When Cameron Lindsey lifted Aliquippa’s PIAA Class-4A championship trophy in early December at Hersheypark Stadium, after returning an interception for a key 34-yard touchdown, he wasn’t ranked by a major recruiting service and didn’t hold any collegiate offers.
He picked up his first offer from Penn State the next day, and flash forward nearly three months, it’s a completely different story for the 2024 linebacker from Aliquippa.
Lindsey, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound running back/linebacker, has picked up offers from Cincinnati, Connecticut, Penn State, West Virginia, Toledo and Pitt, and he’s officially been ranked as a four-star recruit by Rivals. It’s been a quick turnaround for Lindsey, but it’s not as if his hard work comes as any sort of surprise.
“From being a no-star with no offers to a four-star within a few months has just been a blessing,” Lindsey told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “All the hard work I did in the weight room and during the summer definitely paid off. Not only for myself but my team also. I’m just super thankful for the opportunities I have been given to play at the next level, also am thankful for the ratings I have been given.”
Rivals rated Lindsey as the 129th-ranked recruit in the class of 2024, joining fellow WPIAL stars Quinton Martin and Anthony Speca as top-ranked recruits in the class, but it’s clear that Lindsey’s meteoric rise is only just beginning. And it’s all come from the support of both his Aliquippa coaches and teammates.
“Lots of hard work and getting yelled at to do more and push myself,” Lindsey said. “All the yelling my coaches do to make me better has paid off in ways I only had dreamed of. So, all this is just because of the great coaches I have around and my teammates that want the best for themselves.”
Lindsey racked up 86 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and recoveries and two interceptions with both returned for touchdowns. The elite defensive playmaker is a force with the ball in his hands, even when he’s marshaling the defense as a linebacker.
With visits to Penn State and West Virginia, the local schools have already made influences on Lindsey. And Pitt has made a strong impression of its own. Lindsey picked up his Pitt offer after a Junior Day visit in January, and the relationship has begun to blossom.
“Pitt is definitely one of my favorites I have been to so far,” Lindsey said. “All the times I have went, I enjoyed my times there, so Pitt is definitely up as a favorite right now.”
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi attended an Aliquippa-Avonworth basketball game that featured Lindsey the day before Junior Day, and Lindsey (along with fellow Pitt offeree 2025 running back Tiqwai Hayes) attended Pitt’s basketball game against Duke in March.
It’s still very early in Lindsey’s already sky-rocketing recruiting chase, but Pitt is clearly jumping into the early fray for the top 2024 recruit and will continue to vie for his signature.
