Bryan Williams, a 6-foot, 187-pound cornerback from Akron, gave a verbal commitment to Pitt yesterday, making him the second standout defensive back from Ohio in three days to choose the Panthers.

And much like Brookhaven standout Dominic Jones, who committed to Pitt Sunday night, Williams said he was sold on the Panthers the first time he visited the campus.

"I was just comfortable there from the minute I got there until I left," Williams said. "It is a wonderful campus, a great city, and I really liked what the coaches had to say to me."

Williams, who had 31 tackles and five interceptions last season, was third-team all-state last year at Buchtel High School. He had offers from Illinois, North Carolina and Akron.

The Insiders, a national recruiting service, rates Williams the one of the top 15 prospects in Ohio and one of the top 65 players in the Midwest. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds, has a 34-inch vertical leap and squats 350 pounds.

Williams is the Panthers' fifth commitment for the class of 2005 and their second from Buchtel. Williams' teammate, defensive lineman Marlon Terry, made a commitment to the Panthers earlier this month.

Pitt fullback Tim Murphy is a Buchtel graduate.

"I liked the fact that there were already guys there who I know and that one of my teammates will be going there with me," Williams said. "I won't feel like a stranger and I won't feel all alone. That's important to me because going away is a big adjustment to begin with."