Inside The Panthers

Pitt Reveals Travel Roster vs. Florida State

The Pitt Panthers have revealed which players have made the trip to Tallahassee to take on the Florida State Seminoles.
Karl Ludwig|
Aug 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) carries the ball against Duquesne Dukes defensive back Dallas Harper (12) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Aug 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) carries the ball against Duquesne Dukes defensive back Dallas Harper (12) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt Panthers have made the long trip down the coast to Tallahassee, Fla., and while the coaching staff doesn't always bring a big group on the road, 74 players have made the trip.

Maybe most importantly, Desmond Reid, Javon McIntyre, Tamon Lynum and Cruce Brookins all made the trip. According to a report by Stephen Thompson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Reid will play. McIntyre, Lynum and Brookins all remain game-time decisions.

A big group of true freshmen have made the trip, too:

Of course, Mason Heintschel and Trey Butkowski made the trip, as the starting quarterback and kicker, respectively. But safety Josh Guerrier, wide receiver Tony Kinsler, safety Cole Woodson, running back Ja'Kyrian Turner, defensive lineman JuJu Anderson, linebacker Manny Taylor, offensive lineman Torian Chester, wide receiver Bryce Yates, wide receiver Cam Sapp and tight end Max Hunt also made the trip.

It's a big matchup for the Panthers. Taking on a ranked Florida State squad on the road is hard enough, but the first road start for Heintschel? It will be a tough test for the young quarterback - and for the Pitt defense.

Pitt is coming off a dominant win vs. Boston College, trouncing the Eagles by 41 points (one point away from tying the largest conference win in program history), but the Seminoles will be a tougher test.

With Jeff Persi and Keith Gouveia out on the offensive line, and Zach Crothers and Blaine Spires out on the defensive line, the Panthers will be tested up front.

Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid
Sep 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) carries the ball against the Central Michigan Chippewas during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The return of Reid gives Heintschel a very, very potent security blanket, but the first major test of his college career will be huge.

Pitt won the last meeting at Doak Campbell Stadium in 2020, a 41-17 thrashing during the COVID-19 season, but the Seminoles got revenge during the latest meeting. Former 'Noles quarterback Jordan Travis led his team to a 24-7 victory at Acrisure Stadium in 2023.

It's safe to say that it's an important matchup for both teams, with the Seminoles looking to stay ranked and the Panthers looking to get the season back on track.

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Karl Ludwig
KARL LUDWIG

Karl Ludwig is a Pittsburgh Panthers on SI sportswriter. He has spent the past three years covering the Pitt Panthers for a couple of platforms. While he did not attend Pitt, he grew up in the Pittsburgh area, attending North Allegheny Senior High School and Slippery Rock University. As a student at SRU, he served as the sports editor of SRU’s student-run newspaper, The Rocket, and provided award-winning coverage in football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer. It was at SRU that his love for sports journalism blossomed. Karl spent three seasons as the Pitt football beat writer for Pittsburgh Sports Now, following time as an intern for the Sports Now Network. His most recent coverage of the University was for Pitt Sports News of the On3/Rivals network. He’s also contributed to Athlon Sports and SB Nation’s Behind the Steel Curtain.

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