Calijah Kancey Named First Team Walter Camp All-American

PITTSBURGH—Pitt defensive tackle Calijah Kancey’s stature as one of the nation’s elite players was reasserted this evening when he was named a first team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
 
Unveiled during ESPN’s live telecast of The Home Depot College Football Awards, the 2022 Walter Camp All-America Team was selected by the nation’s 131 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coaches and sports information directors. It is college football’s oldest All-America squad, dating back to 1889.
 
Kancey is the third Pitt defensive player in the past three seasons to be named a first team Walter Camp All-American, joining 2020 honorees Patrick Jones II and Rashad Weaver.   
 
The Walter Camp recognition is the latest prestigious honor for Kancey, who previously was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-American by CBS Sports and Pro Football Focus. The 6-foot, 280-pound junior additionally earned College Football Network’s National Defensive Tackle of the Year award.

 

Kancey (Miami, Fla./Miami Northwestern) has been one of college football’s most dominant players regardless of position. He compiled 31 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games played.

 

Despite facing an array of blocking schemes designed to slow him down, Kancey averaged 1.32 tackles for loss per game to rank 16^th nationally and first among the nation’s interior defenders.

 

He spearheaded a Pitt defense that leads the country in sacks (3.75 avg.), ranks seventh nationally against the run (95.5 avg.) and ranks 19th in fewest total yards allowed (319.7 avg.).

 

The Walter Camp All-America squad is one of five used in the NCAA’s selection of an annual college football consensus All-America team. The other selectors, which will release their teams in the coming days, are Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Sporting News.

 

CALIJAH KANCEY POSTSEASON ACCOLADES

Walter Camp All-American (first team)

CBS Sports All-American (first team)

Pro…