Pitt Football

HEIGHT: 5'10 1/8"

WEIGHT: 216

HAND: 8.25"

ARM: 32"

WINGSPAN: 76"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.39

3-CONE: 7.14

SHUTTLE: 4.32

VERTICAL: 41"

BROAD: 10'8"

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POSITIVES

— NFL-ready frame. Has the size and muscle of a lead back.

— Good top-end speed. Can generate big runs when given a runway.

— Above-average balance at the second-level. Finds ways to keep his feet under him.

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NEGATIVES

— Tall, upright runner. Loses the leverage battle often. Can struggle to get his pads low and fight through traffic.

— Poor vision and conviction between the tackles. Can be too hesitant to get downhill.

— Below-average lateral ability. Not explosive; struggles to make players miss in space.

— Limited third-down value right now. Not an experienced pass-catcher or blocker.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 11 G, 239 ATT, 1,431 YDS (6.0 AVG), 20 TD; 12 REC, 146 YDS, 1 TD

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NOTES

— DOB: October 5, 2002

— 3-star recruit in 2019 class, per 247 Sports' composite rating

— 17 career starts

— 2022 first-team All-ACC

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OVERALL

Israel Abanikanda is a swing on trying to tame a highly athletic, highly unstable runner.

In many ways, Abanikanda has the profile of an NFL starter. He has the frame and requisite strength to be a lead back. Both between the tackles and at the second-level, Abanikanda shows nice balance and the ability to trudge forward through contact to pinch out extra bits of yardage. He also does a great job of finding ways to come to balance after his lower body gets chopped at, allowing him to stay on his feet and continue running.

Abanikanda also has the speed of a legit starter. Abanikanda can fly once he clears the second-level, showing off great burst and top gear to pull off explosive plays. His combination of size and speed make him a threat to rip off a touchdown from anywhere on the field.

That being said, Abanikanda has a long way to go when it comes to the finer aspects of the position. For once, Abanikanda's vision and conviction is troubling. He struggles to consistently anticipate rushing lanes, especially between the tackles. Moreover, Abanikanda too often looks hesitant about pressing forward and committing to rushing lanes. That will hurt him a lot in the NFL.

Abanikanda is a fairly stiff runner, too. He runs high and tight, which hurts him in a couple ways. Primarily, Abanikanda's style means he has issues with leverage and playing behind his pads, which saps him of some of the strength he flashes at times. He is also stiff in the hips. Abanikanda can have issues changing directions sharply, and he's not really the type to shake a defender clean in space.

Abanikanda is going to need time in the NFL. His vision and third-down skills will require a lot of work before he can excel in a starting role. That said, Abanikanda's bundle of size, speed and adequate power make for an enticing dice-roll on Day 3.

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GRADE: 6.0 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 185

POSITION RANK: RB19

PRO COMPARISON: Ke'Shawn Vaughn

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

HEIGHT: 6'0½"

WEIGHT: 226

HAND: 10⅝"

ARM: 32⅞"

WINGSPAN: 78"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.64

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: 4.36

VERTICAL: 41.5"

BROAD: 10'5"

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POSITIVES

– Moves well, is quick and springy, which allows him to get from point A to point B in a hurry.

– Good eye discipline in zone coverage and has the athletic ability to take away throwing lanes as the middle hook defender.

– Against the run, he takes on blocks with his hands and has long arms to get extension if he gets stronger. He also showed flashes of the ability to escape blocks with an arm-over move if he can survive at the point of attack.

– Good speed allows him to disguise blitzes pre-snap and catch offensive linemen sleeping to get penetration unblocked; his speed also gives him good sideline-to-sideline range.

– High-motor hustle player who will make touchdown-saving tackles down the field.

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NEGATIVES

– Undersized for an NFL linebacker.

– He can be a little too aggressive when coming downhill versus the run and get caught in the trash.

