Calijah Kancey: “I’m Gonna Run Through Your Face”
August 12th, 2025
Calijah Kancey means business.
So Calijah Kancey led the Bucs with 7 1/2 sacks last season in just 12 games. That’s a beastly total for a defensive tackle, and Kancey had more tackles for loss and quarterback hits than Vita Vea, despite playing in four fewer games.
Baller!
The Joe typing here believes Kancey staying healthy and finally playing a full season may be the most important X-factor for the Bucs defense this season.
At 24 years old, Kancey is a student of the game and was happy to talk ball during his sitdown Thursday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Kancey gave a mini-masterclass on dictating offensive linemen play. Here’s a snippet:
“Depending on who you are, they play you different ways. They so-called see me as a speed guy,” Kancey said of league and offensive linemen pereception of his play.
“So they always thinking, ‘Alright, he gonna run up field. He going to do this speed rush. He gonna do this. He gonna go inside. Whole time, I’m gonna go with power. I’m gonna run through your face. I’m gonna show you that I’m strong, as well. So like, it’s little things like that. And it is really just the chess match; you make a move, I make a move. But it’s really just setting it up for when I actually want to hit my move. Just running through your face, probably the first three quarters, not even hitting the move until the third quarter, fourth quarter, because I’m trying to get him to play how I want him to play.”
The Bucs need their young legs on defense to rise up, man up and very much carry the unit, Joe believes. Kancey and fellow 2023 draft picks YaYa Diaby (edge rush) and SirVocea Dennis (inside linebacker) should be primed to play their best ball, along with cornerback Zyon McCollum and DT Logan Hall in contract years.
If all those five young veterans can take another step, then Joe won’t be too worried if old-timers Lavonte David and Vita Vea show their age.
August 12th, 2025 at 11:27 am
100% agree! We need these young vets to peak and be playing their best football!
August 12th, 2025 at 11:53 am
Take care of those calves young man!
August 12th, 2025 at 11:54 am
The really important question – how is he at dropping into deep zone coverage and covering kicks? Got be be versatile to play for Todd.
August 12th, 2025 at 11:54 am
LFG!!!
August 12th, 2025 at 12:16 pm
He’s been compared to the greatest DT of all time ( Aaron Donald)
I’m expecting 10-12 sacks from him this season
August 12th, 2025 at 12:17 pm
If old-timers Lavonte David and Vita Vea show their age? Those are the 2 defenders that I worry least about showing their age Joe. A much bigger concern to me is that our youngsters show THEIR AGE.
And out of curiosity, how many of Kancey’s 7.5 sacks were gotten with Vea on the field? Folks keep calling Kancey a DT, but in this defense I think he operates more like a DE, as does Hall (Bucs label them as ‘DLs’ but Pro-Football-Reference & some others refer to Kancey & Hall as DEs). Vea kinda usually takes on the middle of the OLine it looks like, with our 2 DEs more in 1 v 1 match-ups.
Bucs get generally good pressure from our 3 front guys, but it too often looks like our OLBs are stressing contain much more than rushing the passer full throttle. Got a hunch though that’s exactly what Todd wants them to do. Last year for instance our DLs got 24 sacks, while our OLB group got only 13.
August 12th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
great article Joe!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
August 12th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
Bubble wrap him until opening day. Being healthy is all that matters.
August 12th, 2025 at 1:16 pm
seems like the kancey-man just might be around and suiting up for week 1 football……how good is that !!!
August 12th, 2025 at 1:23 pm
If he can be the poor man’s Aaron Donald that’s a great return with Vea next to him. The difference between the two of them is Donald had a first step that was incredibly fast. Kancey is good but probably not to that level. If he gets 10 sacks and better at the run then that means he’s playing at a Pro Bowl DT level. That’ll make everyone happy.
August 12th, 2025 at 1:35 pm
This year has been more difficult than usual for my “human nature”! Part of me looks at this Bucs team and thinks all kinds of unbelievable thoughts. This team just looks so good on “paper” and now even seems to be adding some decent depth.
But ‘human nature” wants to look for what could possibly happen on the way to a 3rd Lombardi? A LOT eh?
August 12th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
i say the best way to come back from even or behind is to get ahead early.
sounds odd but the math holds according to analytics.
essentially you burn up too much energy catching up and dont have enough left for the close.
clancey is an excellent player, but we didnt beat the redskins in the playoff because we couldnt get the ball back – meaning we got closed out. if clancey is able to keep the redskins qb from making that one play joe played the tape on we advance to the next round imo.
August 12th, 2025 at 2:30 pm
Great post, Joe! Loving what Kancey said.
August 12th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
Everyone blows Carter on the eagles. Kanceys numbers are right there if not better considering the games kancey missed
August 12th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
He sounds like a boxer setting his man up for the punch’s he wants to deliver to set up a knockout punch, it’s heady stuff for a young guy to do But that’s always been said about him, now do it for 17 games. I would be interested to see his first step and moves compared to Donald and Freeney. Another guy to compare would be the great Alan Page.
August 12th, 2025 at 2:55 pm
We could have top 5 units on both sides of the ball if Defense goes off….. That would be nice for the 50th season.
August 12th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
On both sides of the trenches the Buc’s are now playing some “smash mouth” football. This season should be fun!
August 12th, 2025 at 3:36 pm
Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.
Do it. Produce results. I’m sick of empty talk. Even more sick of rookie QBs and scrubs looking like prime Dan Marino against this defense.
August 12th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Sounds good to me.
August 12th, 2025 at 7:04 pm
If Kancey can stay healthy, he’s going to be a star.
August 12th, 2025 at 8:40 pm
Hayward the DT for the Steelers wants out.
We need a 3rd elite DT to rotate with Vea.
Vea only play half the game.
We suffer a huge decline in play 50% of the game when Vea subs out!
We go from the best pure NT in the NFL to Greg Gaines! Who is 5-11!
We need a legit 3rd DT!
Trade 2 WR, a CB and a safety for a DT!!!
August 12th, 2025 at 9:45 pm
Cameron Hayward??
He turns like 53 this year.
August 13th, 2025 at 6:52 am
Well Aqua sea man, if he’s versatile enough to drop deep enough and swim through your menagerie of shhtt and kick you square in the azz then I’ll say he got it covered buddy
August 13th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
“teacherman Says:
August 12th, 2025 at 8:40 pm
Hayward the DT for the Steelers wants out.
We need a 3rd elite DT to rotate with Vea.
Vea only play half the game.
We suffer a huge decline in play 50% of the game when Vea subs out!
We go from the best pure NT in the NFL to Greg Gaines! Who is 5-11!
We need a legit 3rd DT!
Trade 2 WR, a CB and a safety for a DT!!!”
Greg Gaines superbowl champ? Aaron Donald 99 offered to restructure his contract to keep Gaines on the Rams. Go look at the Rams ’21 film on Gaines.
Seems he’s been having some injury issues. Missed almost all of training camp. Last two games of the season he kicked ass. I’m betting he’ll be healthy and play very well.