Pitt FB Recruiting
Da’Ron Barksdale Details Pitt Commitment: ‘It Meant a Lot More Than Football’
The past 24 months have been all but normal for Steel Valley 2026 prospect Da’Ron Barksdale.
In June of 2023, just as his freshman year of high school was wrapping up, he started to receive his first handful of offers, including from Pitt and West Virginia.
As Barksdale looked to take the next step as a sophomore, he tore his MCL in just the second game of the season. That injury caused a major setback in his recruitment. On pace to becoming one of the top defensive back recruits in the country, things slowed down in a hurry for the then four-star recruit.
While many coaches went silent, there was one program that continued to build a relationship and that was Pitt.
Everything finally came full circle this weekend when Pitt gave Barksdale the green light to commit.
“The last couple days have been stressful,” Barksdale told Pittsburgh Sports Now.” At the same time, it’s a blessing. It’s an honor. I was indecisive which school to go to. I kind of just trusted my gut and my family to go to Pitt.
“One thing about me is I don’t really forget. For them to stick with me through everything, it wasn’t just an offer for me. Plus it’s hometown. I have friends there. I had family members that played for Pitt; Todd Hill, the list goes down. It meant a lot more than football and an offer.”
Da’Ron Barksdale on a Pitt unofficial visit. Photo courtesy of Da’Ron Barksdale
Barksdale recently came off of a UConn official visit and schools like James Madison, Akron and Sacramento State were in consideration, but when he talked to head coach Pat Narduzzi and the rest of the staff, they were excited that he was becoming a piece of the Panthers’ 2026 class.
“It was genuine. The one thing about them is they always stayed connected in a way even when they didn’t have to. They treated me like family when they didn’t have to,” Barksdale said.
Part of the journey that Barksdale dealt with was showcasing his skills following his injury. He worked out in front of the Pitt staff, and while there were some areas that needed tweaked, the coaches saw the grit and the potential.
“They wanted to see me for the first time. Once they seen it, they loved stuff,” he said. “There was pro and cons, especially with a high school player and a 2A player. All the bad stuff was able to be a fix like getting looser in a way. From what I’ve seen and the conversations they had, they loved it.
“I showed a lot of ball hawking skills, small twitchy moments and showed how elusive I am and change of direction.”
Steel Valley defensive back Da’Ron Barksdale — Nathan Breisinger / PSN
Pitt views the 5-11, 175-pound three-star prospect as a safety as he continues that safety pipeline from Steel Valley to Pitt with Paris Ford and Cruce Brookins.
“It’s great. It’s an honor. It’s something that I dreamed of watching both of them play football, but also, I want to make my own legacy. I want someone to follow in my own footsteps in a way. All I got to do is keep my head down and trust myself,” Barksdale said.
In the end, Barksdale has a message for Narduzzi and the Pitt staff that took a chance on him.
“I told Coach Narduzzi and everybody, I’m going to give everything I got as long as I can give it,” Barksdale said. “They’re going to get a lot out of me because they stood with me through everything. Through the rough times when I was even hurt, showed up at my school knowing that I’m not going to work out. Little stuff like that meant so much and it goes a long way. I’m ready to get down there already.”
Check out the Hudl highlights of Da’Ron Barksdale here.
