Last season, Pitt had seven players earn All-Conference honors. On Thursday morning, Athlon Sports released their 2021 All-ACC team predictions, and on the four teams, six Panthers received a nod to be recognized. None cracked the first team, but Pitt had two players in each of the second, third, and fourth.
Second Team
SirVocea Dennis, junior linebacker: Dennis earned All-ACC third-team honors in 2020, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him at this spot. The Syracuse, N.Y. native recorded 57 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in 10 games (two starts) last season.
Kirk Christodoulou, redshirt senior punter: Christodoulou was named a second-team All American by Pro Football Focus in 2020, and was also a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award. Last season, Pitt’s net punting average of 41.94 yards was good enough for a school record, and Christodoulou had 23 punts inside the 20-yard line. The Melbourne, Australia native trained with the Prokick Australia program, where recent Pitt punter commit Sam Vander Haar also attends.
Third Team
Jordan Addison, sophomore wide receiver: As a freshman in 2020, Addison hauled in 60 catches for 666 yards and 4 touchdown, leading the Panthers in all three categories. He was the runner-up for ACC Rookie of the Year, and was named a Freshman All-American by The Athletic, Rivals and 247 Sports. Addison was also an All-ACC honorable mention
Calijah Kancey, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman: Kancey racked up 27 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 11 games (four starts) in 2020. The Miami native was named a Freshman All-American by The Athletic, the Football Writers Association of America, and Rivals.
Fourth Team
Deslin Alexandre, redshirt senior defensive lineman: In 11 games (two starts) in 2020, Alexandre tallied 18 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a fumble recovery. He was named to the All-ACC academic team for the second straight season.
Damarri Mathis, redshirt senior cornerback: Mathis missed all of 2020 with a shoulder injury, but had 11 pass breakups and two interceptions to go along with 23 tackles in 2019. With a fourth-team projection, Athlon Sports thinks the veteran corner from Lakeland, Fla. will bounce back strong in 2021.
