Pitt 2021 All 105: OLB Solomon DeShields

All 105 is a Pittsburgh Sports Now series profiling each of the 105 members of Pitt’s 2021 training camp roster.

34 • Solomon DeShields, sophomore outside linebacker

Last year: Played in four games as a special teamer and reserve linebacker after graduating early and enrolling at Pitt in January of 2020.

Stats: DeShields did not record any stats in his four games played with the Panthers, but he put up 68 tackles, eight sacks and four interceptions in high school. He also played receiver, catching 44 passes for 661 yards.

Camp outlook: Last spring, Pitt considered using DeShields on the other side of the ball, as he is a dual-threat athlete, but it seems he will stay put on the defense. He had three tackles for the Gold team in Pitt’s Blue-Gold game.

Projected role: DeShields will likely spend another season as a reserve linebacker and on the special teams unit.

Accolades, Highlights: Earned All-ACC third-team honors in 2020. DeShields recorded 11 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in his first career start against Boston College and took home ACC Linebacker of the Week.

Coverage links:

• Pitt Finds Positions for Flexible Freshmen DeShields, Henningham
• New Jersey Athlete Solomon Deshields Commits to Pitt

The rest of the 105: