Two players participating in the Sun Bowl have achieved All-American honors.
Pitt defensive tackle Calijah Kancey earned first team All-American from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, and UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet was named to The Associated Press College Football All-America Team.
Kancey is the third Pitt defensive player in the past three seasons to be named a first team Walter Camp All-American, joining 2020 honoree’s Patrick Jones II and Rashad Weaver.
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.
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, from Miami, has been one of college football’s most dominant. He compiled 31 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games played. Kancey averaged 1.32 tackles for loss per game to rank 16th 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.).
UCLA’s Charbonnet was selected as the all-purpose player on the second team.
The senior has racked up eight 100-yard rushing games this season, topped by a pair of 198-yard performances in wins against Utah and Stanford, and has a chance to equal the school record of nine for a season held by Johnathan Franklin. His total of 1,359 rushing yards (15th in nation) this season has made Charbonnet the ninth Bruin to record back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He is just the second player in UCLA history to record at least 150 yards rushing over three straight games (also Karim Abdul-Jabbar in 1995). Charbonnet is also third on the team in 2022 in receptions with 37 for 321 yards.
Charbonnet leads the nation in all-purpose yards this season with a 168.0 yards per game average. He is also fourth in the nation in rushing yards per game average (135.9) and rushing yards per carry average (6.97). All three figures place him at the top of the Pac-12 Conference listings. He was also chosen first team of the 2022 Football Writer’s Association of America Team.
MORE PLAYERS TO WATCH
UCLA BRUINS OFFENSE
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (6-1, 205, Sr.)
250-358 passing (69.8%), 2,883 yards, 25 TD, 7 Int, 240.5 yards per game; 631 yards rusing, 11 TD
RB Zach Charbonnet (6-1, 220, Sr.)
1,359 yards, 7.0 yards per carry, 14 TD, 135.9 yards per game
WR Jake Bobo (6-5, 215, Sr.)
54 catches, 789 yards, 14.6 yards per catch, 7 TD, 65.8 yards per game
WR Kazmeir Allen (5-9, 175, Jr.)
49 catches, 403 yards, 8.2 yards per catch, 2 TD, 36.6 yards per game
OG Atonio Mafi (6-4, 340, Sr.)
Second-team All-Pac-12
UCLA DEFENSE
JB Laiatu Latu (6-4, 265, Jr.)
33 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
LB Darius Muasau (6-1, 230, Sr.)
77 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 int, 1 forced fumble
DB Mo Osling III (6-2, 195, Sr.)
82 tackles, 2 pass breakups
PITT PANTHERS
OFFENSE
RB Israel Abanikanda (5-11, 215, Jr.)
1,431 yards, 6 yards per carry, 20 TD, 130.1 yards per game
WR Jared Wayne (6-3, 210, Sr.)
55 catches, 1,012 yards, 18.4 yards per catch, 5 TD, 92 yards per game
WR Konata Mumpfield (6-1, 180, So.)
51 catches, 473 yards, 9.3 yards per catch, 1 TD, 43 yards per game
OG Marcus Minor (6-4, 325, Sr.)
First-team All-ACC
PITT DEFENSE
DL Calijah Kancey (6-0, 280, Jr.)
31 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 Sacks, 10 quarterback hurries
LB SirVocea Dennis (6-1, 230, Sr.)
94 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 7 Sacks, 1 Int, 2 forced fumbles
S Erick Hallett II (5-11, 190, Sr.)
47 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 Int, 2 forced fumbles
NOTABLE
UCLA: The Bruins are looking for their 10th win, which would match the program’s all-time mark accomplished nine previous times.
UCLA is 19-13 against teams in the current ACC, beating Virginia 34-16 to start the 2015 season.
Pittsburgh: The Panthers closed the season with four straight victories. A win over UCLA would give them 20 in a two-year span, something the team last accomplished in 1981 and 1982 with Dan Marino at quarterback.
LAST TIME
UCLA 38, Pittsburgh 28, Sept. 16, 1972.
BOWL HISTORY
UCLA: The Bruins are playing in their fifth Sun Bowl, where they’re 3-1 in past appearances. UCLA is 16-19-1 in bowl games.
Pittsburgh: The Panthers are 2-2 in their previous four trips to the Sun Bowl.
Overall, they’re 14-22 in their bowl history.
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