Pitt didn’t have any players selected to the preseason All-ACC first-team, and that’s quite different now that the games have been played.
Desmond Reid (all-purpose and special teams player) and Kyle Louis have been named first-team All-ACC players by the conference media. Reid (122 votes) and Louis (150 votes) were slam-dunk picks for top honors.
Donovan McMillon earned second-team honors, Rasheem Biles and Ben Sauls earned third-team honors and Konata Mumpfield, Gavin Bartholomew and Nick James earned honorable mentions.
Only SMU, Miami and Duke finished with more All-ACC selections than the Panthers.
Reid was one of the most dynamic players in college football this season, racking up 797 rushing yards (5.3 yards per carry) and 564 receiving yards (12 yards per reception) in just 10 games. He was the heartbeat of the Pitt offense this season.
And Louis was the heartbeat of the Pitt defense, reaching heights unseen by any defensive players in college football. He recorded 96 tackles (41 solo), 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), a forced fumble and two pass breakups.
McMillon led Pitt with 108 tackles (51 solo), hitting the 100 tackle plateau for the second straight season. He added an interception, a forced fumble and seven pass breakups.
Biles was a rocket out of the defensive secondary, recording 77 tackles (41 solo), 15 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, an interception returned for a touchdown, a forced fumble and recovery and seven pass breakups.
Sauls was one of the best kickers in all of college football, which makes his third-team honor a bit dubious, as he hit 18-of-21 field goal attempts with a long of 58 yards and all of his point-after attempts.
Mumpfield led Pitt with 52 receptions for 813 yards (15.6 yards per reception) and five touchdowns, Bartholomew hauled in 37 receptions for 303 yards (8.2 yards per reception) and James racked up 19 tackles (seven solo), two tackles for loss and a pass breakup.
The individual awards — Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year and Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year — will be announced on Dec. 4.
First-team All-ACC
Desmond Reid — all-purpose back, special teams player
Kyle Louis — linebacker
Second-team All-ACC
Donovan McMillon — safety
Third-team All-ACC
Rasheem Biles — linebacker
Ben Sauls — kicker
Honorable MentionÂ
Konata Mumpfield — wide receiver
Gavin Bartholomew — tight end
Nick James — defensive tackle
