Pitt’s Calijah Kancey remembers those who recognize, boost his impact on college football
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The people who have impacted Pitt All-American candidate Calijah Kancey’s life can be found in many corners of the U.S.
Some teach football. Others offer motivational words of encouragement. One even sells candy and bags of snacks.
• Pitt defensive line coach Charlie Partridge is one of them, drilling his players on the fields of the South Side. “If there’s anything I need or any rep I can get better at, he always has an answer,” said Kancey, a defensive tackle who will make his 29th consecutive start for Partridge on Saturday against Duke. Kancey also credits Partridge for making sure his players go to class.
• Former Pitt defensive linemen Patrick Jones, Rashad Weaver and Jaylen Twyman have scattered to three separate NFL cities after Kancey said they showed him what it takes to be good. “I want to thank those guys,” he said.
• Kancey said he also learned just by watching Aaron Donald work out in Pitt’s weight room during the offseason. “His work ethic. He doesn’t want to lose,” Kancey said.
• Kancey even expressed gratitude toward Syracuse coach Dino Babers, who called him an NFL player after he helped lead Pitt’s dismantling of the Orange’s offensive line Nov. 5. “That’s big time,” Kancey said of Babers’ compliment.
But on the day Kancey was named one of four finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given to the nation’s top defensive player, he reached far into his past to remember two others who helped, each in a special way.
As a 9-year-old in Miami’s Pop Warner League, Kancey was a running back, but he also liked to tackle people.
“My youth football coach told me I can’t play D-line unless I play offensive line,” he said. “I gotta help the team.”
Young Calijah liked living in the trenches and soon lost interest in running with the football.
He needed to gain weight to play on the line. So Kancey turned to Miss Morgan, one of Miami’s so-called Candy Ladies, women who traveled the neighborhoods selling snacks to kids.
Kancey’s snack of choice — Hot Cheetos — sounds like a sponsorship deal waiting to happen.
But such ancillary items must wait. There are two games remaining in Pitt’s regular season, and he wants the team to finish strong.
“I’m just focused on beating Duke and beating Miami,” he said.
When he heard that coach Pat Narduzzi told officials at the Virginia game that Kancey and defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado are “unblockable,” Kancey answered flatly, “That’s our mindset. Nobody can block us, the D-line as a whole. We want to be unblockable. That makes the game easier.”
What Narduzzi meant was he wanted officials to be aware of offensive linemen who have no other option but to illegally impede his players’ progress to the ball carrier.
Instead of waiting for help from the officials, Kancey decided it’s best to find a solution himself.
“I know we get held. We can’t do anything about it,” Kancey said. “We have to find a way to beat the blocks a little quicker, more violent.”
Quietly, he gets the job done.
“The way he approaches the game is very mature,” Pitt middle linebacker SirVocea Dennis said. “He’s not really worried about the media, not worried what people say about him, no matter if it’s good or bad.”
If he does declare for the 2023 NFL Draft — he’s eligible as a fourth-year junior — he will remind some NFL scouts of Donald in terms of height and weight. Kancey is 6-foot, 280 pounds. Donald, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is an inch taller but the same weight.
When he first met Donald, Kancey was surprised at his size.“On TV, he looks way bigger,” he said.
“I think Aaron Donald paved the way for defensive tackles my size,” said Kancey, who is Pitt’s first Nagurski finalist since Donald in 2013. “You have to play with good technique. I know I can’t lack in technique or pad level.”
Kancey considers his smaller stature an advantage.
“Offensive linemen don’t like smaller or quicker defensive linemen,” he said.
Kancey is strong and quick — “twitchy” is the term coaches like to use — but he also enters each game with a plan.
“Always have an answer for what the offensive lineman is doing,” he said. “Watching film and seeing what he gets beat with, what he’s good at, what he lacks and just taking advantage of that.”
Armed with that knowledge, Kancey leads all tackles with an average of 1.4 TFLs per game (14 total, 34 career). He also leads Pitt in sacks (seven), helping the Panthers top the nation with 37. His Pro Football Focus pass rushing grade of 91.5 leads all Power 5 interior defenders.
Narduzzi said he appreciates Kancey’s work ethic, demeanor and steadiness.
“All he does is work,” the coach said. “He shuts his mouth and he plays ball.”
No one has a better view of Kancey’s ability to disrupt than Dennis.
“When I know something good is going to happen, I just laugh, really,” he said. “There he goes again.
“That’s a bad man. I’m thankful he’s on our team.”
Notes: Pitt running back Izzy Abanikanda was named a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award. … Defensive end Deslin Alexandre is a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award that recognizes leadership. … Kancey was named a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s best interior lineman.