Habakkuk Baldonado

Photo by: Pete Madia/Pitt Athletics

Photo by: Jeffrey Gamza/Pitt Athletics

Position:
DL
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Height:
6-5
Weight:
260
Hometown:
Rome, Italy
High School:
Clearwater Academy International (FL)

2022: Started all nine games he played in during the regular season, missing three contests due to injury (Rhode Island, Duke and Miami)…totaled 25 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups and a blocked kick…had a season-high four tackles in three separate games (West Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia Tech)…had three stops and a sack at Virginia…blocked a punt against Virginia Tech…a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy, presented to the college football’s top scholar-athlete…named to the All-ACC Academic Football Team…selected to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl all-star game.

2021: Started all 14 games at defensive end…voted All-ACC (second team)…compiled 42 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, nine sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery on the year…twice had a career-high seven tackles (Western Michigan and Wake Forest in the ACC Championship Game)…had a personal-best 2.5 TFLs against Western Michigan…had four tackles, a career-high two sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery at Tennessee…had four stops and 1.5 sacks against North Carolina.

2020: Limited to four games due to injury…totaled three tackles on the year…had a season-high two tackles against Virginia Tech.

2019: Played in all 13 games as a reserve defensive end…totaled 30 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, four sacks and a fumble recovery…named to the Pro Football Focus ACC Team of the Week for his performance against Delaware…had a season-high four stops and 1.5 sacks against the Blue Hens…also logged four tackles against Ohio, Penn State and Duke…had three tackles, including two TFLs and a sack against UCF…recovered a fumble at Duke.

2018: Played in one game as a true freshman, preserving a redshirt…lone appearance came on special teams against Clemson in the ACC Championship.

HIGH SCHOOL: Gained significant FBS recruiting interest despite playing just one season of high school football in the United States…played three years of American football in his native Italy (Rome) before moving to Florida in 2017…played defensive end and receiver at Clearwater Academy International under Coach Jesse Chinchar…totaled 83 tackles, a whopping 30.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries on defense…as a receiver, averaged 24.4 yards per reception (nine catches for 220 yards) and scored two touchdowns.

PERSONAL: Habakkuk Thomas Baldonado, born 9/6/99, is the son of Paola Franceschelli…has one brother…earned his bachelor's degree in economics and is now enrolled in Pitt's Katz Graduate School of Business.