Pitt Starting OL Returning for 2025

A Pitt Panthers starting offensive lineman is returning for the 2025 season.

Sep 14, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Derrick Davis Jr. (34) celebrates a touchdown with BJ Williams (55) and Gavin Bartholomew (86) during the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Image Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will have an important piece of their offensive line return for next season, allowing them to build cohesion for a unit that suffered numerous injuries in 2024.

Sophomore offensive lineman BJ Williams announced on Twitter that he is returning for 2025, his third season with the program. Alliance 412, the NIL Collective that represents Pitt student-athletes, had their symbol at the bottom of the announcement, likely playing a role in that return.

Glad to be back pic.twitter.com/1uhxuz1LnX

— Bj Williams (@CeoBrianJr) December 11, 2024

Williams came out of Creekside High School in Fairburn, Ga., about 25 miles southwest of Atlanta and committed to Pitt in the Class of 2023, enrolling early in January 2023.

He was a consensus three-star offensive line recruit, with 247Sports rating him the No. 64 interior offensive lineman and No. 79 in Georgia, On3 rating him No. 153 at his position and No. 183 in his state and Rivals giving him a 5.5 rating.

Williams, unlike most incoming offensive lineman, earned himself a lot of playing time as a true freshman in 2023.

Pitt dealt with injuries on their offensive line, as both Jake Kradel and Blake Zubovic missed time that season. Williams stepped in and would play in nine games and started six of them at right guard, gaining crucial and vital experience in his first season of college football.

Williams maintained that starting position at right guard throughout 2024, starting all 12 games. He did all this while adjusting to the scheme that new offensive coordinator Kade Bell installed, which featured a more spread out, fast paced attack compared to the NFL pro-style offense that previous offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. ran his freshman season.

He was the only starting offensive lineman from the beginning of 2024 to play and start all of the regular season games in the same spot.

Redshirt senior Branson Taylor, who played left tackle, suffered a season-ending injury after the home win vs. Cal in Week 7, which saw redshirt sophomore Ryan Baer shift from right tackle to left tackle for the last four games of the season.

The Panthers also tried putting redshirt junior Terrence Enos Jr. and redshirt sophomores in Isaiah Montgomery and Jackson Brown in at the tackle spots, but the lack of cohesion showed throughout, as the offense struggled to replicate their early season form, leading to the five straight losses to end the season.

Williams has two years left of eligibility, allowing him to play through 2026. He will likely have back starting center in rising redshirt senior Lyndon Cooper back, as well as Baer for next season on the offensive line.

He is the third player to announce his return, as both rising sixth years in tight end Jake Overman and defensive back Rashad Battle did the same.

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

• Pitt Duo Earns All-American Recognition
• Pitt Football Hosting Michigan State Transfer WR
• Pitt Legend Larry Fitzgerald Inducted in CFB Hall of Fame
• Preview: Pitt Returns Home vs. Eastern Kentucky
• Pitt Guard Makes ESPN 2025 NBA Draft Board

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt