Pitt LB Coach Pleased with Kyle Louis and Cam Lindsey

Was Pitt Panthers linebackers coach Ryan Manalac caught off guard when Kyle Louis launched a touchdown pass early in the Blue-Gold Game?

“Heck no,” Coach Manalac said in the post-game presser (available on YouTube). “He's such a fun guy to coach. His competitive spirit. He's a playmaker. He's a ball player. It's certainly not surprising.

“We made it hard on him. We rolled him the wrong way. He's a lefty. If you saw, that ball didn't come out very pretty. But big-time play. Fun to watch him do it.

“We called upon his services shortly after the draft and tried to keep it under wraps so they didn't know it was coming. Certainly, when he had the ball, it garnered a bunch of attention, so, able to pull the defense up and slides down through there to get a nice reception.”

While some after earning All-American honors will take their foot off the gas pedal in the subsequent off-season, Manalac has seen the opposite from his standout player.

“Kyle's awesome. He's always had that confidence, but balances it with being humble as well,” Manalac said on Saturday. “We reflected on it a few years ago, and just seeing that growth.

“With his success, it's really cool to see him keep the chip on his shoulder, stay hungry. He's still really early into the building, watching film, bringing guys with him. Competes his tail off every single day. So, it's fun to watch, you know what I mean? To see an All-American stay that hungry, keep coming, keeping guys going, that's special.

“I think it's a blessing for our team to have Kyle.”

Kyle with the dime 🎯
Zion with the score 🙌 pic.twitter.com/4zpw0jjLjC
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) April 12, 2025

That’s certainly true when it comes to the development of Cam Lindsey, an underclassman who has been working behind Louis at the star linebacker position.

Much like Braylan Lovelace serving as a quality understudy to the starting three of Louis, Brandon George, and Rasheem Biles last year, Lindsey could have a similar impact this year on the outside, all the while Jeremiah Marcelin works with Lovelace in the middle.

“Cam Lindsey has been fun this spring, to see his development,” Coach Manalac said. “Comes to work every day. Works really hard. I think he looks good. I think you guys probably noticed he looks bigger, stronger, more confident, for sure.

“He got a hand on the ball, made some plays out there, not live, so you don't get to see him finish. I think he does a good job finishing and being aggressive. We saw (it) this spring.

“So excited about his growth, and I think he's going to have an impact this year. Excited about him.”

Louis recorded 101 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four interceptions (including a pick-six), three pass breakups, and a forced fumble.

So long as he remains relatively healthy, he’s fixing to improve on those numbers this season as a redshirt junior.

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