Inside The Panthers

SirVocea Dennis, Calijah Kancey Pick Buccaneers Jersey Numbers

The two Pitt Panthers the Buccaneers drafted have picked their jersey numbers.

Stephen Thompson

SirVocea Dennis, Calijah Kancey Pick Buccaneers Jersey Numbers
SirVocea Dennis, Calijah Kancey Pick Buccaneers Jersey Numbers /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected two Pitt Panthers in the 2022 NFL Draft in defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and linebacker SirVocea Dennis. Those two have just begun their NFL careers. This week they have started to see their new homes and meet their future teammates with rookie minicamp just over the horizon. 

Part of officially becoming NFL players means they will have to pick jersey numbers and they did so this week. Kancey will wear No. 94 and Dennis will take Kancey's college No. 8. Dennis wore No. 7 while he was at Pitt but veteran starting running back Leonard Fournette has already laid claim to that number. 

Before he shattered all-time records with his speed and quickness at the NFL Combine and Pitt's Pro Day, Kancey, the 19th overall pick in the draft by the Buccaneers, was a unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year this past season after recording 31 tackles, 14.5 for a loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games this year.

Before the Buccaneers took him with the 153rd overall pick, Dennis was a stalwart middle linebacker for two seasons, leading the Pitt defense from the inside. He earned All-ACC recognition three years in a row, climbing from the third team in 2020 to the second team in 2021 and ending up on the first team in 2022. He even earned third-team All-American honors from Pro Football Focus last season and was named a finalist for the Dick Butkus Award, given annually to college football's best linebacker. 

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and so much more!

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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