Pitt lineman Keyshon Camp declares for 2022 NFL draft

Pitt sustained a costly loss to its defensive unit on Monday night, as Pitt defensive tackle Keyshon Camp announced that he would forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the 2022 NFL draft. Camp was the third member of defense to announce his departure from the team on Monday, as Pitt linebacker Cam Bright and Pitt defensive lineman Noah Palmer both entered the transfer portal earlier in the day.

“To everyone at the University of Pittsburgh, I will never forget all the memories we made these last couple of years, from walking through campus to running out the tunnel at Heinz Field on Saturdays,” Camp said in a message posted on Twitter. “After countless prayers with my family, I’m officially making the decision to transition my time and attention into getting ready for the 2022 NFL draft.”

The 6’4”, 290-pound defensive tackle came to Pitt in 2016 as a coveted recruit out of Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida. At the time, he was considered a four-star prospect and one of the top 30 defensive tackles in the nation, and as such, he held offers from Alabama, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and USC. But Camp ultimately decided to commit to Pitt.

After a redshirt season, Camp immediately seized a starting role in 2017 but saw his season shortened by an injury. That would unfortunately prove to be a theme in Camp’s college career, as his 2018 season was also cut short by an injury after seven games. And in 2019, Camp suffered a season-ending injury in the first half of Pitt’s season opener.

With that said, Camp would have better luck in his final two seasons, and he would play in a total of 16 games in 2020 and 2021. The defensive lineman would finish his Pitt career with 59 tackles, 6.5 tackles for losses, 3.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 34 games.

Camp could justify his decision to move on to the professional ranks with a strong pro day or combine performance in the coming months, but at the moment, he is not on the radar of many draft analysts. And with that in mind, the lineman could face a tough road ahead.

Pitt, on the other hand, is well positioned to move on from the loss of Camp, as the team has Tyler Bentley, Devin Danielson, Dorien Ford, David Green, Deandre Jules and Calijah Kancey all set to contribute on the interior of the defensive line in the coming season. Pitt’s defensive line depth also explains the early departure of Palmer, who had aways to climb on the depth chart before he would see the field regularly as a member of the Panthers.