Inside The Panthers

NFL Execs Label Former Pitt Star as Breakout Candidate

A former Pitt star has been labeled as a breakout candidate this season by NFL executives and scouts, ESPN has learned
Karl Ludwig|
Oct 13, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey (94) run on the field against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Oct 13, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey (94) run on the field against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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Former Pitt star Calijah Kancey is entering his third season in the NFL, and there are many who expect big things this season.

ESPN asked NFL executives and scouts to predict the awards that will be handed out at the end of the season, including MVP, OPOY and DPOY, among other accolades, and Kancey was in that mix.

While the majority of execs and scouts picked San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall as the top breakout candidate, Kancey was one of the five players to receive a vote - alongside Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Guyton, Broncos cornerback Riley Moss and Texans safety Calen Bullock.

Kancey made his season debut with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend, and while he didn't record any stats, he was credited with four pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Kancey played in 12 games last season, missing time early in the season to injury, but he racked up 28 tackles (22 solo), 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

In his first two seasons in the NFL, missing eight games, he recorded 54 tackles (41 solo), 21 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.

The Buccaneers selected Kancey in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft (19th overall), following a standout career at Pitt.

Kancey earned unanimous first-team All-American honors as a redshirt junior, leading the Panthers with 31 tackles (17 solo), 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He wrapped up his Pitt career with 93 tackles (52 solo), 35 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, a forced fumble and three pass breakups.

Kancey came out of Pitt as an "undersized" defensive tackle, like his predecessor Aaron Donald, but he showed his speed (a record-setting 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine) and his technical ability leading up to the draft.

Kancey has shown that his pass rushing chops carried over to the NFL level, racking up 85 pressures and 53 hurries over his first two seasons with the Buccaneers.

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Karl Ludwig
KARL LUDWIG

Karl Ludwig is a Pittsburgh Panthers on SI sportswriter. He has spent the past three years covering the Pitt Panthers for a couple of platforms. While he did not attend Pitt, he grew up in the Pittsburgh area, attending North Allegheny Senior High School and Slippery Rock University. As a student at SRU, he served as the sports editor of SRU’s student-run newspaper, The Rocket, and provided award-winning coverage in football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer. It was at SRU that his love for sports journalism blossomed. Karl spent three seasons as the Pitt football beat writer for Pittsburgh Sports Now, following time as an intern for the Sports Now Network. His most recent coverage of the University was for Pitt Sports News of the On3/Rivals network. He’s also contributed to Athlon Sports and SB Nation’s Behind the Steel Curtain.

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