There has been a steady flow of players from Akron's John R. Buchtel High to Pitt, and the Panthers once again returned to their favorite pipeline.
Bryan Williams, a 6-foot, 186-pound cornerback, made a verbal commitment to Pitt on Monday night. Williams said he chose Pitt over offers from Akron, Illinois and North Carolina.
Williams is the Panthers' fifth recruit from the Class of 2005, joining Buchtel teammate Marlon Terry, Burrell tackle John Brown, Johnstown tailback LaRod Stephens and Columbus Brookhaven cornerback Dominic Jones.
In the past, Pitt has signed Buchtel defensive linemen Darrell McMurray and Brandon Hayes, safety Ramon Walker, fullback Tim Murphy and cornerback Steve Walker. Hayes' brother, Deon, was a preferred walk-on.
"The coaches made me feel at home, like they knew me," said Williams, who has a 3.0 core grade-point average but must improve his score of 15 on the ACT to qualify for freshman eligibility. "I felt like I was at Buchtel, with Steve, Marlon and Tim."
Williams, who is entering his third season as a starter, had 51 tackles and six interceptions last season while playing the corner opposite Walker. Their styles differ, however, as Williams prefers the physical play of bump-and-run coverage to Walker's risk-taking.
Brown said Williams was timed at 4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash at Pitt's camp June 18, and has run faster at other camps.
"He's a good one," Buchtel coach Claude Brown said. "Bryan is a kid who has great recovery speed. He doesn't gamble as much as Stevie Walker, but his technique is second to none."
Williams is the second Ohio cornerback to commit to Pitt in as many days. Brookhaven's Jones - the Ohio Division II defensive player of the year - picked the Panthers over Michigan State, Minnesota and Penn State on Sunday.
Bill Kurelic, Midwest recruiting analyst for Rivals.com and publisher of the Midwest Football Recruiting News, ranks both players among the top 25 prospects in Ohio. "They're two of the top cornerbacks in Ohio, but not the best," Kurelic said. "I think both of them have the potential to be starters and key contributors. I think they're excellent additions for Pitt."
Brown credited Pitt associate head coach Bob Junko, who recruits Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, for keeping the Buchtel pipeline flowing.
"The University of Pittsburgh treats our kids well," Brown said. "They seem concerned with our well-being and keep in contact with our kids' progress. They've got eight kids from Buchtel. Not all of them have worked out, but they didn't stop recruiting here."
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