Pitt’s linebackers are in position for a successful sequel

This fall, Pitt’s linebackers — self-proclaimed sharks — hope to produce a sequel to their breakout 2024 season that puts Jaws 2 to shame.

Last season, the sharks, led by All-American redshirt junior linebacker Kyle Louis and third team All-ACC junior linebacker Rasheem Biles, anchored a defense that finished tied for sixth in the nation in sacks per game and fourth in tackles for loss per game. Pitt is also the only school to boast two top-10 returning LBs for their 2025-2026 campaign.

In addition to Biles and Louis, Pitt also returns junior linebacker Braylan Lovelace, who played a significant role in the linebacker rotation, starting four games. After a breakout season in 2024, Lovelace is in a position to secure the starting middle linebacker spot this fall. 

This trio of linebackers is looking to build on a season of production that is matched by three other teams. In the last 20 seasons, only four other schools have had three players accumulate 50 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks and an interception.

In Pat Narduzzi’s tenure as Pitt’s head coach, only one Panther linebacker has earned a selection in the NFL draft. However, a change in recruiting philosophy could buck that trend. 

Recently, Narduzzi and linebackers coach Ryan Manalac began recruiting players with nontraditional builds to hold down the middle of the defense, especially at the outer posts. The Panthers now target players for the outside positions with physiques resembling that of a safety, who possess great speed, rather than bigger players who might not cover the field as effectively. 

One of the first players to fit this mold was SirVocea Dennis, who centered Pitt’s defense for three years before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the fifth round in 2023. Dennis was an unrated prospect and possessed a 6-foot-1, 188-pound frame with plenty of athleticism. 

This athleticism allowed Dennis to live in the backfield of opposing offenses and wreak havoc on both their running and passing attacks. Dennis’ physical traits provided Pitt’s staff with a prototype for future recruits at linebacker. This archetype has paved the way for Pitt’s next generation of great defensive players. 

Both Biles and Louis were labeled as athletes by 247Sports and have statures more akin to safeties than linebackers. Biles is listed as 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds while Louis posts a shorter but bulkier frame at 6 feet and 200 pounds. Despite their leaner frames, they boast speed that enables their dominance at linebacker. 

Similar to Dennis, Biles and Louis are equally capable of rushing the passer and stopping the run, as they are in coverage defending the pass. The pair — along with Lovelace — employed this speed to generate pass deflections and, in the 2024 home contest against Syracuse, generate touchdowns on pick-sixes in the first half. 

With Biles, Louis and Lovelace in position to fill the starting linebacker spots this fall, a new wave of young players is set to fill the reserve posts in the rotation. Following the trend of their recent linebacker recruiting, the Panthers received a commitment from redshirt sophomore safety Jayden Bonsu, a transfer from Ohio State. Listed as a safety on the Buckeyes’ roster, Bonsu is now listed as a LB on Pitt’s roster, presumably to fill the role of reserve outside linebacker this fall. 

Pitt also has two linebackers from their 2024 recruiting class, sophomore Jeremiah Marcelin and redshirt first-year Cameron Lindsey, primed to fill the final two open linebacker spots on the two-deep roster. Marcelin boasts a 6-foot-2, 235-pound frame tailor-made for middle linebacker, while Lindsay possesses an athletic physique at 6-foot, 210 pounds that will allow him to gather experience at outside linebacker. 

Pitt’s combination of established stars and rising talent in its linebacker core will allow its defense to dominate the middle of the gridiron in 2025 and beyond.