Pitt FB Recruiting
Chris Beatty and Pitt Working To Bring Virginia 3-Star WR Leon Haughton Jr. Back to Pittsburgh
Leon Haughton Jr. was born and raised in the Brighton Heights neighborhood Pittsburgh until he moved at the age of 10 years old because his mother accepted a job in in Richmond, Virginia, where he still lives.
Since that time, Haughton was worked hard to develop himself into a Power Five football prospect, as he’s currently a 2022 three-star wide receiver at Benedictine High School. Currently, Haughton holds offers from programs such as Arkansas, Boston College, Duke, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech Wake Forest and Pitt.
Pittsburgh Sports Now spoke Saturday afternoon with Haughton, who said that a big factor in his interest in the Panthers is the relationship that he’s developed with Chris Beatty and head coach Pat Narduzzi.
“I was first offered by Pitt I’d say probably back in April and since then, I’ve been in contact with Coach Beatty and Coach Narduzzi a lot,” said Haughton. “The one thing that I can say about them and that I’ve learned is that they’re very genuine guys and really seem to care about my well being and me as a person than as a football player. When you find and develop a relationship with people like them, that really stands out to you. I probably talk with those guys a few times a week.”
Courtesy of Leon Haughton
“When talking about Coach Beatty, if you’re looking for a great genuine guy who truly, truly cares about you. Someone that’s always asking about how you’re doing, how your family is doing and won’t bring up football at all, that’s the guy you want to talk to.”
Haughton had his junior season postponed last fall because of COVID-19 and moved until next month, which will start in late February or early March. Haughton is an imposing player on the field with his 6-foot-4 frame that can dominate in many different ways and like Jordan Addison did this year, believes he can make an impact as a freshman.
“I definitely heard about and was watching him (Jordan Addison) last year and how he made an immediate impact as a freshman with Pitt,” said Haughton. “To me, that shows that Pitt isn’t afraid to play and rely on freshman. That’s always a goal for a player, to make an immediate impact and to go a place where he know you’ll be given a chance to play. If you’re looking for a school that will give you a chance to do that, Pitt is definitely an option.”
Had a great camp day! @_DavidStadler Thanks for having me!! pic.twitter.com/1XuOlhnyHP
— Leon Haughton Jr (@Leonjr412) March 21, 2020
“I’m someone that has reliable hands. If a 50/50 ball comes my way, that ball is gonna be mine. I may be big but I consider myself a great route runner for my size. Defensive backs will definitely be challenged in trying to guard me.”
Following the end of his season in May, Haughton said he plans on significantly narrowing down his list of offers and will focus solely on those programs.
Along with Pitt, Haughton said that the schools he’s hearing from the most are Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Duke, Kentucky, Maryland and Nebraska.