– Needs to add strength; he'll get pushed around by offensive linemen and get stuck on blocks, as he lacks the strength to stack and shed. Even struggles to defeat blocks using a flipper.

– Has a habit of lunging and leaving his feet to make tackles, leading to misses.

– Against play action, he could afford to work for more depth on his drop or turn and use the "robot" technique (roll over and back) instead of backpedaling.

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2022 STATS

– 12 G, 94 total tackles (42 solo), 12 TFL, 7 SK, 1 INT, 3 PD, 2 FFs

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NOTES

– Born March 9, 2000

– A 2-star recruit in the 2019 class, No. 3,130 overall, No. 225 OLB, per 247Sports' composite rankings

– Injuries: 2023 (Foot, missed Senior Bowl game and missed NFL Scouting Combine workout), 2021 (Undisclosed, missed 1 game)

– 27 career starts

– 2022 Honors: Third-Team All-American (Pro Football Focus), First-Team All-ACC

– 2021 Honors: Second-Team All-ACC, All-ACC Academic Team

– 2020 Honors: Third-Team All-ACC

– Brother, SirVantis, played football at Albany

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OVERALL

SirVocea Dennis has a background as a defensive back, having played there in high school, and that shows up on his college tape. He's quick and a good athlete with impressive instincts in zone coverage. However, his run defense is a work in progress.

Dennis needs to spend time in the weight room. He struggles at the point of attack and gets stuck on blocks, often getting driven backward several yards by offensive linemen. That being said, he does take on blocks with his hands and has long arms to help get extension, so his issues are fixable if he can add size and strength.

Schematically, the Pittsburgh product would be best as a "Will" linebacker in even fronts to take advantage of his speed and mitigate some of his issues against the run. He also shows a lot of traits that will transfer to special teams, which he has some experience playing in college, mainly as a sophomore and junior.

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GRADE: 5.6 (Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7)

OVERALL RANK: 238

POSITION RANK: LB15

PRO COMPARISON: Eric Wilson

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 251

HAND: 10 1/2"

ARM: 33"

WINGSPAN: 80 1/2"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.78

3-CONE: 7.11

SHUTTLE: 4.44

VERTICAL: 35"

BROAD: 10'0"

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POSITIVES

– Good length and has a nice frame that he can put some weight on if need be.

– As a run defender, he has good hand placement on the offensive lineman's chest and has the strength to get extension and create stalemates versus one-on-one blocks from tackles.

– He's solid at setting the edge against pullers as the force player against gap runs or against offensive tackles on outside zone runs.

– Effective when slanting, he has efficient footwork and the athletic ability to make offensive linemen miss when working laterally. This also translates when he's working as the looper in line games as a pass-rusher.

– He has a couple of decent outside pass-rushing moves that he can win with; hesitation to cross-chop or hand-swipe.

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NEGATIVES

– Slow run-pass transitions versus play action.

– Subpar pad level and leg drive diminish his ability to win with a bull rush/power moves when rushing the passer.

– Doesn't have an inside pass-rushing move that he can win with to keep offensive tackles honest. Lacks the quick twitch to help in this regard.

– As a pass-rusher, he struggles against snatch and trap techniques against high-level competition. He lets tackles get to his chest and ends up on the ground too much.

– Not bendy to turn tight corners around the edge at the top of the rush. Ankles look a little stiff.

– Lacks violence when attempting to shed blocks, limiting his production.

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2022 STATS

– 9 GM, 25 total tackles (9 solo), 5 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 PD

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NOTES

– Born: September 6, 1999

– Grew up in Rome and started playing football there at the U16 and U19 levels before moving to Clearwater, Florida, for his senior year of high school

– A 3-star recruit in the 2018 class, No. 885 overall, No. 51 WDE, per 247Sports' composite rankings

– 23 career starts

– Injuries: 2020 (lower body, limited to 4 games), 2022 (undisclosed, missed 4 games)

– 2022 Honors: All-ACC Academic Football Team

– 2021 Honors: Second-Team All-ACC

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OVERALL

Habakkuk Baldonado is unique, seeing as he's one of the few NFL draft prospects—if not the only prospect—who has experience playing against full-grown adults. Before moving to the United States as a senior in high school, he played in Italy's FIDAF league and for Team Italy, where he was discovered and invited to finish his prep career in Florida.

