Pitt FB Recruiting
3-Star DE Looking Forward to Building Pitt Relationship
Christian Willis knew about Pitt from former tight ends coach Tim Salem, so it’s not as if he was unfamiliar with the Panthers. But it was still a bit of a surprise when running backs coach Lindsey Lamar stopped by Tuesday.
It was a very pleasant surprise for Willis — a 6-foot-4, 250-pound three-star defensive end from First Academy in Orlando, Fla. — to officially receive an offer from Lamar.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” Willis told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “They’re my first ACC offer so it’s just a big deal to me. Prior, a cool friend of mine, Sincere Edwards, went over there and balled out. Good program, great development and I’m excited to build a relationship in the future.”
Pitt joined the likes of Iowa State, Marshall, Minnesota, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Tulane, UCF and West Virginia in extending an offer.
After a great conversation with @LindseyLamar5 i’ve been blessed with an offer from the University of PITT#agtg @LindseyLamar5 @coachdaoust @trenchmenAC @Royals__FB @CoachBroomfield @cmitchell2284 @Coach_JGill @JohnGarcia_Jr @ChadSimmons_ @MohrRecruiting pic.twitter.com/GeN3GItmiD
— Christian “Lex” Willis 3⭐️ (@ChristianAlexW1) January 21, 2025
It’s somewhat of a fresh start for Willis and Pitt. Lamar is a new face from the Panthers, one that has made a strong early impression.
“He was saying, ‘I like your film. I like everything,’” Willis said. “He likes how I talk — he just likes it. They were watching film on me and wanted to continue the relationship.”
Willis has a tie to the program, even if that tie has moved on now. He’s a friend of former Pitt edge rusher Sincere Edwards, who has transferred to UCF. Willis watched the Pitt win against North Carolina, coming away impressed with the way the Panthers got after the quarterback.
It’s the same way that Willis himself plays at First Academy. He’s a hard-nose rusher off the edge but provides a strong fit in stopping the run from the outside, too.
As a junior at First Academy, in just eight games, he recorded 31 tackles (eight solo), six tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a recovery.
On3 rates Willis as the 56th-ranked edge rusher and 79th-ranked recruit from Florida. Rivals and On3 haven’t ranked him yet, but that is likely to change as he goes through a busy summer of offers and visits.
He’s hearing from West Virginia, UCF, USF, Minnesota and Tulane right now, but Pitt has worked its way into the equation now.
The goal is to narrow down his recruiting process by the summer, take some official visits and be committed by the time his senior season rolls around in August. Willis is looking for a program that operates like a family, one that allows him to grow alongside his teammates in pursuit of success at the collegiate and professional levels.
“I just got the hour a couple of hours ago, but Pitt is a big offer,” Willis said. “It’s something I was very excited to get, and I’m very, very much looking forward to building a relationship with Pitt.”
Willis has been in communication with defensive line coach Tim Daoust about getting back up to Pittsburgh for a spring practice.
