University of Pittsburgh Athletics
The Script: Desmond Reid
6/24/2025 11:00:00 AM | Football
Where Panthers write their legacy
Every legacy starts with a story. This is Desmond Reid's Script.
The Script is a player-by-player spotlight on Pitt Football, where stats meet story. Each edition dives into the numbers, personality, and path of the Panthers writing their own legacy—one chapter at a time.
The Numbers
- 2024 Stats: Despite missing two games due to injury, Reid rushed for a team-high 962 yards and five touchdowns on 183 carries (5.3 avg.). He added 52 receptions (tied for the team lead) for 579 yards (11.1 avg.) and four scores. Reid was also Pitt's top punt returner, averaging 12.2 yards on 13 returns (159 total yards). The Miami Gardens, Fla., native scored a team-best 10 total touchdowns, including a 78-yard punt return.
- National Recognition: Named a Second Team All-American in the all-purpose category by no fewer than six outlets: Associated Press, CBS Sports, ESPN, Football Writers Association of America, Phil Steele, and The Athletic.
- ACC Honors: Selected First Team All-ACC as both an all-purpose player and return specialist, and earned Honorable Mention All-ACC at running back. Also named ACC Offensive Newcomer of the Year by College Football Network.
- Air and Land: Recorded three 100-yard rushing games and three 100-yard receiving games in 2024. Reid was the only player in the nation to log three games with at least 100 receiving yards and 50 rushing yards, a feat last accomplished by Stanford's Christian McCaffrey in 2015.
- Do-it-all Des: In the past two decades, Clemson's C.J. Spiller is the only other FBS player to post at least 900 rushing yards, 500 receiving yards, 150 return yards, and a touchdown in each category in a single season.
- First Time for Everything: Became the first Pitt player on record to post 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game (vs. Cincinnati), earning both ACC Running Back and Receiver of the Week honors.
The Story
Don't let the size fool you—Reid plays like a giant. The 5-foot-8 dynamo arrived at Pitt from Western Carolina with a chip on his shoulder and quickly emerged as one of college football's most electric players. Whether he's bursting through the line, juking defenders in the open field, or flipping field position with a game-breaking return, Reid is a threat every time he touches the ball. Off the field, he's just as impactful, leading a childhood literacy initiative called Reid Aloud, where he donates books and reads to kids at The Children's Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center.
The Outlook
Reid enters 2025 as one of the nation's most dangerous all-purpose threats and a focal point of Pitt's offense and special teams. Already named to Phil Steele's Preseason All-America First Team, he's poised to build on his breakout 2024 campaign. His rare blend of vision, speed, and toughness makes him a nightmare for defenses, and a cornerstone of Pitt's success in the season ahead.