After racking up 30.5 sacks stateside, Baldonado headed to Pittsburgh, where he eventually became an All-ACC player.

As far as his transition to the next level, the Panther is a solid run defender who would be best as a hand-in-the-ground defensive end for a team that uses even fronts. He does have a couple of pass-rushing moves that he can win with on the outside, but the lack of an inside counter and his suboptimal bend are concerning.

Ultimately, Baldonado is an intriguing Day 3 prospect who could have a high ceiling given that he is still relatively new to the game.

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GRADE: 6.3 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 159

POSITION RANK: EDGE17

PRO COMPARISON: Tashawn Bower

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 281

HAND: 9 1/8"

ARM: 30 5/8"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.67

3-CONE: 7.00

SHUTTLE: 4.36

VERTICAL: 33.5"

BROAD: 9'4"

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POSITIVES

— Lightning-quick off the ball, good reaction to the snap and accelerates off the line of scrimmage very well.

— Sets up his pass-rush moves well by getting to square on the offensive lineman and giving himself a two-way go. Mixes up his speeds too to test the lineman's foot quickness.

— He has a dirty swim move that he uses as a counter off the bull rush, using his quickness and limber lower half to get on an edge and change the angle on the blocker.

— Also has a nice hesitation to cross-chop move that he can win with as a pass-rusher.

— Overall, solid at working the hands when rushing the passer.

— Good bend for a defensive tackle.

— As a run defender, he has natural leverage and is physical at the point of attack, which can help him overcome some of his strength deficiencies against one-on-one blocks.

— When slanting or penetrating, he keeps his feet moving through contact, and his pad level allows him to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage.

— Hustle player who will factor into gang tackles down the field.

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NEGATIVES

— Significantly undersized for an NFL defensive tackle.

— As a run defender, he takes on blocks with a narrow base and will struggle to hold ground one-on-one against interior offensive linemen who have a good anchor and can survive his initial surge.

— Lacks upper-body strength and has short arms to get extension against linemen. This also makes shedding blocks much more difficult for him.

— Not gap-disciplined, will leave his assignment early and create a lane for running back to exploit against zone runs.

— As a pass-rusher, he needs to finish his moves with a more violent rip to prevent blockers from hanging on to him.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 11 GM, 31 TOT, 14.5 TFL, 7.5 SK

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NOTES

– DOB: March 1, 2001

– A 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, No. 850 overall, No. 63 DT, per 247Sports' composite rankings

– Injuries: 2022 (Shoulder, missed two games)

– 29 career starts

– 2022 Honors: First-Team All-American (several outlets), Defensive Tackle of the Year (College Football Network), Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist, Outland Trophy finalist, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-ACC

– 2021 Honors: First-Team All-ACC, Third-Team All-American (AP)

– 2020 Honors: Freshman All-American (FWAA, Rivals, The Athletic)

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OVERALL

As an undersized defensive tackle from Pittsburgh who was the first unanimous All-American at the position since Aaron Donald, Calijah Kancey has drawn some comparisons to arguably the best interior defender in the game.

Like Donald, Kancey won't pass a lot of size thresholds but is extremely quick and can win in the trenches with athleticism. He's very impressive with a slew of moves and movement skills that can put offensive linemen in awkward positions in their pass sets. However, defending against the run can be a different story.

That's where Kancey's lack of size and strength is apparent. He'll likely struggle against one-on-one blocks at first in the NFL, and it will be a while until he can hold up against double-teams. There's a chance the latter will never be part of his game.

For comparison's sake, Donald was an inch taller and five pounds heavier at the NFL combine than Kancey's listed height and weight at Pitt. In other words, the team that drafts Kancey is betting on him to be a major outlier.

