Football: Given an opportunity, Lindsey finds success on the field

When Pitt fans think about the team’s defensive line, the names that usually come to mind are… When Pitt fans think about the team’s defensive line, the names that usually come to mind are defensive ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard as well as defensive tackles Mick Williams and Gus Mustakas.

But with his recent play, Brandon Lindsey is one more name people are starting to talk about.

Lindsey has raised the play of the whole defense with his ability to come into a game when either Romeus or Sheard need to come out without missing a beat.

Against Syracuse, he was all over the field. He accounted for six tackles with two sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss. In the previous game against South Florida, he recorded four tackles and 1.5 sacks.

“For him to step up and make the coaches realize that when Greg and Jabaal get tired they can put him in — that’s such a help for our defensive line, so in the fourth quarter we can stay fresh,” Mustakas said.

At 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, Lindsey is smaller than the starting defensive ends, but he more than makes up for that with his quickness.

“The best part of my game is definitely my speed,” he said. “I can mix it up inside, but right now my speed helps me more than anything else because it helps to jump the snap count.”

He has been clocked at 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

“Brandon’s speed and agility is awesome,” Mustakas said.

In high school, Lindsey was a standout tailback and linebacker at nearby Aliquippa High School.

He rushed for 1,251 yards and 19 touchdowns in his junior season on offense and also made 120 tackles to go with 11 sacks on defense in the same season. He was one of the nation’s top high school prospects.

“Playing running back really helped me get tougher,” Lindsey said. “Taking hits every play really gave me an edge on how college would be like.”

Lindsey’s college career started slowly, as he came in playing linebacker and was redshirted his first year. The next season he played sparingly at linebacker and on special teams because it was tough to crack the starting lineup playing behind star players like Scott McKillop and Greg Williams.

The coaches knew they had to find a way to get Lindsey on the field, so last spring they moved him to defensive end.

“I was happy about it. It was a new challenge,” Lindsey said. “It was a good move for me to get more playing time.”

The learning curve at a new position is steep, but Lindsey credits Romeus and Sheard for helping him.

“They’ve really shown me how to work hard every day in practice and to not get frustrated when things don’t go your way,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey’s speed off the edge, in relief of Romeus and Sheard, will be essential in the team’s next two games against West Virginia and Cincinnati.

Both teams feature mobile quarterbacks who like to scramble, and if Pitt’s defensive ends are able to match their speed, it should mean good things for the Panthers defense.

The Mountaineers and Bearcats are all too familiar with Romeus and Sheard and will be ready for what they will bring.

But it’s about time that they familiarize themselves with Lindsey, too.