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If circumstances were different, Kyle Louis probably would have committed to Pitt earlier than the end of the October.

The East Orange (NJ) athlete picked up an offer from the Panthers in late April, but with the spring recruiting dead period and a conflict with his track schedule in June, Louis couldn’t make an official visit to Pitt in June.

So, at the end of that month, he committed to Temple on the advice of his coaches, who suggested he lock up a spot before his senior season started. But throughout the summer and into the fall, Pitt was a presence in his recruitment, and on Monday, Louis decided to make the switch.

“I’ve known for awhile that I wanted to go to Pitt,” Louis told Panther-Lair.com after announcing his commitment. “I was just waiting for a good time to make the move. After this weekend with Pitt doing outstanding this year, I felt like it was the right time.”

Louis’ commitment comes on the heels of Pitt’s 27-17 win over Clemson at Heinz Field on Saturday, a game that saw Panthers’ linebacker SirVocea Dennis intercept a shovel pass and return it 50 yards for a touchdown.

At 6’0” and 200 pounds, Louis projects to the Star linebacker position that Dennis plays.

“They said I remind them of one of their linebackers, No. 7 (Dennis), and that was a great honor to me,” Louis said. “They like my speed and my versatility. They say I’m like a missile. I can make open-field tackles, I can blitz hard and I can go out in coverage.

“I just feel like I’m a perfect fit for that defense, because if I have to cover, I can cover. If I have to blitz, I can come down hard on a blitz. And if I have to tackle, I can make a tackle.”
Louis has done plenty of that at East Orange this season. Through six games played - his team is 7-0 after one opponent had to forfeit - Louis has recorded 73 tackles (12.2 tackles per game), 16 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and two forced fumbles. And he’s making those plays all over the field.

He also scored three touchdowns on offense (one rushing, two receiving) and returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown.

“It really depends on the package and the team we’re playing,” Louis said. “I move all over. Some times I’ll play some middle linebacker. Other times I’ll play outside linebacker. And other times I’ll be an edge rusher or a D-end. And I play safety and corner, too. I just move around a lot.”

That versatility attracted the Pitt coaches to Louis, and the Panthers’ play on the field went a long way in attracting Louis to Pitt.

“They are doing great this year,” he said. “I see them on the rise and I feel like I can help that out even more. Plus, it’s not that far from home; it’s five hours, so it’s not too close but not too far. And they have great facilities and a great campus.”

Louis makes 12 commitments for Pitt in the class of 2022. He is the projected linebacker to commit to the Panthers, along with Denton (Tex.) three-star Marquan Pope.