The Atlantic Coast Conference has had some of the best running backs in college football history. Travis Etienne of Clemson, Warrick Dunn of Florida State and Thomas Jones of Virginia immediately come to mind.
In 2025, none of those three schools can say their returning RB was his team’s work horse in 2024. Only 4 out of 17 ACC RBs return to the team who they carried the workload for last season. That distinction goes to Pitt, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Louisville. Demond Clairborne of Wake Forest, Jamal Haynes of Georgia Tech and Isaac Brown of
Louisville each had very good seasons in 2024. But none of those RBs had the season in 2024 that Pitt’s Desmond Reid had.
Reid was a newcomer to the conference last year, but he shined the brightest of that group. He landed on numerous second team All-American (all purpose) lists at the end of the season.While it was his first season as a Panther, Reid was familiar with offensive coordinator Kade Bell’s offense. Reid transferred in from Western Carolina where Bell was offensive coordinator prior to landing the Pitt job.
Reid led Pat Narduzzi’s squad in rushing in 2024 with 962 yards and 5 TDs. Reid tied for the team lead with 52 receptions, was second with 579 receiving yards and tied for third with 4 receiving TDs. This all despite missing two games with injuries.
Reid has appeared on numerous 2025 preseason lists including the Sporting News First Team All-American (all purpose), the Doak Walker Award watch list and the All-ACC Preseason Football Team (all purpose).
In 2025 the sky is the limit for Reid, if he can stay healthy. The Panthers’ offense will only go as far as Reid and sophomore QB Eli Holstein can take it. My prediction is that Pitt will win 8 games in 2025. For that to happen Reid will need to be the all-purpose beast that he was in 2024, maybe even better.
It’s not impossible to think that Reid can rush for 1,000-yard this year. The same can be said about getting another 500 yards receiving. That should be good enough for another First-Team All-American nod.
Pitt’s 2024 record may not have been better than the Louisville’s, but Pitt doesn’t win 7 games if not for Reid’s contributions. When Holstein went down with an injury, opposing defenses keyed on Reid.
In the final four games without Holstein, Reid had over 100 total yards in all but one game, the loss at Louisville in the season finale. Against Clemson in November, Reid gained 176 total yards. Clemson’s defense was the best defense Pitt faced last year.
If the two-headed monster can stay healthy, this Pitt team can do some damage in 2025. The defense, with its own two-headed monster in linebackers Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles, is one of the better returning defenses in Narduzzi’s tenure. So the pressure is on the offense and Reidto carry their weight and help out that stingy defense.
Enjoy him while he’s still a Panther, Pitt fans. Reid is one of the better RBs the ACC has seen in some time. Since joining the ACC, James Connor’s 2014 season of 1,835 is the most total yards in one season by a Pitt Panther. A healthy Reid can definitely challenge that team record.
(Pitt Panthers Athletics)