Linebacker Jalen Williams will transfer from Pitt

Pitt linebacker Jalen Williams, a redshirt senior, announced on Wednesday afternoon that he would be leaving the program as a graduate transfer. He is no longer listed on the team’s official roster, and his decision leaves Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi with an open scholarship.

Williams came to Pitt as a three-star safety in 2014, but he transitioned to a reserve linebacker role in 2016 after seeing limited playing time at his original position. However, the move didn’t result in a significant increase in his responsibilities, as he never started a game at Pitt.

With Williams entering his senior season behind Saleem Brightwell, Oluwaseun Idowu, Elijah Zeise and Quintin Wirginis, it’s unlikely he would have seen more playing time in 2018.

The Newburgh, New York, native is the second Pitt player to announce his departure from the team in the last two days, as offensive lineman Tony Pilato unexpectedly parted ways with the Panthers on Tuesday. Prior to that, tight end Chris Clark left the team under circumstances similar to Pilato’s in late March, citing personal reasons.

Williams did not specify which school he would transfer to, but he previously held offers from five other programs, including Buffalo, Old Dominion, Syracuse, Temple and UMass. He finished his Pitt career with 11 tackles and a fumble recovery in 15 games.