Tag: Kyle Pitts

WATCH: Urban Meyer calls Kyle Pitts ‘most impressive player in 2020’

The former Gators coach spoke on FOX Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff show and gave high praise to Florida’s star tight end – best in the country.

Ahead of Florida’s game against Texas A&M on Saturday, former Florida Gators head coach — who won two national championships at the helm of the Gators and coached Heisman Trophy-winner Tim Tebow — took to the airways to sing songs of praise about Florida’s electric tight end, Kyle Pitts.

“Kyle Pitts to me is the most impressive player in 2020. I know they’re going to say Justin Fields, who hasn’t played yet, Trevor Lawrence hasn’t been challenged yet… I know there’s other players, he’s the most impressive player in 2020 so far.”

The three-time National Championship winning skipper described Pitts as a dual-threat in the same vein that Reggie Bush and Percy Harvin were for their respective position at halfback and gives a diagrammatic description of the mechanics of what a talented pass-catcher at the tight end position can do for one’s offense. Long story short, having Pitts coming off the edge of the offensive line gives quarterback Kyle Trask a lot more field to operate his offense in.

The entire clip can be watched below.

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Panthers potential 2021 NFL draft targets: Florida TE Kyle Pitts

Let’s take a look at Florida’s Kyle Pitts, the most athletic tight end in college football.

Over their first four games, the Panthers have displayed a strong offense. Robby Anderson is having a career year, D.J. Moore is steadily producing, and Teddy Bridgewater is performing efficiently. Once Christian McCaffrey returns, this team looks like one that could average 30 points a game. However, they are not a powerhouse offense quite yet. There’s still one missing piece. Ian Thomas is progressing, but has not proven to be a true No. 1 tight end. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from in this upcoming 2021 NFL draft. Let’s take a look at Florida’s Kyle Pitts, the most athletic tight end in college football.

Profile:
6-foot-6, 245 pounds
Projected 40 yard dash: 4.45 seconds
Pitts is essentially a wide receiver in a tight end’s body. He possesses elite speed, textbook route running, excellent hands and insane hops for his size. Pitts not only possesses great hands, he makes contested catches look easy by using his leaping ability, body control and long arms. The other things that make Pitts so dangerous are his short area quickness and route running. Those two traits go hand in hand, as Pitts has proven many times his ability to cook defensive backs and linebackers in short space.

Pitts in an absolute matchup nightmare for defenses. Teams can’t put linebackers on him because he will outrun and shred them in short yardage. Teams can’t put safeties or nickel corners on him either because of the size mismatch. The only way to slow down Pitts is with a physical, prototypical safety or linebacker who can press him hard at the line of scrimmage and run with him down the field. However, if Pitts can learn how to consistently break press coverage, he would be unstoppable.

Highlights:

Pitts vs. Ole Miss

Pitts vs. Towson

2019 highlights

How he compares:
Pitts, Penn State’s Pat Friermuth, Miami’s Brevin Jordan and Michigan’s Nick Eubanks are the top tight ends in this year’s class. Friermuth and Pitts are head and shoulders above the others but have very different profiles. Friermuth is a much better blocker than Pitts and still shows tremendous athleticism for a 6-foot-5, 255 pounder. However, Pitts is an absolute matchup nightmare and presents more versatility being able to lineup anywhere on the field. Having said that, offensive schemes will ultimately decide which tight end comes off the board first.

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Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher talks about matching up against UF’s Pitts

The Aggies head coach talked about the challenges of covering the tight end with Kyle Trask at QB in a video provided by the SEC Network.

It hasn’t taken long for Florida tight end Kyle Pitts to cement his reputation around the country.

Speaking to the media this week, the Texas A&M coach talked about how difficult it can be to contain Pitts (VIDEO), who has 227 yards and six touchdowns on 12 catches so far this season.

“He’s so unique and he’s a tight end, but he’s a wideout because he can block and do it, because he has such vertical skills and makes so many contested catches.”

