Six Pitt Players Invited to NFL Combine
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will be well represented at this year's NFL Combine. Six former Panthers have been invited to participate in drills and interviews at professional football's premier college scouting event.
The six Panthers who will make the trip to Indianapolis, Indiana in three weeks are defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, running back Israel Abaninkanda, safety Brandon Hill, offensive tackle Carter Warren, linebacker SirVocea Dennis and defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado.
Kancey is the biggest name on this list. The Panthers' stud defender was a unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year this past season after recording 31 tackles, 14.5 for a loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games this year. A shoulder injury that kept him out of Pitt's regular season finale and bowl game has not tanked his raft stock - Pro Football Focus recently had Kancey as the No. 39 overall prospect in the draft this year.
Abanikanda, an explosive running back who carried the Pitt offense for long stretches, became the first Panther rusher to hit the millennium mark when he rushed for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns and finished second in ACC Player of the Year voting.
Baldonado battled injuries this season but left behind an impressive legacy at Pitt. A member of Pitt's two Coastal Division squads and the 2021 ACC Championship team, he amassed 99 total tackles, 15 sacks, 22.5 tackles for loss, two passes defended and a forced fumble in 40 career games. Baldonado impressed scouts at the Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas last week.
Warren was an essential piece of the offensive line that blocked for 2021's record-setting Pitt offense and earned second-team All-ACC honors for his contributions. Warren was a candidate for the draft at the end of last season but decided to give it one more year as a Panther. He played four games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury midseason. He attended the Shrine Bowl but did not play while he rehabs that same shoulder injury.
After leading the Panthers in tackling for the past two seasons, Dennis was an All-ACC second-teamer in 2021 and a first-team backer in 2022. This season he earned third-team All-American consideration from Pro Football Focus and was named a Butkus Award semifinalist. He practiced all week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama but sat out of the game at the end of the week with a foot injury that is not serious, according to reports.
Hill was a surprising loss for the Panthers this offseason but he was impressive enough over his career to earn a combine invite. Hill ended his time as a Panther having recorded 162 total tackles, three interceptions, eight passes defended, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was an All-ACC second-teamer last season and earned an honorable mention this past year.
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