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Marquis Williams immediately became one of Pitt’s most high-profile commits when the Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons star chose the Panthers on Sunday evening. Williams selected Pitt over offers from the likes of Wisconsin, UCF, Clemson, Penn State, Michigan State, and a number of other Power Five programs. The combination of opportunity and strong relationships lead the Florida star to head north.

“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. “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 comfort level that Williams has found at Pitt was foundational to his decision. Pat Narduzzi and assistant coaches like Tim Salem, Charlie Partridge, and Renaldo Hill have all proved instrumental in shepherding the Cardinal Gibbons standout to the Steel City.

“The coaching staff is great, it’s like a family. I talked to them after I committed and they were happy, very happy,” Williams said. “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.”

While he may be going a-ways away from home – nearly 1200 miles in driving distance – Williams is already familiar with the city of Pittsburgh. His uncle, Tyrone Carter, was a long-time NFL veteran and two-time Super Bowl champion with the Steelers.

“I haven’t visited there, but I’ve been up to Pittsburgh multiple times when my uncle played for the Steelers. It was nice, there’s a lot of stuff to do up there. Really, the only thing I didn’t do was go up to the University of Pittsburgh’s campus,” Williams explained. “I feel like the fact that they share the facilities with the Steelers gives them a lot of advantages. After your practice, you can go watch theirs and get better at a lot of things.”

Although it’s been a while since he’s been to Pittsburgh, Williams will remedy that with at least one visit to campus this fall.

“I’m going up to visit in October, but coach Narduzzi didn’t tell me the exact date yet. I’ll go up there for a game and my official visit, I just don’t which date for sure yet,” he said.

Pitt’s working to make major strides in improving their pass defense this season, led by defensive coordinator Josh Conklin and defensive backs coach Renaldo Hill. Players like Williams represent an athletic upgrade in the secondary, providing speed and man-coverage skills that the Panthers desperately need.

“I’m going to play nickel and cornerback, but they want me to play man-to-man for them,” Williams said. “I talked to coach Hill already about that, they want me to play man-to-man because that’s the kind of defense they play and that’s the kind of corner that I am. I’ll fit great there.”

Williams is excited about arriving at Pittsburgh and starting his career for the Panthers, a process that will begin after his senior season of high school.

“On the field, I’m a beast. I get the job done. I’m going to do great for Pitt and we’re going to go out there and win,” Williams informed Pitt fans. “Off the field, I’m going to go out there and help the community and do a lot of things like that. We’re going to help the people that look up to the University of Pittsburgh and go along with it.”