Florida TE Kyle Pitts intends to forego the Gators’ bowl game and his senior season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft, he announced via Twitter on Sunday.
The Gators’ star pass catcher is one of eight semifinalists for the John Mackey Award as college football’s top tight end. He is an elite receiving threat, with speed and quickness to get open on deeper routes and the length to win contested catches in traffic with a 6-foot-6, 246-pound frame. He got extensive experience in the slot position in the Gators’ offense.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah studied Pitts’ game tape earlier this year and came away highly impressed with his ability to get open, comparing him to Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller. Jeremiah also sees a need for Pitts to add strength and size to improve his blocking, particularly at the point of attack.
He played in eight games for UF this season and caught 43 passes for 770 yards, capping his college career with a big performance against No. 1 Alabama on Saturday in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game: seven catches, 129 yards and a touchdown.
“(No.) 84 (Pitts) and (No.) 1 are really serious mismatch players,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said following the game.