Pitt’s linebacker room has already earned a little national attention before the season even kicks off, and the newest name on the list is senior Braylan Lovelace.
Lovelace landed on the Butkus Award watch list, joining quarterback Mason Heintschel and several Pitt offensive linemen as Panthers who have been recognized ahead of the season. The award honors the best linebackers in high school, college and professional football, and Pitt still hasn’t had a winner.
That puts a spotlight on Lovelace at exactly the right time. With Rasheem Biles now at Texas and Kyle Louis off to the NFL draft, the Panthers need a new centerpiece in the middle of the defense. Lovelace spent last season proving he could handle that role.
He finished with 80 total tackles and two interceptions, stepping into the lead linebacker spot when injuries limited Biles and Louis. His biggest moment came against No.
16 Georgia Tech, when he returned a pick-six 100 yards in a momentum-changing play that helped earn him ACC Linebacker of the Week honors. It was one of Pitt’s two wins against ranked opponents.
Biles and Louis both left big footprints behind. Biles made the All-ACC Second Team with 85 tackles, two pick-sixes and a forced fumble.
Louis also earned All-ACC Second Team recognition after posting 81 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and two interceptions. But Lovelace was there every step of the way, playing in all 13 games the last two seasons and giving Pitt a dependable presence on defense.
Now the challenge is to take that consistency and turn it into something bigger. This is Lovelace’s chance to move from reliable starter to national name, and the Panthers will be counting on him to set the tone for a linebacker group that blends transfers and younger players still waiting for their first real breakout.
Redshirt sophomore Cameron Lindsey is back after appearing in all 13 games last season and recording 32 tackles and a forced fumble. DaMarco Ward, a transfer from Memphis, arrives with 55 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble from his lone season with the Tigers. Alex Sanford Jr., a transfer from Purdue, also brings experience after playing in all 12 games and making 46 tackles and a fumble recovery as a junior.
Pitt doesn’t have the old “Shark” duo anymore, but Lovelace gives this group a clear anchor. If he takes the next step, the Panthers’ defense has a chance to be built around him.
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