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Tennessee football at Pitt: Five Panthers to watch for against Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

Kedon Slovis (9) of the Pittsburgh Panthers prepares to handoff the ball during the first half of the Backyard Brawl against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on September 1, 2022.Pitt Vs West Virginia Backyard Brawl
Kedon Slovis (9) of the Pittsburgh Panthers prepares to handoff the ball during the first half of the Backyard Brawl against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on September 1, 2022.Pitt Vs West Virginia Backyard Brawl /
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Sep 25, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado (87) takes the field to warm up before the game against the New Hampshire Wildcats at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado (87) takes the field to warm up before the game against the New Hampshire Wildcats at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Habakkuk Baldonado. player. Scouting Report. Edge rusher. r-Senior. Pick Analysis. 3. 866

6’5″ 260 pounds

If you are a team that had trouble protecting your quarterback the previous year, Habakkuk Baldonado is your biggest threat. Such is the case for Tennessee football, which allowed 44 sacks last season. Hendon Hooker had his own problems avoiding the sacks, and that makes Baldonado an even bigger threat to the Vols.

Last year, Baldonado led Pitt in sacks with nine. He also forced and recovered a fumble. Make no mistake, he torched the Vols last year too. Against UT, he had two sacks and three total tackles. UT allowed five sacks in the game, which was a huge reason they lost, as Hooker and Joe Milton III before him were hit a lot.

Baldonado has already continued that into this year, as he assisted in a tackle for a loss, deflected a pass and had three overall tackles against WVU. Obviously, he’ll have a greater test against the Vols, but this was a strong start for him, and he’s once again a threat to Rocky Top.

When you consider the fact that the Vols still don’t have a guaranteed starter at left tackle, Baldonado could be a huge threat to them. Josh Heupel will have to keep an eye on him at all times. Otherwise, he could once again wreak havoc on the offense.

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