Who is Desmond Reid? Pittsburgh football RB out to hot start with Panthers
Eight weeks into the college football season, Pittsburgh football has been one of the sport's more surprising and intriguing teams.
The Panthers are out to their best start since the 1982 season undefeated at 6-0, and one of several FBS teams still undefeated entering Week 9. Pitt ranks third in total offense in the ACC, averaging 481.3 yards per game, and has found itself ranked in the top 25 of the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 poll for three consecutive weeks.
And one of the reasons behind Pitt's fast start, particularly on the offensive end, has been junior running back Desmond Reid.
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The dual-threat running back has been a menace in the backfield for the Panthers this season, leading the team in rushing yards and tallying the second-most receiving yards. In fact, his 341 receiving yards are the most by a Pitt running back since 2000.
Here's what to know about Reid as Pitt takes on Syracuse on Thursday:
Who is Desmond Reid?
Desmond Reid is the starting running back for Pitt, and is in his first season competing in the ACC with the Panthers.
He hails from Miami Gardens, Florida, where he played at Miramar High School. He was listed as a three-star recruit coming out of high school, per 247Sports' Composite rankings. He held offers from five FCS schools — the others being South Dakota, Florida A&M, FAU and Tusculum — before committing to Western Carolina.
The 5-foot-8 running back transferred to Pitt over the offseason, which competes at the FCS level of college football. His transfer to the Panthers came after Pitt coach Narduzzi hired Catamounts offensive coordinator Kade Bell as his new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Reid rushed for more than 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns in two seasons with the Catamounts, where he started eight of 18 games in which he appeared. Last season at Western Carolina, Reid scored a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns on 131 carries for 897 yards.
In five games this season at Pitt, Reid leads the team in rushing yards at 494 yards and tied for first with quarterback Eli Holstein for three rushing touchdowns. Reid's rushing yards rank for third in the ACC, behind North Carolina's Omarion Hampton and Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten.
In Pitt's most recent win over Cal on Oct. 12, Reid ran for a game-high 120 yards and two touchdowns. As noted in the Panthers' postgame notes, his 72-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was the longest touchdown in program history since 2022, when Israel Abanikanda's 80-yard touchdown vs. Virginia Tech. It was also the longest touchdown of his career.
Desmond Reid transfer to Pitt
- 247Sports Composite rankings as transfer: Three-star recruit | No. 50 ranked running back
Reid announced his transfer to Pitt on X (formerly Twitter) on Dec. 16, 2023. He was ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 50-ranked running back in the transfer portal according to his 247Sports Composite rankings page.
At Pitt's newcomer news conference in February, Reid said joining the Panthers was the right opportunity for two reasons. The first was Pitt provided him with the chance to play at the Power Four level. The second was he was able to follow Bell from Western Carolina to Pitt.
"From coming out of high school, you know everybody's goal is to go Power Five," Reid said. "But (with) my size, that's what kind of kept me from going Power Five. Having (Kade Bell) here, I already know the offense, so it's not really a big difference in me coming here. I already know the plays, I just have to show my talent. Let my talent do the talk."
Desmond Reid stats
Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Reid's collegiate stats, including both at Western Carolina and Pitt:
- 2022 (Western Carolina): 117 carries for 824 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns; 21 receptions for 212 yards and a receiving touchdown
- 2023 (Western Carolina): 131 carries for 897 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns; 21 receptions for 283 yards
- 2024 (Pitt): 78 carries for 494 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns; 25 receptions for 341 yards and four receiving touchdowns