Pitt Has Positive Reviews For BJ Williams' First Start

BJ Williams impressed his coaches and teammates during his starting debut in the Pitt Panthers' loss to Cincinnati.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers made a significant alteration to their offensive line on Saturday, naming true freshman BJ Williams as the starter at left guard in place of Jason Collier Jr. 

Williams was a three-star recruit out of Georgia in the 2023 class and arrived at Pitt in the spring after committing last summer and signing in December.

Pat Narduzzi spoke about Williams' talent and the progression he has seen since entering the program. 

"He's been good all camp. He came here mid-year. We had a lot of faith in him. I think we can keep getting better with him. He doesn't play like a freshman," Narduzzi said. 

As encouraging as Williams' debut was to Narduzzi from the sideline, he voiced his displeasure in the offensive line as a whole.

"We gave up five sacks," Narduzzi said. "We'll find out where those came from, and we'll fix it."

The jump from high school to college football isn't always a seamless transition, but Matt Goncalves raved about Williams' ability to adjust and stay within himself.

"I think he did a great job," Goncalves said. "The speed of the game isn't an issue for him."

Goncalves made it clear that the rest of the offensive line believes in Williams and are confident that he can be a stalwart for the foreseeable future. 

"We all have confidence in him," Goncalves said. "I think he'll continue to help us throughout the season."

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