California Dreaming: Mercyhurst Gains Commitment From Amir Lemmons

Mercyhurst has added a key piece to its defensive backfield with the commitment of Amir Lemmons, a physical and productive defensive back out of Sierra College in Northern California. At 6’1”, 200 pounds with a rangy 78-inch wingspan, Lemmons is the kind of athlete who stands out on film. It’s not just on film where he makes an impact, though. Lemmons is always readily apparent in the box score.

Lemmons was a Unanimous All-NorCal First Team selection after a monster season in the JUCO ranks, racking up 134 tackles, 8 pass breakups, 5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception. More than just a stat machine, Lemmons brings physicality to the backend of the Mercyhurst defense. You love to see a physical player that’s adept at tackling at the safety position, and it looks like the Lakers may have landed just that.

The reason why Lemmons committed from all the way in California is simple and a reflection that at our level the relationships still matter. “It felt like home. All of the people there are great,” Lemmons said of his commitment to the Lakers.

It’s not the first time the Lakers have pulled from California, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Mercyhurst head coach Ryan Riemedio has deep ties to California from his time as a player and coach in the region, and that familiarity has quietly become a recruiting edge. Lemmons isn’t the first JUCO standout from California to find his way to Erie—Adam Urena, a quarterback from Citrus College, took the same path previouisly.

It’s an unusual pipeline for a program based in western Pennsylvania, but the returns speak for themselves. Mercyhurst has found value in looking beyond traditional borders, especially when it leads to players with Lemmons' level of production and polish. Whether it’s Western PA or northern California, the Lakers are showing they know how to identify talent—and land it.

With Lemmons in the mix, the Lakers' secondary just got more dangerous. We’ll be keeping an eye out for him this season.