Former Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis Will Play ‘Big Part’ for Bucs in 2024

Dennis was the first Pitt inside linebacker to be selected in the NFL Draft since Scott McKillop in 2009 — joining outside linebackers Ejaun Price (2011) and Rashad Weaver (2021) in being drafted.

Dennis, who was just a two-star recruit out of Syracuse, N.Y. in the class of 2019, grew into one of the most impactful linebackers in Pitt history — and easily one of the smartest players in Pitt history. And now he’s showing the same in Tampa.

Dennis’ intelligence, his ability to connect with teammates and coaches and truly understand the game of football, was a key reason for the development in the Pitt linebackers room. There likely wasn’t a smarter player in Pitt’s locker room last season.

Of course, it’s hard to miss Dennis’ prowess on the field, too. He was a missile, sometimes maybe even a bit too eager in his pursuit, but he hit hard — and often. He led Pitt in tackles in each of his final two seasons, racking up a combined 22 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions along the way.

In his Pitt career, Dennis racked up 232 tackles (117 solo), 36 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, two interceptions (one for a touchdown), three pass breakups and forced three fumbles — while serving as a team captain.

And perhaps even more impressively, according to Pro Football Focus, he missed less than 5% of his tackles in 2022. He graded out as one of the top-ranked linebackers in college football in 2022, leading Pitt in run defense and tackling ratings. But it’s that added versatility that has landed him on NFL radars.

SirVocea Dennis hasn’t had the chance to show his prowess at the NFL level yet, but according to his head coach, that’s about to change.