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Pat Narduzzi left everyone guessing after tweeting out a “Pat Signal” late last night. It appears the mystery is now over as Marquis Williams committed live over Twitter just moments ago.
#CardinalGibbons HS (FL) 2018 DB Marquis Williams (@Williamsisland4) commits to the #Pittsburgh #Panthers pic.twitter.com/WvUembJEpt
— Sleeper Athletes (@SleeperAthletes) August 22, 2017
Marquis Williams is a 5’9” 165 cornerback from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He chose Pitt over two finalists from the Big Ten, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Williams also held offers from Clemson, Ole Miss, Penn State, and Michigan State among others before narrowing his choices.
Williams is graded as a three-star by Rivals and 247Sports. He is ranked as the 35th best cornerback in the country by Rivals. He will play for Cardinal Gibbons High School this season after playing for Coconut Creek last year.
In an article by David Furones of the Sun-Sentinel, the Cardinal Gibbons coach had some high praise for his senior cornerback.
“They’re getting a really fast guy with a lot of speed,” Cardinal Gibbons coach Matt DuBuc said. “And a guy with ball skills because he can play receiver too, special teams guy. A guy that can do a multitude of things.”
The coach also mentioned about why Williams chose Pitt later in the article.
“Charlie Partridge did a great job recruiting him. We’re close with Charlie, and it ended up working out,” DuBuc said. “I think the ACC was better for him than the Big Ten.”
So in all, it seems like a solid commitment for Pitt. They are getting an athletic corner with good offers from a talent-rich program in a talent-rich state. Williams becomes the 13th recruit in the class of 2018. He is also the first commitment from the state of Florida, a bit surprising after Pitt brought in seven guys from the Sunshine State last year.
Here is a closer look at Williams as a player.
Marquis Williams is the second corner in this class, joining Judson Tallandier of Maryland. They appear to be two totally different players with Tallandier being an imposing 6’2” and Williams checking in at 5’8”. Obviously this is an important position for Pitt, and bringing in talent of any size is important for this program.