Louis, Biles earn Butkus Award watch list honors
Pitt might have the best linebacking corps in all of college football (Pat Narduzzi believes so, at least), so it makes sense a couple of Panthers are up for a major honor.
Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles have both been named to the 2025 Butkus Award watch list, the Butkus Foundation announced Wednesday. The award is given annually to the top linebacker in college football, although there is an equivalent for the high school and professional ranks.
Louis has already been named to the Bronko Nagurski watch list, while earning preseason All-ACC and All-American nods. Biles has also earned preseason All-ACC nods.
Kyle Louis was one of the best defenders in all of college football last season, earning the first first-team All-American nod since Calijah Kancey in 2022, and the expectations are that he’ll be even better in 2025.
Louis – a 6-foot, 225-pound linebacker from East Orange, N.J. – has also been named a preseason first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation, which is one of the top award providers in college football.
In 13 games last season, Louis recorded 101 tackles (45 solo), 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a blocked extra point (returned for a safety)
Biles – a 6-foot-1, 215-pound linebacker from Columbus, Ohio – is perhaps one of the most underrated players in the ACC as he enters his second season as a starter.
Biles racked up 82 tackles (47 solo), 15 tackles for loss, six sacks, an interception returned for a touchdown, nine pass breakups and a forced fumble in 12 games last season.
The linebacking corps will also feature a heavy dose of Braylan Lovelace and Jeremiah Marcelin in the middle.
