For now, Pitt’s SirVocea Dennis focused on sacks more than plans for future
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Middle linebacker SirVocea Dennis is nearing the end of his fourth season at Pitt, but he said Tuesday he remains undecided about his future. Does he return next season or declare for the 2023 NFL Draft?
Sorry, he’s not ready to discuss those plans.
“I’m just focused on this year,” he said.
Officially, Dennis is a senior, having played four seasons without a redshirt. But the bonus year granted by the NCAA — basically, the covid-19 season of 2020 doesn’t count — gives him the option of returning next season when he’ll be 23 years old.
Although he is eligible, Dennis has chosen not to participate in Senior Day activities Saturday before the Duke game at Acrisure Stadium.
“I didn’t do anything for the senior activities this year. I’ll leave it up to all the seniors,” he said.
In three seasons of regular duty, Dennis has shown an ability to find and follow ball carriers and get them on the ground.
In 10 games (two starts) as a sophomore in 2020, he recorded 57 tackles, including a career-high 14 ½ for a loss, four of which were sacks.
Last season, he added an interception and fumble recovery to his team-leading total of 87 tackles, 9 ½ for a loss, four sacks and a blocked field goal.
He again leads the Panthers in tackles this season with 74, 9 ½ for a loss (six sacks), four quarterback hurries and three pass breakups.
He has been a big part of Pitt’s ascension as the nation’s leader in sacks with 37. Pitt has at least two in every game and a total of 14 back-to-back against Syracuse and Virginia.
At one point this season, Pitt was fifth in the ACC in sacks, a standing that was unacceptable to the players, Dennis said.
“We sat down together as a team, not even the coaches, just players (after the loss to North Carolina on Oct. 29),” he said. “We realized we weren’t playing Pitt football. We weren’t getting after the quarterback as much as we wanted to.
“We diagnosed everything we needed to. That Syracuse game, we got after them (six sacks) and last week we did as well (eight).”