Pitt football: 3 all-American candidates for 2022
By Kathryn Rose
2. Habakkuk Baldonado – Edge/Defensive End
Habakkuk Baldonado is from Rome, and much like the Romans, he tears through a line with ease. In 2021, he had 43 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and nine sacks, which was good enough for a second-team all-ACC selection.
With that kind of performance, Baldonado could have gone to the draft. Instead, he stayed at Pitt football and has the potential to be a 2023 first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
Yet, Baldonado thinks he can improve on his team-high of nine sacks. During spring practice, he said, “I would say it was a pretty good season, but I missed a lot of plays I could’ve made.”
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound defensive end has put on 30 pounds since he arrived at Pittsburgh, and has been a real development story since arriving in the United States in 2017. He only played in one season of high school football and didn’t start for Pitt until last season.
If that development trajectory continues, he’ll be in the running for All-American honors if Pitt has a good season.