Pitt Successfully Selling the Desmond Reid Model

“That's one of the reasons why I like Coach (Bell) and I like Pitt so much,” Baker said regarding the success of Desmond Reid within Bell’s scheme. “I feel like they know how to use guys like me with my skill set, and they're very successful under Coach (Bell). That's one of the things I like the most.”

Baker stated the Panthers are very high within his college search. 

A pair of recruits with similar abilities recently committed to the Pitt 2027 recruiting class, starting with Reid’s younger brother - Tyler Reid. Similar to Desmond, Reid is known as a all-purpose back with particularly notable ability as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. 

Reid’s commitment followed the first commitment in Pitt’s 2027 class in Jacob Thomas. 

Like Reid, Thomas is also a Florida speedster. He put together 27 catches for 604 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore. Thomas also recorded 11 kickoff returns for 290 yards and a touchdown, and two punt returns for 25 yards.

Both Reid and Thomas are 10.6 sprinters. To put that into perspective, many high-end Power Four schools didn’t sign multiple prospects with sub-10.7 speed in the last recruiting cycle. 

Meanwhile, Pitt recently extended offers to a pair of running backs from the Southeast with dynamic speed. 

Out of a fantastic Florida program in Lakeland High School, Jadarius Dobie is a 2026 ‘back with a sub-4.5-sec. 40-yard dash. He announced an offer last week alongside Christopher Talley out of Memphis. The Whitehaven star averaged 12 yards per carry, fueled by 10.86 speed. 

Kade Bell’s offense is exciting through the eyes of the aforementioned recruits. If Pitt can continue to capitalize on the success of Reid, the Panthers will feature some of the best pure speed across ACC offenses in the coming years.