The time for preseason honors is nearing an end, but that doesn’t mean Pitt isn’t still racking them up.
Habakkuk Baldonado and Calijah Kancey have already been named officially named to the preseason All-ACC team, and a variety of outlets have named Pitt players to preseason All-ACC and All-American teams and nearly every major postseason award has named Pitt players to preseason watchlists.
Add another outlet with Pitt players making a preseason All-ACC team. PickSixPreviews has named six Pitt players to first and second team preseason All-ACC honors.
Carter Warren, who earned second-team All-ACC honors last season and spurned NFL interest to return to Pitt, is the only Pitt player named to the first-team offense.
Calijah Kancey, Pitt’s first-team All-ACC and third-team All-American from last season, is Pitt’s lone representative on the defensive first-team.
Israel Abanikanda and Owen Drexel were named to the second-team offense, coming off seasons in which Abanikanda led Pitt in rushing and receiving out of the backfield, and Drexel anchored the offensive line at center.
SirVocea Dennis and Brandon Hill, a second-team All-ACC linebacker and safety, respectively, last season, both earned preseason honors from PickSixPreviews. Dennis led Pitt in tackles this season while Hill emerged as Pitt’s leader in the secondary.
The notable omission, though, is Baldonado. As Pitt’s leader in sacks, a potential high NFL draft pick and a second-team All-ACC member last season, it’s a very curious omission.
