Former Auburn Tiger Sal Canella inked a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday. Canella, who spend the 2017-2019 seasons of the Plains, had most recently played football in the UFL for the Arlington Renegades.

Signing former Tigers has become quite a theme for the reigning NFC South Champions. For the majority of the last three seasons Tampa Bay’s starting cornerbacks were both Tigers, with Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis holding down the fort. Now with Davis in Detroit, the 27-year-old Canella joins former Tigers K.J. Britt and the aforementioned Jamel Dean on the Buccaneers roster.

During his three years on the Plains, Canella accumulated just 330 yards, although he did find the end zone 5 times. He improved his numbers drastically during his professional career however, where his affinity with the end zone payed off in the UFL. The 27-year old is coming off a 2023 season in which he led the league with 6 receiving scores. He also added 496 receiving yards, good for fifth in the league.

While third year tight end Cade Otton is all but a lock to earn starting duties on the Bucs, Tampa’s depth behind Otton is extremely unproven. Canella has a golden opportunity to force his way onto the roster with a solid showing in training camp over the next few weeks. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end has the size and tools to be successful in the league. We’ll see if the former Tiger can earn a spot on the 53-man roster as training camp rolls on.