Pitt linebacker Braylan Lovelace has added another preseason honor to his résumé, landing on the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List as the Maxwell Football Club unveiled the 2026 group.
The Bednarik Award goes to the nation’s top defensive player, and Lovelace is one of 12 ACC players included on this year’s watch list.
Lovelace enters the season as Pitt’s most experienced returning linebacker, and the numbers from last fall explain why he’s drawing so much attention. The Leechburg, Pa., native appeared in all 13 games for the Panthers and finished with 80 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two pass breakups and one sack while earning Honorable Mention All-ACC recognition.
One of his biggest moments came in Pitt’s road win over No. 16 Georgia Tech, when he took an interception back 100 yards for a touchdown. That play helped define the Panthers’ 2025 season and earned him ACC Linebacker of the Week honors.
Across three seasons in Pittsburgh, Lovelace has piled up 157 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, five sacks, three interceptions and three touchdowns. He has scored a defensive touchdown in every collegiate season he’s played.
The Bednarik nod comes on top of a busy preseason for Lovelace. He was also named to the 2026 Butkus Award Watch List and picked up first-team preseason All-ACC honors from Athlon Sports and Phil Steele.
Presented annually since 1994, the Bednarik Award is named for College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik. The watch list will eventually narrow to semifinalists in November, with the winner set to be announced during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December.
In Other News...
Pitt Is Making Saturdays At Acrisure Feel Very Different
Pitt is trying to turn Saturdays at Acrisure Stadium into more of a full-day event, not just a three-hour stop for football. Athletics announced an expanded slate of game-day activities for the 2026 season, highlighted by a reimagined Roc'n on Rooney fan fest on Art Rooney Avenue, plus family programming, live concerts at select games, upgraded gathering spaces and themed touches built around each home date.
The effort also brings back a familiar pregame centerpiece in Panther Prowl, with the team escorted to the stadium by the Pitt Marching Band and Spirit Teams before kickoff. For a program looking to make the most of its home atmosphere, the idea is to give fans more reasons to arrive early and linger longer, building a gameday scene that feels different from what Pitt has offered in the past. [Read more 🡒]
Desmond Reid Hope Just Took A Tough Turn For Pitt
A possible college football return for Desmond Reid has taken a sharp detour. After being waived by the Buffalo Bills, the former Pitt running back had been exploring the idea of another season in college, a path that suddenly looked more realistic when a previous court ruling appeared to create an extra year of eligibility for some athletes.
Now the landscape has changed. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed that ruling, stripping away the added year for players who began their college careers in the 2022-23 season, and Reid is now unlikely to regain eligibility under it. The decision does not affect athletes protected by temporary restraining orders in state courts, leaving a patchwork of possibilities across the sport while Reids own path back to the field appears to be closing fast. [Read more 🡒]
Narduzzi Just Raised Two Big Questions For Pitt's Defense
Training camp has given Pat Narduzzi a better look at where the Pittsburgh defense stands, and the picture is still coming into focus. Before a Panthers practice, he walked through the groups progress, pointing to the work of key leaders and the steady tone being set on that side of the ball while the staff continues sorting through defensive packages and overall depth.
Safety is one of the spots drawing the most attention, with Tony Forney, Cruce Brookings, Cole Woodson and Shawn Lee all part of the conversation as Pitt evaluates who can handle bigger roles. Narduzzi also touched on the situations involving Desmond Reid and Justin Holmes in the wake of a recent legal ruling, another layer of uncertainty as the Panthers keep adjusting their plans on defense and waiting for the roster to settle. [Read more 🡒]