Western Carolina’s top two playmakers are following the Catamounts’ offensive coordinator to Pittsburgh, as running back Desmond Reid and receiver Censere Lee both announced their commitments to Pitt on Saturday.

Reid and Lee were in town seeing the Panthers on official visits. They both became top targets for Pitt after Pat Narduzzi hired Western Carolina offensive coordinator Kade Bell last weekend. Bell offered Lee shortly after he joined the Pitt staff, and an offer for Reid came shortly thereafter.

In two seasons at Western Carolina, Lee caught 82 passes for 1,426 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was the Catamounts’ leading receiver this past season after he posted 792 yards and eight touchdowns on 46 catches.

Lee ranked in the top seven in the Southern Conference in receptions (7th), receiving yards (5th), receiving touchdowns (2nd) and receiving yards per game (5th).

Reid rushed for 897 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023, and he was the only player in the SoCon to average more than 100 rushing yards per game. What’s more, he had the second-most total rushing yards in the conference despite playing in just eight games.

Reid also caught 21 passes for 283 yards this past season, and he recorded more than 2,000 all-purpose yards in his two-year career (18 games) at Western Carolina.

Lee joins a receiving corps that returns leading receiver Konata Mumpfield (44/576/5 in 2023) as well as Daejon Reynolds (28/316/0) and Kenny Johnson (15/122/1) from the 2023 roster, as well as three true freshmen who redshirted.

Reid will be a junior in 2024, and he’ll look for a role complementing Rodney Hammond, who led Pitt in rushing last season. The Panthers also return super senior Daniel Carter, redshirt junior Derrick Davis and redshirt freshman Montravius Lloyd.