When weighing the two Division I offers on the table for South Allegheny prospect Camden Lewis, the in-state option made perfect sense.
It has the feel of a tight-knit program, not far from home and a strong coaching staff.
That’s why Lewis — a 6-foot-3, 230-pound tight end — announced his commitment to Mercyhurst University on Sunday via X.
“The thing that stood out to most to me about Mercyhurst was how the team was like a family. The whole team had a really strong bond and just somewhere I want to be,” Lewis told Pittsburgh Sports Now.
Lewis owned offers from both the Lakers and Sacred Heart, and the proximity made a world of difference.
“It was a huge factor, probably the biggest one,” Lewis said. “My other DI offer that I had was Sacred Heart University, which is a 7-8 hour car ride, and I just didn’t think I was ready to commit from being that far away from home compared to Mercyhurst being two hours away.”
Another key area that solidified his commitment was the relationship he had built with Mercyhurst tight ends coach Tom Herman.
“The tight end coach who’s been with the program a long time, is the one who’s been recruiting me mostly. He was a big reason why I committed. He called me every day sometimes even twice a day just talking to me and asking how I was and my family,” Lewis said.
While Lewis picked up his D-I offers this past year, it came after recovering from a serious ankle injury that ended his junior season. After that occurred, Lewis was not sure what the future would hold.
“After that happened, I was just scared I wouldn’t be able to go to college and play football and was worried the beginning of my senior year because some coaches stopped talking to me,” Lewis said. “The schools that gave me a chance to be apart of there program, I just appreciate them a lot and happy I found a place to call home.”
Lewis returned for his senior season in a big way for the Gladiators, helping them improve from 1-9 in 2023 to 9-3. He recorded 474 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, along with 459 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball at linebacker, Lewis put up a monster year as he totaled 114 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, nine sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception on the way to earning Allegheny Conference Player of the Year.
Lewis will play tight end for the Lakers in the fall and believes he can make an impact.
“I feel like I can help the team a lot on offense with my athletic ability, strength and speed being able to line up in different spots on the field and also run or catch the ball,” he said.
Lewis becomes the second WPIAL player with Montour linebacker Kaleb Platz to join Mercyhurst’s 2025 recruiting class.
