Desmond Reid is not a running back or wide receiver, he is a star

Desmond Reid has never let his size get in the way of his football career, so he didn't let cramps stop him against North Carolina.

Reid suffered a severe blow on a 3rd-and-1 carry early in the fourth quarter against UNC, turning into the grass and lying there for a moment. He left the field, jogged under his own power to the sideline and went straight to the locker room.

However, he wasn't gone for long. He knew his team needed him.

“He’s unbelievable,” Pat Narduzzi said Saturday. “He went in and the trainer managed as quickly as possible, gave him an IV, got him out, cramped him a few times, that was all. But we got him an IV. Our trainers and doctors did a great job getting him back on the field.”

Reid didn't finish the drive he left, but was back out in time for the next one – Pitt holding a one-point lead.

On the final 18-play, 73-yard drive, he carried the ball seven times into a loaded front, setting up a Ben Sauls field goal and walking away with a 34-24 victory. 14 meters. 14 hard yards to help his team win football. Because that's what matters at the end of the day.

But those 14 yards were just a few in a 210-yard performance. Reid carried the ball 18 times for 55 yards and had 11 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown. He may be the most dynamic playmaker in college football.

Even though he failed to convert his 72-yard catch-and-run into a touchdown in the second quarter against UNC.

“Legs felt weak,” Reid admitted Saturday after the game. “But I take the blame, I have to do better. This won’t happen again.”

Reid has been one of the most versatile players in college football this season. He was named ACC Running Back of the Week against Cincinnati and ACC Wide Receiver of the Week against UNC. There's a good case to be made that he's the best receiving back in college football.

UNC found this out the hard way. Reid shot 11 of 12 targets, working mostly underneath.

“A lot of times they like to run as a man, so we like to have 1-on-1 duels with the linebackers,” Reid said. “And shoot, we, the running back room, no linebacker can stay with us. So that's our way of thinking. That’s how we play.”

Reid has been targeted 28 times this season, which is the third most on the team. Most of his work came off the bat (13 receptions on 16 targets for 190 yards and two touchdowns), but he caught two of his four targets beyond 10 yards for 91 yards and a touchdown.

Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (4) August 31, 2024 Photo by David Hague/PSN

Reid has been a yard-after-catch machine this season, which is what you would expect from such a dynamic target. But he really was the best. He is averaging 2.74 yards per route run this season, with an average target depth of just about four yards (fifth-longest among running backs with at least 19 targets).

Among the aforementioned running backs, Reid is fourth in receptions (23) and second in receiving yards (323) and receiving touchdowns (four). And he's first in yards after catch (267) and second in yards per route run (2.74). Pitt quarterbacks have a quarterback rating of 154.3 when targeting Reid this season – 158.3 is perfect.

“That’s what makes it so difficult to have Desmond in the backfield because he’s a running back but also a receiver,” Narduzzi said. “It’s not like he’s a good receiver and an average running back. The guy can make plays when the ball is handed to him.”

But of course Reid is also the leading rusher. He completed 62 carries for 374 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and one touchdown.

Reid has rushed for 195 yards after contact this season (3.10 yards per attempt) and broken off runs of more than 10 yards nine times and six times of more than 15 yards for a 45.5% breakaway rate. And he forced 13 missed tackles.

It's hard to find players like Reid; His influence was decisive. His 193.5 all-purpose yards per game trail only Boise State star Ashton Jeanty, perhaps the Heisman Trophy favorite. It's hard to believe that Reid wasn't in demand at Miramar High School just a few years ago.

Reid didn't receive many offers from high schools, no Power Four offers, and that's probably because of his size. But his size didn't hold him back at Western Carolina, and it certainly didn't hold him back at the Power Four level.

“If we look at the tape, he’s explosive,” Narduzzi said. “You can look at the size and everything. We've produced little boys over the years who have been good players. But there are just so many players out there. If you have the choice between a 6-foot guy and a 6-foot guy, take the 6-foot guy and it trickles down.

“The great thing about the portal for FCS teams is that you can prove what you have, move up and do great things.” Either way, you have a chance to go to the NFL. But to be able to prove it at a higher level, he gets this opportunity and he takes advantage of it.”

Reid has certainly taken advantage of his opportunity at the Power Four level, and the sky is the limit. He and Eli Holstein have great chemistry and he's always there when the game fails.

But it goes deeper than that: Reid is a legitimate target whether he's coming out of the backfield or on the outside. Reid is a star.