Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis drafted by Buccaneers in 5th round, 1 of 6 Panthers selected
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Unless your last name is Manning, college players can’t manipulate the NFL Draft to land in a desired spot.
Former Pitt linebacker SirVocea Dennis’ professional fate rested with the 32 NFL teams, but ending up in Tampa, Fla., with the Buccaneers on Saturday surely looked like a predestined event.
Dennis, an All-ACC first-team linebacker, was drafted in the fifth round (No. 153 overall ) by the Buccaneers. He is one of six Pitt players chosen over seven rounds, tied with the classes of 2021, 2004 and 1992 that were led by first-round picks Kenny Pickett, Larry Fitzgerald and Sean Gilbert.
Pitt’s haul tied Clemson for the ACC lead and ranked fifth nationally. That was the big picture.
In Dennis’ case, his connections to the Tampa/St. Petersburg were among the highlights of Pitt’s role in Day 3 of the NFL Draft
• Dennis’ father, SirVantis, was born in St. Petersburg, Fla., and many family members still reside there.
• Two days earlier, Dennis’ Pitt teammate, defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, was drafted by the Buccaneers in the first round.
• One more event in Dennis’ life made it almost a rule that he needed to get drafted by the Bucs.
“Growing up I, actually, had this Derrick Brooks jersey that he signed, and I never, I never took it off,” Dennis said in an interview posted by Buccaneers.com after he was selected. He met the Buccaneers Hall of Fame linebacker “when I was very young.”
“Then, when I got older, to really polish my game and study film and study the game, I, of course, watched (Bucs linebackers) Lavonte David and Devin White to see how they maneuver, how they take the game. Just be a pro. Those guys really showed me a lot.”
Dennis said the Bucs’ defensive scheme is similar to what he played at Pitt.
“In coach (Pat) Narduzzi’s defense, he likes to be aggressive. He likes to get downhill and make plays,” he said. “I believe this is the right scheme for me. Hopefully, the coaches do, as well. I’m ready to play well with a defense like this that is so aggressive, gets after the ball and has fun on defense.”
Reuniting with Kancey is an unexpected bonus.
“(The Bucs) are getting an animal, real workhorse, real dog, competitor,” Dennis said of Kancey. “An even better guy and teammate. He’s something special. I’m glad I can be with him for another (period of) time.”
Dennis said his military upbringing — his father won a Purple Heart while serving in Iraq — helped mold him from a student-athlete into the pro football player he will soon become.
“It molded me a lot, just to be a respectful young man, a person who takes accountability very seriously, takes responsibility very seriously, just discipline,” he said. “At the end of the day, you have to do things you don’t want to do, just to get the job done or just to live every day life. It taught me to do it with your head held high and with a sense of purpose.”
Dennis’ on-field instincts were a big reason he was drafted. At no time during his time at Pitt was Dennis’ nose for the football more evident than the 27-17 victory against Clemson at then-Heinz Field in 2021. Blitzing from his middle linebacker spot, Dennis stepped in front of a shovel pass from quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, secured it and ran 50 yards into the end zone. It was, perhaps, the most dramatic play not made by quarterback Kenny Pickett during the Panthers’ ACC championship season.
Dennis also was a force in the ACC championship game against Wake Forest, making a season-high 12 tackles and a career-high two sacks. He led Pitt in tackles for the 2021 and ‘22 seasons, with 87 and 94, respectively.
During those seasons, he never failed to fill up his stat line. Last season, he tied for the team lead in forced fumbles (two) and finished second in TFLs (12) and sacks (seven). In 2021, he collected 9 ½ TFLs, four sacks, a blocked field goal, fumble recovery and the interception against Clemson. He was third-team All-ACC in 2020, improving to second team in ‘21 and first team last year.
Narduzzi likes to tell the story of how he found Dennis “by accident.”
“I popped into his high school (The Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J.),” Narduzzi said. “We just were going there to say hello to the coach and see if they had any underclassmen.”
The Peddie coach mentioned Dennis’ name and showed Narduzzi video highlights from the season on his phone.
When Narduzzi met him, he asked Dennis if he could dunk a basketball and he responded in the affirmative, texting photos as proof.
Pitt quickly offered a scholarship and got a commitment from Dennis, beating his hometown school, Syracuse, by a couple of hours.