Kavir Bains-Marquez Taking Leap of Faith in Fifth Year | Pitt All 105

All 105 is a Pittsburgh Sports Now series profiling each member of the Pitt 2025 training camp roster. In order to prepare for Pitt football’s 2025 season, PSN is breaking down every player on the roster in alphabetical order. Next up is safety Kavir Bains-Marquez.

It’s been quite the ride for Kavir Bains-Marquez during his college football journey.

A West Coast native, Bains-Marquez walked on to in-state UC Davis during COVID. After playing minimally across his first two seasons, his hard work led to a scholarship and from there, he never looked back.

The safety became a key component of the Aggies’ defense during his sophomore and junior seasons. Then, by the time he was a senior, he earned Big Sky All-Conference First Team honors and was labeled a mid-season All-American.

After being tied down to California for his entire life, Bains-Marquez decided to take a leap of faith by entering the transfer portal after five seasons at UC Davis. He then joined a school 2,500-plus miles away in Pitt with no previous connections and a long ways away from his family

For Bains-Marquez, it was a business decision that he hopes sets up his future.

“My dream is to go to the NFL. Pitt, it’s known for having great safeties, great defensive players, so I feel like it was a great opportunity for me,” he said in February.

Pitt safety Kavir Bains-Marquez during spring practice. April 10, 2025 — Ed Thompson / PSN

Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 175 pounds
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.

2024 season: Bains-Marquez became an everyday starter for UC Davis as a senior and posted career-best numbers. He showcased his playmaking ability with three interceptions as he earned First Team All-Conference recognition.

He was an integral piece of an Aggies team that went 11-3 and won the Big Sky Conference with a 7-1 record. The Aggies advanced to the NCAA Division I FCS quarterfinals after a 42-10 win over Illinois State in which Bains-Marquez posted eight tackles and three pass breakups.

Stats: Bains-Marquez started all 14 games for UC Davis in 2024 as he totaled 83 tackles (57 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and one forced fumble and recovery. He led the Big Sky with 14 pass breakups.

Across his career at UC Davis, he appeared in 43 games and started 24 contests. He compiled 155 total tackles (102 solo), 14 tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Camp outlook: Bains-Marquez used spring camp to integrate himself into the Pitt program and received praise from head coach Pat Narduzzi and defensive coordinator Randy Bates. After settling in, he will open fall camp with a clear shot to secure a spot on the two-deep roster.

Projected role: Despite being a smaller safety, Bains-Marquez brings experience and a physical edge. He has also played a variety of spots across the secondary during his career, so Pitt can benefit from his versatility and line him up wherever the coaches see fit.

He will battle for a top three spot in the rotation looking to edge out some of the younger options such as Jesse Anderson and Allen Bryant. In the spring, he worked at free safety, along with Cruce Brookins. Brookins is the early favorite to win the starting job, but Bains-Marquez may have other plans.

At the very least, Bains-Marquez will work in as a third or fourth safety and try to get himself on the field more and more as a third-down delta package defensive back.

A quote about Bains-Marquez: “Picked it up quickly. Not shocked at all. He made a lot of plays where he was at. He’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he makes plays and he’s shown that this spring. Very excited about where he’s at. He gives us great depth there,” Bates said in April.

A quote from Bains-Marquez: “I feel like I’m really versatile. At my last school, I played everywhere on the defensive side of the ball from corner, nickel, safety, so I feel like I’m a really a versatile person as well as a smart football player. Also, I play physical. I might be a little shorter, but I play really physical.”