Why Kyle Louis Departure Won't Hurt Pitt as Much as You Think

PITTSBURGH -- In recent seasons, Pitt football has had no trouble getting players selected in the NFL draft and playing at the next level.

Despite there being fewer top options out of Pitt available this year, they did send their premier player to the next level of competition, as "star" position linebacker Kyle Louis was selected.

Louis, who occupied the "Star" linebacker position that is unique to the school in his time at Pitt, was taken with the No. ___ pick in the _ round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the _____.

Additionally, the team lost their second linebacker option in Rasheem Biles to Texas, despite the fact that he would likely be the top returning talent this coming season if he had stayed.

Now, the team will have to figure out how to make up for what is a sizeable void in production, but I have little qualms about their ability to do so.

How Does Pitt Fill The Void?

First, at Louis' position, they will have redshirt sophomore Cameron Lindsey, who made a major jump from 2024 to 2025. With Lindsey at the "star", the team will get a ballhawk who can make tackles with ease. He doesn't have the same sideline-to-sideline speed as Louis, but it is possible he just has not shown that ability yet.

Behind Lindsey as it stands is sophomore Emmanuel Taylor, who is in a similar spot as Lindsey was last season, and offers high potential. Behind both, and likely to move around the linebacker spots is Jayden Bonsu, an Ohio State transfer who sat out all of last season with an injury.

Nov 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Guerby Lambert (76) blocks against Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Braylan Lovelace (0) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The team is also strong at other linebacker positions, as two transfers slot in as the two starters at the weakside linebacker "money" position. Alex Sanford Jr. comes in from Purdue where he logged significant snaps and DeMarco Ward transferred in from Memphis to add depth at the position.

The most exciting linebacker group, however, is the middle linebacker position. Who I personally believe to be the next Pitt linebacker to dominate in the NFL will start at the position in Braylan Lovelace, who will be eligible for the coming NFL Draft in 2027. He is backed up by redshirt senior Abe Ibrahim, who appeared in all thirteen games last season in a reserve role.

The only major concern is that the linebacker coach for Louis in Ryan Manalac is now in a coordinator role at UConn, so it will be interesting to see if the new coach in Joe Bowen will mesh as well with the players as Manalac did.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Add us as a preferred source on Google