That also makes his scheme fit a challenge. Size-wise, the Panther profiles best as an even front defensive end, but that would be a different spot than what he played in college, and he still doesn't have the desired length to play in that role.

The team that selects him will be looking for an interior pass-rusher who might develop into a three-down player with more time in the weight room. But again, that team will be betting on a big outlier.

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GRADE: 7.6 (Potential Impact Player/2nd round)

OVERALL RANK: 37

POSITION RANK: DL4

PRO COMPARISON: Dominique Easley

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder

Friday's Sun Bowl between the No. 18 UCLA Bruins and Pittsburgh Panthers left social media buzzing, as Pitt overcame a late deficit and hit a game-winning field goal with just four seconds remaining, giving the Panthers a 37-35 victory in El Paso, Texas.

UCLA led by as much as 14 in the second half, but Pittsburgh scored 20 unanswered points to take a six-point lead into the latter stages of the fourth quarter.

The Bruins seemed like they were out of it after senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson exited the final collegiate game of his career in the fourth quarter with an apparent back injury, but backup Ethan Garbers led a touchdown drive that put UCLA back up 35-34 with 34 seconds remaining:

THE BRUINS TAKE THE LEAD WITH 0:34 SECONDS LEFT @UCLAFootball pic.twitter.com/bNxGIlmtdP

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 30, 2022

Pitt quarterback Nick Patti came through in the clutch, though, completing 18- and 17-yard passes to Jared Wayne and Bub Means, respectively, before scrambling for 11 yards to set up kicker Ben Sauls' fifth successful field goal of the game:

BEN SAULS DRILLS IT TO GIVE THE LEAD BACK TO @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/bKnKsYVcfF

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 30, 2022

Given the drama and back-and-forth nature of the matchup, observers on Twitter were left in a state of shock:

THE SUN BOWL ALWAYS DELIVERS

— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) December 30, 2022

The Sun Bowl is completely drunk. pic.twitter.com/ngg2QWKp21

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 30, 2022

WOW what game the Sun Bowl was! 🔥🔥🔥

— Ray Cartwright (@RayCartwright) December 30, 2022

TONY THE TIGER PUT SOMETHING INTO THOSE FROSTED FLAKES BECAUSE THIS SUN BOWL IS WILD. NICK PATTI. PITT. UCLA MADNESS. AHHHHHH.

— 𝒦𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝒴𝑜𝓁𝓀 𝒮𝓅𝑜𝓇𝓉𝓈 (@knewyolk) December 30, 2022

This Sun Bowl game is INSANE

— Brigadier🪖Bronco (@BrigadierBronco) December 30, 2022

What a finish in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl! Wow!

— Drinkin’ Bourbon & Talkin’ Sports.com (@DBTSportsMNP) December 30, 2022

What a drive by Pitt!! What a finish in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl!

— Blake Heitman (@blake_heitman) December 30, 2022

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl verdict. pic.twitter.com/B4XBQNLfIi

— Bill Bender (@BillBender92) December 30, 2022

The Sun Bowl has been the best bowl so far.

— Tod Hess (@railfan514) December 30, 2022

Damn.. how does UCLA lose like that #SunBowl

— Wardo (@mister_eddiee) December 30, 2022

The No. 18 Bruins were in search of their first 10-win season since 2014 and seemed to be well on their way to getting there, but their offense largely stalled in the second half.

It was a tale of two halves for DTR, who put up big numbers and had UCLA ahead 21-14 at the break before a second-half collapse.

While Thompson-Robinson did throw three interceptions, he also tossed two touchdowns and rushed for another.

The senior signal-caller was on pace for over 500 passing yards, but he couldn't get anything going in the second half and went just 1-of-5 for seven yards with no touchdowns and one pick after the break.