Fisher said that a major component of what makes Pitts successful is his ability to leverage his 6-foot-6-inch frame to go up and get the ball. He also said that quarterback Kyle Trask plays a major role in that success, as he’s quite skilled at fitting the ball into tight coverages.

“It’s not only him getting open… but when he’s covered, he’s still not covered,” Fisher said. “And (Kyle) Trask does a really good job, I think one of the best of the quarterbacks, at throwing to covered guys and throwing them open. And what I mean is putting the ball where they can get it and no one else can get it. It’s a combination of Trask and him, but he’s such a unique talent because of his verticality, his versatility moving in and out… I mean, this guy runs like a wideout.”

Fisher doesn’t see the challenges as ending with Pitts, though. Between him and receivers Trevon Grimes and Justin Shorter, the Gators have three top targets that are 6-foot-4 or taller. Add in players like Kadarius Toney, who is a nightmare to bring down in the open field, and Fisher sees a number of challenges facing the A&M defense on Saturday.

“There’s matchup problems all the way across the board.”

Florida takes on the Aggies on Saturday at noon EDT in College Station, Tex.

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Florida’s offense vs Texas A&M’s defense is USA TODAY Sports’ Matchup of the Week

The game in East Texas features USA TODAY’s Matchup of the Week between UF’s dynamic duo of Kyles against A&M’s lackluster pass defense. 

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There are just over 48 hours until kickoff on Saturday between the third-ranked Florida Gators and the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies in College Station and with the big game just over the horizon, the sports media has been salivating over this matchup of top-25 Southeastern Conference teams.

While the biggest game in the SEC on Saturday will be No. 14 Tennessee traveling to take on No. 3 Georgia in Athens — USA TODAY Sports’ Game of the Week — the gridiron action taking place in East Texas features their Matchup of the Week between UF’s dynamic duo of Kyles against A&M’s lackluster pass defense.

Florida’s combo of QB Kyle Trask and TE Kyle Pitts vs. Texas A&M’s pass defense. The fourth-ranked Gators have averaged 44 points a game, largely due to the Trask-Pitts connection. Trask has thrown a SEC-leading 10 touchdown passes, six of them to Pitts, the strong, mobile and elusive tight end who leads the Football Subdivision in TD catches. The pair have led Florida to scoring 35-plus points in consecutive SEC games for the first time since 2012. The Aggies (1-1) are 10th in the SEC in pass defense, allowing more than 290 yards through the air. They gave up 435 passing yards in a 52-24 loss last week to No. 2 Alabama and will have to improve in a hurry to slow down the Gators.

Gametime is scheduled for noon EDT on Saturday at Kyle Field in College Station, Tex., and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Florida’s Kyle Trask, Kyle Pitts have draft stock soaring after dominant start

Good luck finding two faster-rising draft prospects that Florida’s dynamic duo of Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts

If you play for the Florida Gators, and your first name is Kyle, chances are your NFL draft stock is through the roof right now.

Now that the SEC’s delayed 2020 season has finally gotten underway, quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts are making the most of their opportunity to impress pro scouts with a dominant start.

Through two games, Trask has completed 51 of his 71 pass attempts (completion percentage of 71.8) for 684 yards, 10 touchdown passes and just one interception. He hasn’t had to use his athleticism much in the running game, but he’s been able to extend plays and make throws thanks to his mobility.

The largest beneficiary of Trask’s gaudy numbers has been Pitts, who has hauled in 12 passes for 227 yards and a whopping six touchdowns. Yes, half of his receptions have ended up in the end zone, and he’s averaging nearly yards per catch.

The 2021 NFL Draft class has a clear-cut trio atop the quarterback group, with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance all projected to go in the first round. After that, it’s anybody’s game, and no other prospect in the country is making a stronger case for that No. 4 spot right now than Trask.

Heading into this season, Pitts appeared to be in a three-way battle with Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth and Miami’s Brevin Jordan for the No. 1 spot in the tight end class. So far, Pitts has blown his competition out of the water, both on the field and in terms of draft stock at his position.

There’s still plenty of season left, but these two Gators have their draft arrows pointing in the right direction.

