Calijah Kancey may not have won any individual hardware at the College Football Awards Show Thursday night, but he has brought home another All-American honor.
Kancey was named a first-team Walter Camp Football Foundation — the oldest All-American team in the country voted on by the 131 FBS coaches and sports information directors — first-team All-American. He’s the first Pitt defender to earn Walter Camp All-American honors since Rashad Weaver and Patrick Jones in 2020.
It’s Kancey’s third first-team All-American honor this offseason, also being honored by CBS Sports and PFF.
With 31 tackles (17 solo), 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks this season, Kancey finished second in the ACC in tackles for loss and third in sacks as an interior defensive lineman — despite missing a game and a half.
In his Pitt career, through nearly three seasons, Kancey has recorded 91 tackles (52 solo), 34.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.
“Calijah has been absolutely outstanding all season long and is highly deserving of this honor,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said in the release. “As both a run stopper and rushing the passer, he has been tremendous. On behalf of our entire program, I want to congratulate Calijah on receiving this award. He has absolutely earned it.”
Kancey earned the ACC Defensive Player of the Year honor this season, was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski and Outland Trophies and College Football Network’s Defensive Tackle of the Year.
Kancey isn’t playing in Pitt’s Sun Bowl appearance against No. 18 UCLA later this month after undergoing minor surgery, and he has not yet announced his intentions for next season.
Congratulations