4-star safety Byron Baldwin recommits to Indiana: ‘Indiana has been there for me from the start’

Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy four-star safety Byron Baldwin backed off his pledge to Indiana on Oct. 2. Colorado and UCLA soon emerged as contenders for the 6-foot-1, 180-pound defensive back, with the Buffaloes hosting him for an official visit from Sept. 20-22. 

Baldwin reopened his recruitment to make sure he was making the best decision for him and his family. Less than two months later, he decided that the right place for his college football career is Bloomington and has recommitted to the Hoosiers. 

“Indiana has been there for me from the start,” Baldwin told On3. 

Baldwin was back at Indiana last weekend to tell head coach Curt Cignetti the good news. That trip came after he saw the Hoosiers defeat Nebraska 56-7 on Oct. 19. 

“That visit was huge,” said Baldwin, the No. 135 overall prospect in the 2025 On300. “Since I committed, I’ve always been an advocate for the new IU. I recruited Davion Chandler. Before he committed, they showed me his film and I loved what I saw. He’s been my guy ever since. I’ve recruited guys like him, Triston Abram and Kyler Garcia. For me to be there and be with them is big because they are like my brothers. I talk to Seaonta Stewart as well. When we were on the phone, he said, ‘I can’t leave my guys.’”

Along with watching Indiana’s big win, Baldwin spoke with Cignetti before the game. His father also talked with the Hoosiers’ head man and after those conversations, the No. 4 player in Maryland knew he was going to “go back to Indiana.” 

“Going to St. Frances Academy, I’ve learned a lot about family and how you’re supposed to treat the people you love. You’re not supposed to leave the people that you love. They are the people who are starting to realize who I am. Our guys have been with me from the start and I feel like I’m going to be with them from the start as well. I’m going to take them all with me. They’re my guys.” 

Baldwin is excited to play for Cignetti

Cignetti and his staff notched a massive win on the recruiting trail by getting Baldwin – also the No. 13 safety in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking – back into the Hoosiers’ 2025 recruiting class. He is currently the highest-ranked prospect pledged to the Big Ten program. 

“What makes coach Cignetti special is his system,” Baldwin said. “If you go through coach Cignetti’s resume, he’s won everywhere he’s been. First, he was a wide receivers coach for Nick Saban at Alabama. That was where he built his foundation. Then, he went to Elon, flipped Elon around and just came from James Madison. JMU has been winning consistently over the past couple of years. That is because of his formula. Coach Cignetti is strict, he wants things to be done his way and that’s how it’s going to be playing for him.”

Indiana has already hosted Baldwin multiple times, including for an official visit. The four-star is confident that the program will help him become a better player. 

“Learning from coach Cignetti’s coaching with how strict he is with his guys and knowing myself, I’m going somewhere where it means business,” Baldwin said. “I know that’s going to be great for me and I’m going to help that program out. Since my first time being on the phone with coach Ola Adams, he’s expanded my knowledge of the game. He’s taught me a lot. Over these next three-to-four years, I will know so much more about football and be so much better. I really do love Indiana. Indiana speaks to my heart. I love the culture there and I feel like Indiana is home.”