Western Pa.’s Top 10 football prospects for the Class of 2024

By: Chris Harlan
Wednesday, December 21, 2022 | 11:59 PM

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College football coaches needing a linebacker, running back, wide receiver or offensive lineman will be visiting Western Pennsylvania in the coming months.

Need a quarterback? The WPIAL has a few of those, too. Now that many in the 2023 recruiting class made their commitments official Wednesday, the WPIAL’s 2024 graduates are on the clock.

Here are 10 recruits to watch over the next year.

1. Quinton Martin

Belle Vernon

6-3, 205, running back

Martin showed a statewide audience why he’s ranked as Pennsylvania’s top college recruit from the 2024 class. He scored 31 touchdowns this fall — and reached the end zone four different ways — as Belle Vernon won WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A titles. His touchdown total included 22 rushing, six receiving, two on punt returns and one pick-6 interception. That versatility makes his future college position flexible. He rushed for 1,279 yards on 145 carries as Belle Vernon’s running back but also plays defensive back and could be a wide receiver. A four-star prospect according to Rivals.com, Martin has more than 20 offers including Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia. Along with the Nittany Lions, he has offers from seven other schools ranked in the AP Top 25: Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida State, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Texas. Rivals ranks him 29th nationally among all prospects and third-best among running backs. Boston College, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin are his other college options.

Twitter: @Team_Quinton

Watch Quinton Martin highlights

2. Anthony Speca

Central Catholic

6-3, 220, linebacker

Speca burst onto the recruiting scene as a ninth-grader when he earned Freshman All-American honors from Maxpreps. Two years later, the inside linebacker has more than 20 offers from colleges across the country, most recently adding Nebraska and LSU to his list. A four-star prospect, he’s ranked as the ninth-best inside linebacker nationally by Rivals, which lists him at No. 186 overall. Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia were among the first to offer him scholarships. He also added Akron, Boston College, Cincinnati, Colorado, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin.

Twitter: @aspeca6

Watch Anthony Speca highlights

3. Cameron Lindsey

Aliquippa

6-3, 203, linebacker

The four-star linebacker led his team in tackles and helped the Aliquippa defense hold eight opponents to a touchdown or less this season. Lindsey also recovered a pair of fumbles for a team that reached the state finals for the second year in a row. Rivals ranks him as the 17th-best outside linebacker in the country. He has offers from Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Kent State, Maryland, Syracuse, UConn and UMass.

Twitter: @cx_lindsey

Watch Cameron Lindsey highlights

4. Ryan Cory

Pine-Richland

6-4, 290, offensive line

Cory’s athleticism paired with his strong run-blocking skills helped Pine-Richland win WPIAL and state titles this season. The Rams averaged more than 200 rushing yards behind a strong offensive line. The three-star prospect already has more than a dozen Division I offers including Pitt and West Virginia. Among the others are Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville and Oregon.

Twitter: @RyanCory15

Watch Ryan Cory highlights

5. Peter Gonzalez

Central Catholic

6-3, 200, wide receiver

Gonzalez’s junior season had a slow start after knee surgery cost him a few games. Once fully healthy, Gonzalez caught 42 passes for 735 yards and seven touchdowns. The son of a former Pitt quarterback, Gonzalez has more than a dozen Division I offers. Among his top options are Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.

Twitter: @Petergonzalez70

Watch Peter Gonzalez highlights

6. Cole Sullivan

Central Catholic

6-3, 200, linebacker

Sullivan’s recruiting interest should rise quickly. The outside linebacker had 117 tackles and emerged as one of the WPIAL’s top edge rushers despite playing much of the season with a cast on his hand. Once the cast was removed, he also caught 13 passes at tight end. He has offers from Boston College and Kent State.

Twitter: @ColeSull18

Watch Cole Sullivan highlights

7. Brandon Banks

Aliquippa

6-0, 170, cornerback

Banks is the latest in a long line of talented Aliquippa defensive backs. He had three interceptions and one fumble recovery this season for the WPIAL Class 4A champions. He lists offers from Akron, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Ohio and Toledo.

Twitter: @b_banks6

Watch Brandon Banks highlights

8. Julian Dugger

Penn Hills

6-3, 195, quarterback

The left-handed passer announced offers in May from Pitt, Toledo and UMass. He threw for 1,341 yards and 11 touchdowns this fall and rushed for 537 yards and two more scores. Rivals rates him as a three-star prospect.

Twitter: @JulesDugger02

Watch Julian Dugger highlights

9. Jackson Pons

Norwin

6-1, 185, defensive back

Pons, who plays a variety of positions including wide receiver and quarterback, had 57 tackles and four interceptions on defense. He lists offers from Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Kent State, Toledo and Mississippi State, where a WPIAL grad oversees recruiting.

Twitter: @jackson_pons

Watch Jackson Pons highlights

10. Brad Birch

Gateway

6-2, 180, quarterback

Birch, already a three-year starter, has more than 6,000 career passing yards. He announced an offer from Oregon two summers ago and later added Akron when Ducks assistant Joe Moorhead became coach there.

Twitter: @BradBirch12

Watch Brad Birch highlights

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Aliquippa, Belle Vernon, Central Catholic, Gateway, North Allegheny, Penn Hills, Pine-Richland