Two to watch for Pitt on Signing Day
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On Signing Day 2018, Pitt has two top targets on the board. Both will make their decisions today and both are expected to pick the Panthers.
Here's a look at what should be the final two pieces of the 2018 class for Pitt.
Salahuddin is the No. 5 all-purpose back in the nation, the No. 1 prospect in Washington, D.C., and a top-150 recruit in the class of 2018. He committed to USC over the summer but always kept the door open for official visits, and Pitt was on that list.
Eventually, he backed off the USC commitment and reopened his recruitment, and when that happened, Pat Narduzzi, Andre Powell and the rest of the Pitt staff were ready for him. They had maintained a relationship throughout the recruiting process, and, as has happened in the past, that relationship paid off with an official visit.
Today, Salahuddin will announce a commitment from a final three of Pitt, Syracuse and USC. The expectation is that he will pick the Panthers and bring some more playmaking ability to Pitt's backfield.
As a senior at H.D. Woodson in 2017, Salahuddin carried the ball 107 times and rushed for 1,060 yards (9.9 yards per carry) and six touchdowns, and he also caught eight passes for 107 yards and one more touchdown.
The other Signing Day decision to watch today is Baldonado. His story has been told often, but it's worth retelling:
A native of Italy, Baldonado wanted to play American football at the Division I level, so he moved to Florida last summer and set out in pursuit of that goal. Naturally, a prospect with no film to speak of is going to have to put on a show in his one-year audition for colleges, and that's what Baldonado did, recording 30.5 sacks in 2017 for Clearwater International Academy.
Initially, his recruitment was slow to get off the ground, but as his film circulated, more schools getting interested, and January saw him get offers from Pitt, Michigan State, UCF, Nebraska and more.
Pitt, Michigan State and UCF got his final three official visits over the last three weekends, and those schools made up his top three. Ultimately, it is shaping up as a Pitt-Michigan State battle, and he is expected to sign with the Panthers today.