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PFF gives pair of Notre Dame linemen massive praise

Notre Dame’s offensive line has played at a high level we know, but just how high two members have played may surprise you.

Notre Dame has only played two games so far this season and their opponents in those two are a combined 1-6 on the season but praise is still being thrown in the direction of two Fighting Irish players.

Pro Football Focus has graded every Power Five player and today released their rankings for the highest graded non-quarterbacks this season that play at Power Five programs.

In that list, two Notre Dame players showed up in the top five.

Only Kyle Pitts, who already has six touchdown receptions in two games, outranks Liam Eichenberg who mans the left tackle position.  Then just two spots behind him is Jarrett Patterson who mans the center position seemingly as well as anyone in the nation.

This speaks to what we’ve said a lot here, that the best unit of any on Notre Dame is easily their offensive line.  The question with it that will come into play eventually is how it does in the run game against strong defensive fronts?

It was far from special against Georgia a year ago and downright disasterous in the late October affair at Michigan.

Can it take a significant step there when Pitt and Clemson show up on the schedule in the next month?

If the answer to that question is yes then you might be looking at a Notre Dame team that returns to the College Football Playoff.

If it’s a no then things are likely headed towards another plenty good, but far from truly great season for the Fighting Irish.

Florida’s Kyle duo has become unlikely force in the SEC

Neither of them was supposed to do this. Five years ago, Gators quarterback Kyle Trask was a senior quarterback at Manvel High School backing up current Miami quarterback D’Eriq King. The two-star recruit signed with Florida in a move many fans …

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Neither of them was supposed to do this.

Five years ago, Gators quarterback Kyle Trask was a senior quarterback at Manvel High School backing up current Miami quarterback D’Eriq King. The two-star recruit signed with Florida in a move many fans questioned. After all, why would UF want a quarterback who couldn’t even start at his high school?

Fast-forward to 2020, and Trask is setting the college football world ablaze. He has 10 passing touchdowns through two games, and he’s off to the best start of any Gators passer since Rex Grossman in 2001, who very nearly won the Heisman as a freshman that year.

His favorite target is tight end Kyle Pitts, who was a top recruit at his position. But even those most bullish on Pitts could have never seen the level of production that he has brought in 2020 coming.

Pitts has six touchdowns and 227 yards in UF’s first two games, a start unparalleled by any tight end in the modern era.

Both Kyles are receiving Heisman attention, and a feature from ESPN’s Alex Scarborough explores the relationship between the two and how they developed into the SEC’s most fearsome offensive duo.

This season the tandem has not only taken the SEC by storm but college football as a whole. The phrase “K2K” became a trending topic on Twitter when Trask found Pitts for four touchdowns in the season opener against Ole Miss.

Through two games, Pitts already has six touchdowns, which is tied for second most over a two-game span by an SEC player in the past 25 seasons. Trask, meanwhile, has become only the third player in conference history to have 10 passing touchdowns through his team’s first two games. The last player to do that was Tim Couch of Kentucky in 1998, and he went on to become a Heisman Trophy finalist.

ESPN’s Heisman Watch currently has Trask in second place and Pitts in fifth.

Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, who has to contend with the Kyle-to-Kyle connection at Kyle Field this Saturday (Kyleageddon, if you will), gave both high praise at his press conference on Monday.

Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher gushed over Pitts on Monday, telling reporters that he was a tight end with wide receiver speed and the ability to catch contested passes. “When he’s covered,” Fisher marveled, “he’s still not covered.”

“And Trask does a really good job,” Fisher added. “I think [he’s] one of the best of the quarterbacks throwing to covered guys and throwing them open. And what I mean is putting the ball where they can get it, no one else can get it and they use the size and length and the ball skills to adjust. It’s a combination of Trask and [Pitts].”

Trask trusts Pitts to go up and get the ball. In the season-opening win over Ole Miss, Pitts was double covered on two of his four touchdowns. But Trask fired the ball in where only Pitts and his 6-foot-6-inch frame could grab it.

Pitts said the connection between the two is “one of a kind.”

