also caught 52 passes for 579 yards and four more touchdowns.
He also made his mark on special teams, registering 159 yards on 13 punt returns, including a 78-yard house call versus Kent State.
For his efforts, Reid was named an All-American by six national outlets, including the Associated Press, ESPN, CBS Sports and the Football Writers Association of America.
He also earned first-team All-ACC honors from the league’s media and the Associated Press.
This year, Reid was hampered by injuries, limiting him to seven games, in which he took 60 carries for 278 yards and two touchdowns. Reid added 23 catches for 317 yards and two scores.
Though injury considerations forced him out of the punt return role, Reid began the year there and, in the season opener versus Duquesne, took the first punt of the season back 88 yards.
Reid’s season initially was derailed Sept. 13 in the Backyard Brawl versus West Virginia, a contest he left with an apparent ankle injury.
From there, Reid worked to get back on the field, but his health fluctuated, causing him to miss games against Louisville, Boston College, Stanford, Georgia Tech and Miami.
His season highlights included Reid’s Oct. 11 return versus Florida State, when, after coming back from injury, he racked up 200 all-purpose yards (155 receiving, 45 rushing) with two scores in the Panthers’ 34-31 upset win.
In Pitt’s regular-season finale at home versus Miami, Reid was one of the Panthers players who walked as part of Senior Day, signaling that he was concluding his collegiate career.
