INKED: DB Marquis Williams signs to Pitt

Marquis Williams became the seventh player to sign with Pitt’s football program in the 2018 recruiting class on the early National Signing Day, joining his classmates signing today in the class at Pitt. Williams is a 5-foot-9, 165-pound cornerback from Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons. Here’s a brief look back at his journey as a recruit and his history with Pitt:

Williams emerges as a recruit: It's easy to got caught up in the mix in the state of Florida with so many talented defensive backs, but Williams stood out from the ranks of south Florida corners despite his size. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound cornerback added a laundry list of offers early on in the process. Schools like Clemson, Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, North Carolina State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Louisville, Kentucky, and several other high-level programs offered Williams before the start of his senior season. He took a visit to Wisconsin during his junior year and cut his list down to a top ten in the late spring of his junior year. Pitt had remained in contact with Williams throughout his junior year, but didn't appear to be a serious contender until almost immediately before he committed.

Williams commits to Pitt: Williams became Pitt's 13th commitment and first from the state of Florida in the 2018 recruiting class when he pledged to the Panthers on August 21st. The Ft. Lauderdale product had never been to Pitt when he committed, but his strong relationships at Pitt with the coaching staff won the battle for the Panthers.

In his words: "Pitt has been there since day one. I’ve been talking to coach Narduzzi, coach Salem, and coach Hill and I just had them in the back of my mind,” Williams said to Panther-Lair.com. “I’ve never really told anybody, but I was tight with Pitt. Also with the playing time, they have seniors leaving at cornerback so I could come in and play right away. That helped me choose Pitt... The coaching staff is great, it’s like a family. I talked to them after I committed and they were happy, very happy. I love that about the coaches, when they treat you like their son and make sure you’re good. You know, it’s a blessing.”

From his coach: "I think he’s a kid who’s played football his whole life, so instinctually, he’s very good. The speed is obviously a big factor," said Cardinal Gibbons head coach Matt DuBuc. "He loves to play and he loves the games. When you have kids who love the game, you can tell the difference from those who are just out there. He shows it every day with his effort, his intensity, and he just loves football. That’s half the battle when you love what you do."

Williams' Impact: "Almost no attributes are more critical at defensive back than speed and agility and Williams has both in spades. It's rare to see a receiver pull away from Williams when the defensive back is in coverage and he's sticky on the hip of his assignment, giving his man little room to breathe or create space for the catch. Williams also puts that athleticism to use on special teams, where he's likely to see early playing time in kick coverage at Pitt and could find usage in the return game as well." Read more about Williams' impact at this link.