Morehouse student Chad Pitts balances 4.0 GPA with rising boxing career

The 20-year-old, known in boxing circles as “Candyman,” is balancing a perfect 4.0 GPA with a rapidly rising boxing career that’s already gaining national attention.

At Morehouse College, junior economics major Chad Pitts is proving that academic excellence and elite athletics can go hand in hand.

The 20-year-old, known in boxing circles as “Candyman,” is balancing a perfect 4.0 GPA with a rapidly rising boxing career that’s already gaining national attention. Most recently, Pitts won the Georgia Golden Gloves State Championship, just days after securing a title in the 132-pound Elite Male Division at the 2026 USA Boxing International Tournament in Colorado.

Ranked fifth nationally in his weight class by USA Boxing, Pitts is already being considered for a professional career, with offers reportedly on the table. Still, he’s weighing that path carefully against a potential run at the 2028 U.S. Olympic team.

What makes Pitts’ journey stand out isn’t just his performance in the ring. It’s his commitment to education. At Morehouse, one of the most prominent historically Black colleges in the United States, Pitts keeps his academic priorities front and center.

“They were gonna have to work out together in some sort of tandem,” he said to UATL about balancing sports and education. “I just see it adding to the prestige of what Morehouse is and how we can dominate any field and endeavor.”

His path into boxing started early. Growing up in Sylacauga, Alabama, Pitts discovered the sport at age 8 and quickly became dedicated, training daily and developing his skills alongside his father, who now serves as his coach and manager. After moving to Atlanta, he continued to build his career through local gyms and amateur competitions.

At Morehouse, Pitts is also part of a growing boxing culture. The school’s boxing club, founded in 2021, has helped revive interest in the sport at historically Black colleges, which once had active boxing programs before the NCAA discontinued the sport in 1960 due to safety concerns.

For Pitts, the balance between academics and athletics is intentional. His daily routine often includes hours of training before heading straight to class, where he’s just as focused as he is in the ring.

His recent international win came under challenging conditions, including competing at high altitude over multiple consecutive days. Despite the physical toll, Pitts pushed through, marking a major milestone in his career.

With professional opportunities on the horizon and Olympic ambitions still in play, Pitts represents a rare combination of discipline, talent and focus. For now, he’s continuing to build both sides of his future, one class and one fight at a time.