A day after Pitt football completed its season with a loss in the GameAbove Sports Bowl against Toledo, the Panthers received some big news as All-American linebacker Kyle Louis announced that he is returning for the 2025 season.
The sophomore became Pitt’s 100th First Team All-American after earning the honor from The Sporting News. He also earned Second Team honors from AP, CBS Sports and The Athletic, along with First Team All-ACC honors and finished third in ACC Defensive Player of the Year voting.
“Well, I don’t do the (All-American) voting, but I know that I love that he’s on our team every single Saturday,” assistant head coach Cory Sanders said last month. “I do know that. I know that I love that he’s on our team every single practice, the way that he works, the way he shows and the way he makes everybody else better around him. So, at the end of the day, whoever does all that voting, hopefully they vote right.”
Louis was a dominant fixture of the Pitt defense, recording 101 total tackles, while leading the Panthers with 15.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four interceptions. He led one of the most aggressive linebacker units in the country that became quickly known as the ‘Sharks.’
The 6-foot, 225-pound redshirt sophomore did it all on the field and finished the season by adding a blocked extra point against Toledo and returning it for two points. He also registered four tackles and a pass breakup.
Throughout the year, Louis lined up at the ‘Star’ linebacker position and will be expected to remain there in 2025. He likely will be accompanied by Rasheem Biles and Braylan Lovelace again, while Jordan Bass has entered the transfer portal.
Along with Bass, Pitt is losing middle linebackers Brandon George and Keye Thompson to graduation.
With Louis, Biles and Lovelace all making an early impact at Pitt in their first two seasons, that will be expected by the younger linebackers in the coming year with freshmen Jeremiah Marcelin, Davin Brewton and Cameron Lindsey.
