Bailey knew he wanted to go to Pitt
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On Friday night, Pitt’s coaches, players and the 10 official visitors and their families gathered at Heinz Field for a dinner. Before eating, a prayer was offered, and that’s when Jordaan Bailey saw his opportunity.
“After the prayer, I just walked up and grabbed the mic and said it,” Bailey told Panther-Lair.com.
“I stood in front of the coaching staff at dinner at Heinz Field and told everybody that I was committing. Everybody was happy. All the players were happy.”
And with that, the Tampa (Fla.) Hillsborough running back joined Pitt’s 2022 recruiting class. He chose the Panthers over offers from West Virginia, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Colorado State, East Carolina, USF, Toledo, Western Kentucky and more, but while he committed to Pitt on his official visit, Bailey said that he didn’t need to fly north to know where he wanted to go to college.
“I knew I wanted to go there; I knew it was going to happen,” he said. “It’s really about all the coaches and the love they show. They’re really good with academics; they said the football will take care of itself but they really care about education.
“And then the campus is great and the facilities are great because you’re right next to the Steelers. Everything is just great in the city.”
Bailey didn’t need the official visit to know he wanted to go to Pitt, but the trip did give him an opportunity to sit down with running backs coach Andre Powell. The Panthers prioritized Bailey as a top running back target after he put up more than 1,000 yards of total offense while averaging 13.5 yards per touch, and Powell told Bailey that he sees a bright future for the 6’0” 184-pound prospect.
“He’s looking for a running back with speed,” Bailey said. “They have some fast backs but he said they need some breakaway speed. And he also likes that I can catch out of the backfield. He said I can come in and compete for a job as a freshman.
“Coach Powell is just great. He’s like another dad. He’s funny, he takes care of you and he makes sure everything is alright.”
Bailey is the fifth recruit to commit to Pitt in the 2022 class, joining defensive back Aveon Grose, defensive linemen Elijah Statham and Sean FitzSimmons and punter Sam Vander Haar.