The ACC media sees two Pitt players as being among the best in the conference.

In the preseason all-conference team released Wednesday afternoon, defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado and defensive tackle Calijah Kancey were both selected. Baldonado received 54 votes, second to Clemson’s Myles Murphy (120 votes). Kancey was on 62 ballots, trailing only Clemson’s Bryan Bresee.

The 2022 All-ACC preseason team stands in contrast to last year, when Pitt didn’t have any preseason all-conference selections.

Baldonado, a redshirt senior, was a second-team All-ACC selection last season after posting 11.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks, including seven tackles and one sack in the ACC Championship Game against Wake Forest.

Kancey is one of the top pass-rushing defensive tackles in college football. Last year he posted 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks on his way to first-team All-ACC honors and a third-team All-America selection by the Associated Press.

The 2022 All-ACC preseason team was headlined, naturally, by Clemson. The Tigers had six players selected. N.C. State was next in line with five, including quarterback Devin Leary, who was named Preseason Player of the Year.

Of the 24 players on offense and defense who were selected to the All-ACC preseason team, just six are from the Coastal Division. In addition to Baldonado and Kancey, the Coastal was also represented by North Carolina receiver Josh Downs, Miami tight end Will Mallory, Virginia all-purpose player Keytaon Thompson and Miami offensive tackle Zion Nelson.