Football: Baldwin hopes to improve from brief brilliance last season

It’s rare that an athletically talented player also has the work ethic and drive to fully… It’s rare that an athletically talented player also has the work ethic and drive to fully utilize his natural gifts. It’s usually these athletes that can afford to slack off during practice and let their ability take over.

But, Pitt football hasn’t had that problem with sophomore wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin. Baldwin has been the definition of a hard worker since last season — and players and coaches have been quick to notice.

“[Baldwin] is one of the hardest workers on our team, if not the hardest worker,” quarterback Bill Stull said.

Baldwin started his offseason almost immediately after Pitt’s season ended. He showed up at Pitt’s practice facility a mere two days after its embarrassing 3-0 loss to Oregon State in the Sun Bowl to run routes and catch passes from backup quarterback Pat Bostick.

Baldwin said he was driven to get better, because he thought he didn’t do enough his freshman year.

“Going into last season, we just wanted to get to a bowl game,” Baldwin said. “Now we got to a bowl game, and we want to go out and win the Big East.”

He enters this season after catching only 18 passes last year, though he caught more attention with rare flashes of his athletic ability.

At 6 feet 5 inches and 225 pounds, he was timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.37 seconds and has a 42-inch vertical leap — staggering numbers for his size.

To coaches and himself, Baldwin’s only vice has been his route running, but he expects that to change after the offseason.

“I’ve been running routes all summer and just working on my timing,” Baldwin said.

With a new offense and offensive coordinator being implemented, Pitt football might look toward Baldwin a bit more this season.

“He’s one heck of a player and one heck of an athlete, and this year, I think you’ll see his ability, let’s put it that way,” Stull said.

New offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. said the offense will be slightly more “deceptive” this year, with more screens being called from a lot of different formations.

But, Cignetti said he’s been told not to complicate things when planning to use Baldwin.

“I’ve heard a couple guys on the South Side that say, ‘Hey, don’t forget that play to No. 82!’” Cignetti said with a laugh.

What he’s most likely referring to is the fade route — the play where a quarterback throws the ball anywhere in the vicinity of Baldwin, and he jumps to make the catch. Pitt tried this play last year with the three consecutive jump balls thrown to Baldwin in the end zone during its 36-33 victory over Notre Dame.

BThe third jump was converted for the touchdown.

“I’m working hard on running routes, and coach Cignetti has some ideas to get me more involved,” Baldwin said.

Specifically, Cignetti wants to put Baldwin in good positions to make plays.

“When you throw the ball, you’d like Jonathan to be somewhere in the progression where he’s either at the point of attack or the secondary read,” Cignetti said. “Or, if he’s not part of the progression, he’s on the back side where if he’s one-on-one, the quarterback has the opportunity to give him the ball.”

Baldwin said Cignetti has a lot of tricks and strategies to move him around the field.

“It’s the screens and other things, whether it’s those or reverses, it’s the ability to get him a quick touch and see what he can do with it,” Cignetti said.

In Cignetti’s system, the running game is the primary weapon, but thanks to Baldwin’s hard work, he is quickly becoming a favorite target in practice.

It was rare when one Pitt practice went by this summer when Baldwin didn’t make a spectacular catch or play.

Cignetti realizes that the best way to start the passing game is through Baldwin.

“It’s just smart coaching,” he said.