If anyone knows just why Calijah Kancey went in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Matt Goncalves is a pretty good bet.
Goncalves wasn’t directly responsible for stopping Kancey during practices over the last few seasons, considering Goncalves was a tackle and Kancey was an interior player himself, but they clashed on more than a few occasions during their time at Pitt.
“Some of them were rough,” Goncalves told Pewter Report at the NFL Combine. “Some of those scrimmages you would get into fights, blowing each other off the ball and stuff, one side wins, another side wins, so I’d say it was a great battle. He’s taught me a lot of lessons on the field, off the field and he’s just a great person in general.”
Kancey, who earned All-ACC and All-American honors in 2022 before being selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in last year’s draft, was a dominant force during his three seasons at Pitt. He was the 2022 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-American (just the 13th player in program history to earn unanimous honors in 2022).
He racked up 31 tackles (17 solo), 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 2022, in just 11 games, as he cemented himself as the leading interior pass rusher in college football — the No. 1 trait that attracted NFL teams in his draft cycle. His speed and quickness at 281 pounds were almost unheard of.
Goncalves, who is looking to join Kancey in the NFL next season, wasn’t at all surprised by Kancey’s instant impact at the NFL level — 26 tackles (19 solo), 10 tackles for loss, four sacks and a pass breakup in 14 games last season, all starts.
“Seeing his past season, his rookie season, I’m very proud of him,” Goncalves said. “We all knew, it wasn’t a big surprise to us because we knew how strong, how special and how fast of a kid he is. And the things he did at Pitt, playing against him every day, there was no doubt in my mind that he was going to have a season like he did.”
Goncalves hasn’t been able to work out or test for teams so far this offseason, as he recovers from a season-ending injury suffered against West Virginia last season, but he’s a legitimate NFL Draft prospect in his own right now.
He’s a big (6-foot-6, 330 pounds) offensive lineman, with experience at left and right tackle, who bided his time in Pittsburgh to emerge as a team captain and starting left tackle in the 2023 season. Unfortunately, his senior season was cut short due to injury. He started all three games he played in last season, filling the crucial left tackle pivot, and he was expected to break out even further after a strong 2022 season.
Goncalves earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2022, taking 830 snaps last season, which only trailed fellow lineman Jake Kradel offensively, and he flashed the ability to play on either side of the line in the process.
He finished his career with appearances in 35 games (making 21 starts dating back to 2020), and his size and versatility should entice NFL personnel looking for a potential starting-caliber offensive lineman down the line.
He earned a 71.9 PFF offensive grade in 2022, with 76.2 in pass blocking and a 67.2 in run blocking, in 830 snaps — starting all 13 games last season. According to PFF, he didn’t allow a sack while allowing five quarterback hits and 12 quarterback hurries. In 165 snaps last season, he allowed just four pressures, three hurries and no sacks.
Goncalves may not be facing off against Kancey right off the bat, but there’s the potential for another matchup down the line as the Pitt men continue their NFL journeys.
The 2024 NFL Draft is scheduled to kick off on April 25, 2024, with Detroit’s Ford Field hosting the three-day spectacle this time around.
Another case for never ever playing the hoopies. They win by ruining our season. Did it in ‘21 and ‘22. F**k the sportswriters who at worst get a paper cut.