Pitt Desperate for LB Depth

PITTSBURGH — Pitt Panthers football is in need of linebacker depth in light of season-ending injuries to Jayden Bonsu and Jeremiah Marcelin.

Bonsu and Marcelin were likely going to be in the Panthers' two-deep linebacker rotation come the start of the season.

Bonsu, a former four-star prospect, transferred to Pitt from Ohio State in January and switched from safety to linebacker in the transition. He played backup to Kyle Louis at the Star outside linebacker position in camp before his lower leg injury.

Marcelin had an impressive spring camp. So much so that he entered fall camp with a chance to compete for the starting Mike position with Braylan Lovelace before his upper body injury. Marcelin, a sophomore, appeared in 10 games as a true freshman in 2024 and played primarily on special teams.

The third linebacker who is expected to make the two-deep is redshirt senior Nick Lapi. Lapi is healthy and ready to go for the season, and with this fall camp being one of his best yet, Narduzzi said Tuesday that this is "the most consistent he's been."

But who else is expected to step up? Without Bonsu and Marcelin and excluding the projected starters of Lovelace, Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis, the linebacker room consists of six former walk-ons, three either freshmen or redshirt freshmen and one walk-on freshman.

Narduzzi has been most impressed with redshirt freshman Cam Lindsey out of that group.

"Cam Lindsey has been battling," Narduzzi said on Aug. 21. "Cam keeps getting better every day. It's like 'wow.' The lightbulb has really (gone off)."

Lindsey, an Aliquippa, Pa. product, is listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds. But Narduzzi said he plays bigger than his listed size.

"Just physical, thud'n up stuff," Narduzzi said. " I'm like, 'Is that him? What's he weighing? He looks like he weighs 225.'"

Aliquippa's Cameron Lindsey (11) eyes up a hole in the McKeesport Tigers defensive line during the first half of the WPIAL 4A Championship game Friday evening at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. | Michael Longo/For BCT / USA TODAY NETWORK

Lindsey was listed between 190 and 200 pounds as a three-star recruit coming out of high school. Rivals and the 247Sports Composite had Lindsey listed as the No. 48 linebacker in the nation. But after playing in two games a season ago, Lindsey will likely see the field more in 2025.

"He's made a tremendous jump," Lovelace said. "I mean, that kid, he's a real ballplayer. He's playing with a lot more confidence. He's not thinking as much. He's just going out there and doing what he does."

Narduzzi said that Lapi will probably be the backup at the Mike and Money positions in Pitt's 4-3 defense, and said that Lindsey would "obviously" be next up at the Star outside linebacker position behind Louis.

"He's making great attempts to punch the ball out and create turnovers," Lovelace said. "He's going to be a game changer for us."

As for other young linebackers who could step up, Lovelace said any number of them could, but named Lindsey, redshirt freshman Davin Brewton and true freshmen Justin Thompson and Emmanuel Taylor specifically. Lovelace said that they're a high-motor group who don't just work during practice, but are constantly studying the game off the field, too.

"They're always trying to get better, always asking us questions on how they can be better," Lovelace said. "They take it past this building. I'll be at home and they'll call me up, or we'll be somewhere together and we'll start talking about football so they can get better."

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