Pitt in the Pros
WATCH: Calijah Kancey Continues to Impress in NFL Playoffs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have lost to the Washington Commanders, but former Pitt star Calijah Kancey continued to show up in the playoffs.
Kancey was only credited with one tackle (solo) and a tackle for loss, but he impacted the game all night with the way he slashed into the backfield. His speed off the line forced Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels off plan all night.
It’s the continuation of a strong playoff career with Kancey, who has recorded seven tackles (five solo), three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup in three games.
“Calijah Kancey has been outstanding,” NBC broadcaster Cris Collinsworth said on the broadcast. “He’s a star in the making here.”
“Calijah Kancey has been outstanding. He’s a star in the making here.”
– Cris Collinsworth on the former #Pitt star⏬ pic.twitter.com/eWoMIfVIIg
— Karl Ludwig (@LudwigKarl8) January 13, 2025
Kancey missed the first month of the season with an injury but emerged as an impact defensive tackle down the stretch, racking up 28 tackles (22 solo), 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Kancey racked up 26 tackles (19 solo), 10 tackles for loss, four sacks and a pass breakup in 14 games last season, all starts. He missed most of the first month of the season and emerged upon entering the lineup as one of the more impactful young defensive tackles in the NFL.
And in two playoff games, he recorded six tackles (four solo), two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup.
The sky is the limit for Kancey. He’s an undersized defensive tackle with the sort of twitch and get-off speed that’s nearly impossible for opposing offensive linemen to stop. He flashed last season, despite his youth and inexperience, and he’s doing it again this season.
The Buccaneers drafted Kancey with the 19th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, and when healthy, he’s rewarded the Bucs with stellar defensive line play.
Kancey put together one of the best Pitt careers in recent memory, earning his spot in the NFL after a standout career in Pittsburgh — arriving as a little-recruited three-star out of the Miami area.
Kancey 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) during his time at Pitt.
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 are almost unheard of.
In his Pitt career, through just three seasons, Calijah Kancey recorded 91 tackles (52 solo), 34.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. It was a career that started fast and only got faster on the way to immediate success at the NFL level.
