Former Wyomissing lineman to re-start football career on smaller stage
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After three seasons at Penn State J’ven Williams will get a different perspective on college football.
The former Wyomissing All-State lineman has committed to play at UNC Charlotte little more than a week after entering the NCAA transfer portal.
Williams and Charlotte each announced the move earlier today on their social media accounts.
The 6-3, 315-pound Williams went to Penn State in January 2023 as the top line recruit in Pennsylvania but saw little time on the field. He was redshirted as a freshman before playing in 16 games in 2024, mostly on special teams and in a backup role on the offensive line.
He saw the field in just three games this season; published reports indicate an early season injury limited his playing time.
At Charlotte he will be part of an entirely different football environment. The 49ers play at Jerry Richardson Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 15,314 – a fraction of his former home, Beaver Stadium, one of the largest in the nation.
The 49ers play in the14-team American Conference, which includes Navy, Army, Temple, Tulane, East Carolina, and South Florida.
Tim Albin, who coached Ohio University to 30 wins over three seasons, including a MAC championship in 2024, was hired following last season. The 49ers won their season-opener over Monmouth before losing their final 11 games this season.
Charlotte did not start playing football until 2008; it has played in just one bowl game.
Williams will have two years of athletic eligibility remaining.
The two-time All-State pick had a long list of accolades at Wyomissing that included Outstanding Lineman in Section 4 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League and MikeDragoSports.com Offensive Lineman of the Year as both a junior and senior.
He was a PIAA champion in both the shot put and discus as a junior (by enrolling early at Penn State he passed up his senior track and field season).
He is one of a handful of Spartans to earn back-to-back All-State honors, among them Justice Hardy Alex Anzalone and Nolan McCready.
Out of high school Williams picked the Nittany Lions over offers from Boston College, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Carolina, USC and Virginia Tech, among others.
