All that’s left for Kyle Louis to do is wait.
Louis possesses two years’ worth of game film and highlights at Pitt, he played in the Senior Bowl in February, went through the NFL Combine, interviewed with coaches and scouts across the league and partook in the Panthers’ Pro Day event in mid-March.
With the NFL Draft set for this week in Pittsburgh, the two-time All-ACC linebacker and 2024 All-American now awaits hearing his name called, no matter the position that follows.
“Whatever a defensive coordinator wants me to be at the next level,” Louis said. “Beauty is the eye of the beholder, so I could be a linebacker, a lot of people see me as a safety. I could be anything. All I know at the end of the day, I’m going to be me, I’m going to be a football player and, most importantly, I’m going to be a ‘Shark.’ I’m going to carry that confidence in my ability to translate to the next level.”
How an NFL team might deploy Louis has remained an enduring question in the lead-up to the draft.
Louis, a 6-foot, 220-pounder who played Pitt’s hybrid “Star” outside linebacker position in college, has been projected at both linebacker and safety at the next level.
ESPN’s Field Yates projected Louis going in the second round, 60th overall, to the Steelers as a safety, while colleague Matt Miller forecast Louis going 70th overall, in the third round, to Cleveland as a safety.
Being envisioned at a different roles by NFL clubs was something Louis has embraced.
“You’ve got to be in pass coverage, you’ve got to be in the run gaps and you’ve got to be in the blitzing schemes,” Louis said on NFL Network’s The Insiders. “I’ve just got to be there for everything and always step up when the coach calls my name.”
Louis’ college film certainly showcased versatility.
In 2024, as a sophomore, he burst onto the college football scene with a second-team All-American campaign, posting 101 tackles (15.5 for loss), seven sacks and four interceptions, including a pick-six.
Last fall, Louis’ availability was limited slightly due to injury.
As the focal point of opposing offenses’ scouting reports, Louis’ numbers dipped, but he still managed to record 81 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two fumble recoveries and a pair of interceptions over 11 starts.
At the NFL Combine, Louis ran a 4.53 40-yard dash and posted a 39.5-inch vertical jump.
Impacting the game in pass coverage, as a blitzer and in the run game should suit Louis well wherever he fits in schematically in the NFL.
“We’ve watched him move like a safety, we’ve watched him pick off balls, play that nickel position and really play back on the hash in the middle of the field, as well,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “He’s done a little bit of everything.”
Louis played exclusively in a 4-3 system at Pitt, while the hybrid nature of Pitt’s “Star” linebacker position forced him to wear a multitude of hats in terms of his defensive responsibilities.
While he’s publicly remained open to playing wherever needed, Louis did express a preference for factoring in either as a Will linebacker or at nickel.
Known as a voracious watcher of film while at Pitt, Louis also knows that the preparation demands of the NFL will be even greater.
“NFL is not like college,” Louis said. “It’s a different game. There’s going to be a lot more packages, there’s going to be a lot more different offenses that’ll be run. So I’m going to just keep learning, keep getting sharper and I know regardless of whatever happens to be, I’m going to win. I know that.”
A native of East Orange, N.J., Louis will spend the NFL Draft at home with family as opposed to remaining on hand in Pittsburgh to hear his name called.
Regardless of his landing spot, regardless of his position, Louis is eager to get the next chapter of his football career underway.
“Wherever I can fit in, that’s where I can fit in,” Louis said. “Even if it’s special teams, I’m just ready to work.”