PITTSBURGH— Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein and running back Desmond Reid have been named to the 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday. The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.
Holstein and Reid are among 80 student-athletes nationally recognized on the preseason watch list, which spans all FBS programs and includes some of the country’s most dynamic players. Pitt is one of 17 programs to have multiple representatives on the list.
Reid, a senior from Miami Gardens, Fla., finished 2024 with 966 rushing yards, 579 receiving yards and 159 punt return yards. He scored touchdowns three ways (four rushing, five receiving and one on a punt return) and averaged 154.9 all-purpose yards per game, the most among all returning players.
Holstein, a redshirt sophomore from Zachary, La., is coming off a breakout freshman season in which he completed 62% of his passes (180 of 291) for 2,228 yards and 17 touchdowns. His 17 touchdown passes tied the Pitt freshman record set by Alex Van Pelt (1989), and he was also Pitt’s second-leading rusher with 328 yards and three scores on 81 carries (4.0 avg.).
The Maxwell Award has been presented since 1937 in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, a former standout at Swarthmore College and influential figure in football history. Semifinalists for the award will be announced Nov. 11, with finalists named Nov. 25. The winner will be revealed on Dec. 11 during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
For more information on the Maxwell Football Club and the full watch list, visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
