Pitt adds former Western Carolina running back Jalynn Williams
If there’s a reason for concern in the Pitt running backs room, it’s a lack of proven depth. And while Jalynn Williams isn’t a sure thing, he’s a nice addition to the room.
Williams – a 5-foot-10, 210-pound running back from Western Carolina – has officially been added to the roster. He has obvious familiarity with Cole Gonzales, Desmond Reid, Raphael Williams, Censere Lee and offensive coordinator Kade Bell, but he’s also a bigger, more physical back.
He’s an interesting player, considering he started his career on the defensive side of the ball at Toledo – and was initially committed to Florida. He’s an older player who started his college career in 2018.
Williams went to Western Carolina as a wide receiver before the 2022 season and spent the season as a reserve option – racking up 204 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and 303 yards and a touchdown through the air. He missed the entire 2023 season but returned last season as a goal-line back.
He carried the ball 34 times for 106 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns in seven games, missing the first four games of the season due to injury.
Pitt is missing a goal-line back as it stands, and while it will be a major adjustment from WCU to Pitt (the other former WCU stars did adjust well last season…), Williams appears to be a big bruiser on the inside. And he also offers a level of versatility out of the backfield, as evidenced by his success coming out of the backfield in 2022.
Reid is the star and will demand the majority of touches, with Juelz Goff and Ja’Kyrian Turner (and maybe Derrick Davis Jr. if healthy), in the mix, and now Williams offers a different sort of option.
Fall camp has just begun, and it will be interesting to see how Williams adapts to the “new” offense and his potential role in the system.
