Pitt Extends Offer to Western Carolina Leading Rusher

Pitt has a new man leading the offense in former Western Carolina offensive coordinator Kade Bell, and the Panthers have now extended offers to the Catamounts’ leading rusher and receiver.

C.J. Lee received an offer earlier this month, and Catamounts leading running back Desmond Reid received an offer from the Panthers Tuesday night.

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Reid — a 5-foot-8, 170-pound junior running back from Miami Gardens, Fla. — is coming off back-to-back 800-yard seasons at Western Carolina and won the 2022 SoCon Freshman of the Year award.

He’s received offers from Arkansas State, Florida A&M, FAU, Western Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Georgia State, Miami (Oh.) and Coastal Carolina since entering the transfer portal earlier this month.

Pitt offered pic.twitter.com/lZZkbwFtV2

— Desmond Reid (@fastboidez) December 13, 2023

Reid is originally a lowly-recruited three-star out of Miramar High School in 2022, and he selected Western Carolina over South Dakota, FAMU, FAU and Tusculum. And in two seasons at WCU, he’s racked up 250 carries for 1,723 yards (6.9 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns — adding 42 receptions for 495 yards and another score.

As a sophomore in 2023, playing in just eight games, Reid was one of the best running backs in the FCS. He was elusive, forcing 40 missed tackles on just 131 carries, but he also racked up 536 yards after contact (4.39 YAC/attempt).

Reid was an explosive home run hitter, too, racking up 30 runs of 10+ yards and 18 runs of 15+ yards.

He isn’t the biggest back out there, but he’s an explosive athlete with two seasons of eligibility left at the collegiate level.

Pitt lost C’Bo Flemister and TJ Harvison this offseason, to exhausted eligibility and the transfer portal, respectively, but there’s a strong base already in place. Rodney Hammond Jr. announced he would return for the 2024 season, and there’s an expectation that he should pop in an offense led by Bell.

Derrick Davis Jr., Daniel Carter and Montravius Lloyd are also returning, and three-star commit Juelz Goff is scheduled to sign with the Panthers in just over a week.

For all your college football transfer portal needs, check out the Portal Report and their Transfer Portal Tracker.

2023-24 College Football Transfer Portal Database