Fifteen former Pitt players will look to solidify their NFL Draft prospects March 26 at the Panthers’ Pro Day at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.
Pitt announced Wednesday the details of its annual Pro Day, which will feature scouts on hand to watch participants conduct the vertical jump, broad jump, 40-yard dash, pro shuttle, three-cone drill and individual position skill work, as well as a 225-pound bench press and body measurements.
Those partaking are: safeties Javon McIntyre and Kavir Bains-Marquez; cornerbacks Rashad Battle and Tamon Lynum; punter Caleb Junko; tight ends Justin Holmes and Jake Overman; linebacker Kyle Louis; tailbacks Desmond Reid and Jalynn Williams; receivers Poppi Williams and Deuce Spann; defensive ends Blaine Spires and Joey Zelinsky; and offensive tackle Jeff Persi.
No additional players from area programs such as Duquesne or Robert Morris are set to participate.
Of the 15 players, only Reid and Louis received invites to the NFL Scouting Combine.
At the combine, Louis, a 2024 All-American and two-time All-ACC selection, posted a 4.53-second 40-yard dash and 39.5-inch vertical jump.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Louis as the No. 4 safety available in the 2026 Draft, although it remains to be seen where exactly the 6-foot, 220-pounder might fit within an NFL scheme.
Reid earned an invitation to the combine largely through an explosive All-American campaign in 2024, as his 2025 season at Pitt was largely derailed by injury.
However, while there, he did not participate in any running back testing, including the 40-yard dash. He weighed in at 174 pounds, standing 5-foot-6.
Poppi Williams’ exclusion from the combine came as something of a snub, seeing as he led Pitt in receptions (51) yards (701) and touchdowns (seven) in 2025.
Spann caught only 13 passes in 2025, but showed some chops on special teams as a kick returner.
Bains-Marquez was a pleasant surprise last fall in his lone season at Pitt, emerging as a full-time contributor at safety after transferring from FCS UC-Davis.
Junko, a former walk-on, looks to make it to the next level after spending parts of three seasons as Pitt’s starting punter.
Overman is a veteran of 61 college football games (24 at Pitt from 2024-25), while position mate Holmes had a breakout campaign as a pass-catcher with the Panthers last season.
In 2025, Lynum became a starter at cornerback for the Panthers, while Battle put a bow on a six-year collegiate career (all with Pitt), having navigated through a litany of injuries.
Like Battle, McIntyre played his entire career (2021-25) at Pitt and was a three-year starter at safety.
Jalynn Williams, a late addition to Pitt’s roster last fall after transferring from Western Carolina, was largely a non-factor, appearing in five games and taking only five handoffs for 23 yards.
Zelinsky and Spires were with Pitt only a season after transferring ahead of 2025, but both emerged as regular rotational players at defensive end.
Persi, a Michigan transfer, missed four games mid-season due to injury but served as Pitt’s starting left tackle when healthy.