UCLA extended its lead to 28-14 in the third quarter on a pick-six, but Pitt tied it up with two touchdowns, including one off Thompson-Robinson's third interception. DTR did not return after that pick, and while no official injury was announced, it was noted on the broadcast that he appeared to be getting his back worked on.

Even without Thompson-Robinson, the Bruins were in position to win the game, but their defense simply couldn't hold up.

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly will undoubtedly be second-guessed over some of the decisions he made in the loss, and the focus will now shift toward who will be under center for the Bruins next season following the departure of DTR.

UTEP basketball coach Joe Golding exhibited his holiday spirit to help several Pittsburgh football players get to El Paso, Texas.

Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi told reporters on Monday that Golding and his family drove three Panthers players—Samuel Okunlola, Jake Frantl and Hudson Primus—from Dallas to El Paso after their flights on Christmas Day were canceled.

"Joe Golding, head basketball coach at Texas-El Paso here in town ... him and his wife and child, they picked up and took our three guys and drove them because the flight was delayed to get them here for practice," Narduzzi said. "They got here late last night. Just want to give a shoutout to those guys."

Golding tweeted Okunlola, Frantl and Primus are "terrific young men" who made him a Panthers fan after they "educated me on Pitt football and Stack'd burgers."

My family and I were blessed to give a ride to Samuel, Jake,and Hudson. They were terrific young men that represented Pitt football in a first class manner. I educated them on West Texas, they educated me on Pitt football and Stack’d burgers! I’m a Pitt football fan now! https://t.co/assHQx1RhL

— Joe Golding (@CoachJoeGolding) December 26, 2022

In an interview with KTSM NBC in El Paso, Golding said he "didn't even think twice about" helping out in the situation, and Narduzzi gave him the go-ahead after the players exchanged information with the UTEP coach to make sure everyone was safe and comfortable with the situation:

Just spoke with @UTEPMBB coach Joe Golding about driving his family + 3 @Pitt_FB players 9 hours from Dallas overnight to get them to El Paso for the Sun Bowl (@TonyTheTigerSB).

"I didn't even think twice about it...I would hope someone would do that for my kids." pic.twitter.com/0sOwT383X7

— Colin Deaver (@ColinDeaver_) December 27, 2022

Golding added the players made it to all of their scheduled events and were on time for Monday's 9 a.m. practice.

The Panthers are in El Paso to play UCLA in the Sun Bowl on Friday.

Golding is in his second season as head basketball coach for the Miners. The 47-year-old has a 28-18 career record at UTEP, including an 8-4 mark through 12 games this season.

Ahead of next week's season opener, Pitt has made its decision on its starting quarterback for the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia.

Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi named USC transfer Kedon Slovis the starter against the Mountaineers, the school announced Wednesday.

Pat Narduzzi names Kedon Slovis as Pitt's starting QB for the Backyard Brawl.#H2P » #BeatWVU pic.twitter.com/i1bqSqorcY

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) August 24, 2022

Slovis will have big shoes to fill at Pitt as he will be replacing Kenny Pickett, who led the team to an ACC championship last season and was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former Trojan beat out redshirt senior Nick Patti for the starting job.

An Arizona native, Slovis traveled across the country for an opportunity to start in the wake of a change in regime at USC. Former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley was hired to the same position with the Trojans, and Slovis entered the transfer portal in December. Shortly after entering the portal, he announced in The Players' Tribune that he will spend his final two years of eligibility as a Panther.

"I was so excited when Coach Narduzzi called, because I knew that Pitt and this program were the right fit for me to keep developing into the best leader I can be," Slovis wrote. "I'm ready to win now--and talking to the players who are returning, and seeing how hungry they are for next season, that got me pumped. They have a lot of talented players coming back."

In three seasons at USC, Slovis made 26 starts and threw for 7,576 yards, 58 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. There is a chance he's matched up against a familiar face in his Pitt debut, as ESPN's Pete Thamel reports West Virginia is expected to start former USC quarterback JT Daniels for the Sept. 1 opener.