Pitt football is a family affair for Jonathan Baldwin and son Jaden - a standout WR like his dad

Jonathan Baldwin was driving his son, Jaden, to a 7-on-7 football tournament at the University of Arizona the morning of June 8 when he heard something he never thought he'd hear.

"Dad, I think I'm ready," said Jaden, who during his recruitment process had fielded offers from more than 20 Division I football programs, including Indiana, Penn State and Colorado.

"You're ready to commit?" Jonathan replied.

"Yeah."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Pitt."

Jonathan almost pulled the car over.

Almost 20 years after Jonathan starred for the Panthers, his son is headed to Pitt. Jaden will be a third-generation Panther. Jonathan's father, Jeffrey, was a Pitt defensive lineman from 1981-1984.

For Jonathan and Jaden Baldwin, their journey isn't about a son chasing his father's legacy.

Instead, they hope he surpasses it.

A father's vision

Jaden started playing flag football when he was age 5. Right away, his father saw potential and wanted to help him develop in ways that he couldn't when he grew up in Aliquippa.

The plan with him being a running back was to have him transition into a receiver," Jonathan told the Post-Gazette. "I wanted him to get the ball and run with the football a lot, because receivers really don't catch the ball that much in youth football."

Other parents asked Jonathan why Jaden wasn't a wide receiver. After all, Jonathan had played that position in the NFL.

But Jonathan believed that if his son could develop skills with the ball in his hands early, Jaden would have a leg up when he transitioned to receiver full time. There would be plenty of time to work on catching the ball later.

As the years went on and the family moved from Colorado to Arizona, Jonathan worked with Jaden in every aspect of his game, from developing speed to his conditioning to his receiver skills.

Those practices happened rain or shine.

"We can't miss any days," Jonathan said.

Former Pitt receiver Jonathan Baldwin lines up across from his son, Jaden, and gives him some pointers.(Courtesy of the Baldwin family)

But while Jonathan pushed a young Jaden hard, he says he carefully tried to strike the right balance between his dual role as his coach and dad.

"I've always showed him so much love and given him so much praise," Jonathan said. "Sometimes when you have a father that's a coach, some athletes may feel like they can never do anything right. I didn't ever want my son to feel that way."

Today, he is Jaden's receivers coach at Basha High School in Chandler, Ariz. He says his son, a rising senior, always beats him onto the field.

"He's always 30 minutes early for practice," Jonathan said. "Warming up, doing some releases, getting out of his breaks. I'm very proud of that."

All their hard work paid off. Jaden became one of the top recruits from the state of Arizona in the 2027 class. 247Sports rated him a three-star prospect.

"I knew that this time would come way before he even knew what college was," Jonathan said. "I just wanted to make sure that when the time was right for it to click, he would understand."

A son's decision

Jaden Baldwin had been on Pitt's radar for a while. In 2024, the Panthers became the third Division I program to offer him a scholarship. But it was head coach Pat Narduzzi who really pushed Pitt to recruit Jaden hard.

Some in the program thought Jaden would garner too much interest from other schools to seriously consider Pitt. Narduzzi saw his recruitment differently.

"His dad played at Pitt. Stop it," Narduzzi recalled saying. "Bring him on the visit. Get him here. I don't care, and I don't want to hear about money. Go recruit the best players. Let me worry about the money."

Jaden said his official visit on May 28 was a special experience, making the decision easier for him.

"When I first got there, I knew it was home," Jaden, 17, said. "I walked in the receiver meeting room and I saw my dad's stuff on the wall."

Former Pitt receiver Jonathan Baldwin poses with his son, Jaden. Nearly 20 years after his father's Panthers career ended, Jaden has committed to Pitt's 2027 recruiting class.(Courtesy of the Baldwin family)

But his decision to commit to Pitt goes beyond the legacy of his dad and grandfather. Jaden is excited about how coordinator Kade Bell runs his offense, and the 6-foot, 175-pound receiver thinks he could contribute there right away.

"When I was in a meeting with Coach Bell, I saw his offense was really explosive," Jaden said. "The guys were getting open everywhere. It's like, why not want to go somewhere [where] I get the opportunity to play and make plays?

Narduzzi had also made a strong impression on Jaden.

"He's a family person," Jaden said. "He really cares about the players. He calls me a lot and checks up on me and sees how I'm doing mentally, physically and with football, as well."

And so, Jaden wanted to play for Narduzzi and the Panthers - not just follow in his father's footsteps.

And when it comes to NIL, Jonathan feels he has raised Jaden to focus on what he views as the most important aspects of college.

"I didn't raise my son to chase the next dollar," he said. "We're going to college to be a student and an athlete. Whatever comes with that, comes with that."

‘Surpass his legacy'

Jaden grew up knowing the weight of his father's name.

Jonathan is one of two receivers in Pitt history to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. The other is Larry Fitzgerald. The Kansas City Chiefs picked Jonathan at No. 26 overall in 2011.

Jonathan - who was listed at 6 feet 4 and 225 pounds while in the NFL - showed flashes in his two years in Kansas City. He averaged 16.3 yards per catch on 20 receptions in his second season.

Jaden's favorite football highlight of his father was his catch against Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins in Jonathan's rookie year. He hauled in a 49-yard pass behind Dawkins' back, though the play was wiped out by a penalty.

"That's probably the greatest catch I've seen," Jaden said.

Unfortunately, Jonathan's NFL career lasted only three seasons. The San Francisco 49ers waived him after the 2013 season. He was claimed by the Detroit Lions but was let go after he failed a physical.

Today, Jonathan is trying to help his son avoid the pitfalls that he faced as a player. Knee injuries were a nagging issue in his career dating back to college, and Jonathan believes it held him back at times.

"[I tell Jaden to] be vocal about what's going on, if you have an ailment," Jonathan said. "Don't just try to fight through it. I don't want him to have to go through the same thing I had to go through, trying to fight through knee injuries."

Still, despite that disappointing end to his playing career, Jonathan Baldwin remains royalty among Pitt wide receivers - and that's saying something given the Panthers are tied for the most Biletnikoff award winners in NCAA history.

His 2,337 career receiving yards at Pitt rank eighth in program history. In terms of an individual receiving season, he is in the top 10 there, too.

He racked up 1,111 receiving yards in 2009 to help Pitt go 10-3. Frank Cignetti Jr. was Jonathan's offensive coordinator in that special season.

"He was a difference-maker," said Cignetti, who is now an assistant coach with the Steelers. " ... He made my job easier."

Watching his dad's highlights all these years later, Jaden finds motivation - instead of feeling pressure.

"I trust him when I train, and I just know if I keep doing that, I'll be able to surpass his legacy," Jaden said.

As soon as Jaden said that, Jonathan jumped in.

"As a father, that's what you want your kids to do," Jonathan said. "I don't want him to go and be under me [in Pitt records]. I want him to go to Pitt and be No. 1."

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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 8:04 AM.