Gators tight end coach Tim Brewster talked about how the confluence of talent and mental capability allow Pitts to compete at such a high level.

“His athletic skill is on another level,” Brewster said. “He’s rare, absolutely rare as an athlete. And then you combine his mental perspective, and you see a guy who is playing the game at an extremely high level.”

Pair that with Trask and it’s no wonder they’re having the success they are, and in turn the success as a whole of Florida’s offense, which ranks fourth in the FBS in points per game (44.5).

Coming over from Texas A&M this offseason, Brewster said he has been blown away by the work ethic of the team. Everyone at Florida is talented, but the extra reps during and after practice is what separates the good from great. “And Trask and Pitts are two guys that lead the way with that,” he said.

It will certainly be difficult for Trask and Pitts to both maintain the record-setting paces they’re on. But the connection between the two is the focal point of Florida’s offense, and as long as they’re in sync, success on the offensive side of the ball should follow.

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Florida’s pair of Kyles receiving lots of Heisman Trophy attention

Trask, who has thrown for 10 touchdowns in the first two games, ranks second and Pitts, who has caught six of those, ranks fifth.

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This week’s iteration of ESPN’s Heisman Watch features some of the usual suspects.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who many expect to be selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Ohio State’s Justin Fields, who could go the following pick, are fixtures on the list and will likely remain that way throughout the season.

Miami’s D’Eriq King has been electric so far this season, and Alabama’s Mac Jones has been productive in a talented offense.

But also on this week’s list was something perhaps a bit unexpected: Florida’s duo of Kyles: Trask and Pitts.

Trask, who has thrown for 10 touchdowns in the first two games, ranks second behind Lawrence, and Pitts, who has caught six of those, ranks fifth.

2. Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

Total points: 34 (first-place votes: 0)

Notable: Trask had his second straight big game, throwing for four TDs a week after he threw for six. Per ESPN Stats & Information research, Trask is the first SEC player with 10 passing TDs through his team’s first two games of a season since Tim Couch did so in 1998.

Quotable: “He’s a big, 6-foot-5 quarterback with a great arm. He moves his feet well. I could definitely see him as a Day 2 pick in April.” — Mel Kiper Jr.

5. Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

Total points: 16 (first-place votes: 1)

Notable: Pitts added two more receiving TDs in the Gators’ win over South Carolina on Saturday and now has six on the year. Per ESPN Stats & Information research, those six TDs tie a Florida record for receiving TDs in any two-game span.

Quotable: “He is a matchup nightmare for defenses,” Trask said. “He’s too big for cornerbacks and too fast for linebackers, so it gives defenses lots of trouble, and that’s what you like to see.”

Trask is certainly on pace for a phenomenal and potentially school record-setting season, but he will have to stay on point to keep up with Lawrence, who is rolling so far on a dominant Tigers team.

Pitts, on the other hand, faces a bit of a greater challenge. A pass-catcher hasn’t won the Heisman Trophy since Desmond Howard did it at Michigan in 1991, but Pitts is off to a similar pace to Howard’s award-winning season. If he can keep it up, he certainly has a chance.

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Florida’s two Kyles near top of USA TODAY Sports’ Heisman Trophy list

While Lawrence’s totals exceed the sum of both Trask’s and Pitts’ numbers the two Gators still lead the rest of the field by a wide margin.

The Florida Gators football team has looked really sharp on offense this season so far, albeit against two unranked teams who are hardly the cream of the crop in the Southeastern Conference. Nonetheless, the quarterback-to-tight end tandem of Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts has been the most electric combination in college football this fall and both have entered serious contention for the Heisman Trophy.

Top-ranked Clemson Tigers’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence — the preseason favorite for the award — still holds a firm grip on the lead according to USA TODAY Sports’ staff vote, with the two Kyles sit in second and third places behind the superlative junior. While Lawrence’s total points exceed the sum of both Trask’s and Pitts’ vote numbers, the two Gators still lead the rest of the field by a similarly wide margin.

