Pitt Football Names Five Captains for 2025 Season
PITTSBURGH — As the Pitt Panthers gear up for its first matchup of 2025 next Saturday, the team unveiled its team captains for the upcoming season.
Over the years, Pitt has often named four captains, but this year, the programs has given the designation to five different players.
Center Lyndon Cooper, tight end Jake Overman, safety Javon McIntyre, running back Desmond Reid and linebacker Kyle Louis were all elected as Pitt captains Friday morning.
Cooper, a redshirt senior, returns for another season at Pitt to anchor the middle of the offensive line. He is the vocal leader of the offensive line.
After transferring in to Pitt from N.C. State prior to the 2024 campaign, Cooper started in all 12 games he played and totaled 853 snaps at center, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed 12 pressures, seven hurries and two sacks on the year, while taking three penalties.
Overman, a sixth-year senior, is also in his second year with the Pitt program. He has certainly taken on more of a leadership role in the tight end room and across the offense. In his first season with the Panthers, he was a backup to Gavin Bartholomew and caught 17 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown that came in the bowl game against Toledo.
McIntyre is entering his redshirt senior campaign as a seasoned veteran and has been a steady presence in the secondary over the years. While he played in just three games his freshman year, McIntyre has been a mainstay in the secondary since. In 2023, he started all 12 games with 85 tackles and seven pass breakups.
Last season, he played in all 13 games with 11 starts at free safety as he totaled 51 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Reid has prided himself as a team-first guy and willing to be a do-it-all weapon for the Panthers’ offense. The senior running back has garnered plenty of preseason recognition from All-American lists to All-ACC honors.
During his junior season at Pitt, Reid made plays all over the field as he rushed for 962 yards and five touchdowns, including a long of 72 yards against Cal, as well as 52 receptions for 579 yards and four touchdowns.
Louis leads the Pitt defense in terms of production and setting the tone as he comes off an All-American season. Last fall, Louis compiled 101 tackles (second-most on team), a team-high 15.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four interceptions.
