Kyle Louis is a linebacker and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his career with the Pittsburgh Panthers. A native of East Orange, New Jersey, Louis attended East Orange Campus High School and was rated a three-star recruit in the 2022 class before joining Pitt. At Pittsburgh he played the hybrid STAR position in Pat Narduzzi's defense, lining up as a true linebacker while also seeing snaps as a slot defender and pass rusher. After limited action as a freshman in 2023, he broke out as a sophomore in 2024 with 101 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and four interceptions including a 59-yard pick-six against Syracuse, earning First Team All-American recognition and First Team All-ACC honors, becoming the first Pitt sophomore defensive player to earn that recognition since Hugh Green in 1978. In 2025 he followed up with 81 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble, earning Second Team All-American honors, a Butkus Award semifinalist nod, and an invitation to the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl before declaring early with one year of eligibility remaining.
Measuring 6-foot and 220 pounds, Louis is known for elite athleticism, exceptional coverage instincts rooted in his hybrid linebacker-safety skill set, and the ability to generate turnovers from all alignments across the field. His combination of 201 career tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and six career interceptions at Pitt, along with a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, position him as an intriguing Day 2 linebacker prospect who NFL evaluators project fitting best in a multiple defense that can deploy him in coverage, as a blitzer, and as a slot defender in sub packages at the next level.
