Inside The Panthers

Pitt Football Makes Top Schools for 2026 4-Star DB

The Pitt Panthers get closer with a top defensive back recruit.
Dominic Campbell|
Pitt Football Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach Archie Collins with 2026 4-Star DB Jalen Williams
Pitt Football Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach Archie Collins with 2026 4-Star DB Jalen Williams | Jalen William

In this story:

Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have worked hard this offseason on the recruiting trail and have made a great connection from a top defensive back.

Jalen Williams, a Class of 2026 recruit, announced his top five schools, with Pitt amongst them, as well as ACC foe NC State, Big 12 schools in Arizona State and Oklahoma State, plus Ole Miss.

Williams plays for Kell High School in Marietta, Ga. and had a sensational junior season in 2024. He made 38 tackles, 10 pass breakups, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, while also blocking a field goal and making four onside kick recoveries, earning First Team All-Region and All-County honors at defensive back.

He plays mostly at cornerback, but also plays safety and nickel too, showing his versatility in the secondary. He excels in man coverage, knocking down passes and making sure his receiver has no easy opportunities. He also has a knack for making tackles in space and when he blitzes too.

Secondary/cornerback coach Archie Collins serves as the Panthers' main recruiter for Williams. He offered Williams on May 6, 2024 and made a home visit on Jan. 22.

Williams set official visits with Oklahoma State from April 18-20, Arizona State from May 2-4 and NC State from June 13-15, with Pitt hoping they can get him up to campus in June.

He also holds Power 4 offers from ACC schools in Duke, Georgia Tech and North Carolina, Big Ten schools in Michigan State, Big 12 schools in BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas and UCF, plus SEC schools in Auburn, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt

Williams also has FBS offers from UConn, American schools in Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Memphis and USF, Conference USA schools in Liberty and Western Kentucky, MAC schools in Bowling Green, UMass and Western Michigan, plus Sun Belt schools in Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State and Marshall.

Rivals is the only recruiting site that rated Williams, making him a four-star and giving him a 5.8 rating. They also rank him No. 8 at nickel and the No. 44 recruit in Georgia.

Pitt has two three-star defensive backs in the Class of 2026 making official visits this summer in Marcus Jennings from Cass Technical High School in Detroit and commit Isaac Patterson from Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt

Published
Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.

Share on XFollow DOMISMONEY
Home/Recruiting