The Clemson standout received 16 first-place votes, against two for both of the Kyles; Clemson running back Travis Etienne was the only other player to receive a first-place mention. Trask and Pitts’ 20 and 19 total points, respectively, more than double Alabama Crimson Tide‘s Mac Jones’s fourth-place finish with eight points.

The complete ballot results are displayed below.

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Jags land various Gators in Draft Wire 3-round mock

The Jacksonville Jaguars were able to find their TE of the future in Draft Wire’s newest mock and he plays down the road in Gainesville.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be wrapping up the first quarter of their 2020 season and it’s been clear that 2021 should be a year where they may need to bolster their defense over their offense. Despite that, Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling had the team opening up his latest mock with three consecutive offensive players, most of which still make sense for their team.

With their first selection, Easterling had the Jags replacing one Alabama left tackle with another by slotting them Alex Leatherwood to hold down things on the blindside.

14. Jacksonville Jaguars

Alex Leatherwood | OT | Alabama

While it’s understandable for the Jags to be slotted offensive players early even with their defensive struggles, this pick may be better spent elsewhere. Simply put, it feels like the Jags have way bigger issues than left tackle. Again, that’s really the case on defense, but there are also some bigger offensive needs than at left tackle.

Sure, Robinson is coming up on a contract year and has been sporadic, but it’s possible fans could be satisfied with the offensive line play when the regular season is over. Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden has gotten the group to play better than we’ve seen in the past although the pass protection is still a work in progress.

As for Leatherwood, my aforementioned statements aren’t to say he’s not talented. At 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, he’s a sturdy tackle who has insane strength when he clutches on to a defender. He’s shown good movement skills, too, but his technique can get in the way and that’s likely because he’s still learning the tackle position as a former guard.

The Jags’ next pick in the first round (thanks to the Los Angeles Rams) was one many fans won’t disagree with, even with there being defensive needs.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)

Kyle Pitts | TE | Florida

The Jags have struggled to find “the guy” at tight end for much of Dave Caldwell’s tenure. Whether he’s with the Jags’ front office or not in 2021, there isn’t a tight end in college playing better than Kyle Pitts right now, who currently has six touchdowns and 227 yards on the season. In fact, he’s been playing so well that it appears he won’t be available outside of the top-10, though there is plenty of football to be played.

After going with Pitts, the Jags doubled-up on Gators, landing his quarterback Kyle Trask with the selection given to them by the Minnesota Vikings.

34. Jacksonville Jaguars (from MIN)

Kyle Trask | QB | Florida

This pick, of course, hinges on what the Jags get out of Gardner Minshew II. Right now, it’s been more good than bad from the second-year signal-caller, but something we’ve stressed at the Jags Wire is to watch how Minshew looks during the back end of the Jags’ schedule. That’s when the harder opponents will take the field against them, and some even have elite defenses like the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens.

Trask was an intriguing prospect in 2019 and has looked solid in the early stages of 2020, completing just under 72% of his passes for 684 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just one pick. At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, he also offers impressive size and could intrigue a new front office that inherits good draft capital if Caldwell is fired.

With their second pick in the second-round, the Jags finally addressed the defense by selecting Pittsburgh safety Paris Ford, who would clear up a huge need.

45. Jacksonville Jaguars

Paris Ford | S | Pitt

Ford is a tenacious safety who plays with emotion and could really bring some life to the Jags secondary. Scouts like his downhill ability and skills in zone, but also feel he would be fine as a single-high safety, too. Simply put, he makes a lot of sense for the Jags because he could help them with their woes against the run and struggles in pass defense.

To round up the mock draft, the Jags were slotted yet another Gator —this time on the defensive side.

76. Jacksonville Jaguars

Marco Wilson | CB | Florida

The Jags would be reuniting Wilson with their first pick from April, CJ Henderson. He’s stronger in zone than he is in man coverage and will need some work when it comes to his jam technique, but the tools are there for a team to develop if they would like.

With Easterling’s mock offering plenty to talk about, feel free to let us know on social media how you all feel about this group of prospects. Should they have gone with more offensive picks? Was it fine? Or are these simply prospects you all at home aren’t high on?