Tag: Kyle Pitts

College football Twitter wants Florida TE Kyle Pitts in the early Heisman debate

Florida’s Kyle Trask-to-Kyle Pitts connection is going strong.

Last week when we broke down the top 2020 Heisman Trophy favorites, Florida quarterback Kyle Trask was among the top-10 candidates. But that was prior to the Gators’ season-opener.

Now that Florida is 2-0 with wins over Ole Miss and then South Carolina, 38-24, on Saturday, college football fans are pushing for a another Gator to be in the Heisman conversation: tight end Kyle Pitts.

Only two tight ends have ever won the Heisman: Larry Kelley for Yale in 1936 and Leon Hart for Notre Dame in 1949. So it’s been a while, but the Kyle-to-Kyle connection has been practically unstoppable so far this season, and if it continues, perhaps both players will be serious Heisman contenders by the end of the season.

Against the Gamecocks, Pitts, a junior, had a particularly strong first half and finished with four catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. In Florida’s 51-35 win over Ole Miss last week, he had eight catches for 170 yards and four touchdowns.

So to recap, Pitts had six touchdowns through the first eight quarters of 2020, which is the same number South Carolina as a whole has this season. That ties him for second-most among SEC players in two-game period in the last 25 seasons, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Though it’s difficult to argue when some conferences haven’t played their first games yet, but Pitts might be the best tight end in the country. He’s stunningly faster than you might expect for a 6-foot-6, 240-pound player, he can make some incredibly unlikely catches and, so far, defenders are struggling to stop him.

It’s obviously still very early in this nontraditional college football season, so it’s possible Pitts could drop out of the Heisman conversation as quickly as he entered it, especially once the Big Ten and Pac-12 start playing. But if he continues at this pace — which is 30 touchdowns for the regular season after Saturday’s game — he would almost certainly deserve to be a contender.

And after two games, Florida fans and college football Twitter love that idea.

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WATCH: Gators score on first two drives against South Carolina

The redshirt senior quarterback has found the junior tight end 3 times already for 58 yards and a touchdown at the end of the 1st quarter.

The Kyle Trask to Kyle Pitts connection is already dialed in.

The redshirt senior quarterback has found the junior tight end — his favorite target — three times already for 58 yards and a touchdown at the end of the first quarter.

The Gamecocks’ offense has given Florida’s defense, which gave up over 600 yards to Ole Miss last week, some early troubles, but Trask is 7 of 7 for 109 yards and a touchdown and has led UF to touchdowns on its two opening drives.

On the first, junior running back Dameon Pierce found paydirt. He had a solid first quarter, carrying the ball five times for 27 yards and a score.

So far, Florida’s offense is executing as expected. The defense has settled down after giving up a quick touchdown on the game’s first drive, earning back-to-back stops.

If Florida’s offense continues to move the ball with this level of ease, it’s going to put a lot of pressure on South Carolina to keep up, which it struggled to do in the first quarter.

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Two Florida Gators listed in first-round of latest PFF mock draft

Ahead of the second week of the Southeastern Conference’s league play-only season, Pro Football Focus released their latest 2021 Mock Draft.

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Ahead of the second week of the Southeastern Conference’s league play-only season, Pro Football Focus (PFF) released their latest 2021 Mock Draft on October 1.

Basing their order of selections on the current Las Vegas Super Bowl odds, the New York Jets received the No. 1 pick and as expected, took Clemson Tigers junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

“There is no chance any GM in their right mind would pass or trade out of this selection,” wrote the mock draft’s author, Michael Renner.

“I don’t care how great they believe Sam Darnold to be; if they end up with the worst record in the NFL, they have to take Lawrence.

“As well as he’s played his first two seasons at Clemson, it’s scary to think Lawrence is still getting better. He’s got an absurd 95.7 passing grade through two games this season, best in the nation.”

To round out the top-five, the New York Giants picked Oregon Ducks junior offensive tackle at No. 2, the Washington Football Team nabbed Ohio State Buckeyes junior quarterback Justin Fields at No. 3, the Cincinnati Bengals reconnected quarterback Joe Burrow with his former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase at No. 4, and the Carolina Panthers, who are coached by ex-Baylor Bears head coach Matt Rhule, grabbed Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Micah Parsons at No. 5.

Two Florida Gators made the cut, as well, with junior tight end Kyle Pitts being the first off the board to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 11.

“Pitts showed last Saturday (September 26) why he’s well worth being taken this early,” Renner began.

“He hauled in eight passes for 170 yards, including four scores, against Ole Miss. He is too athletic for any linebacker and far too physical for any (cornerback) to line up against. He’s won matchups from inline and out wide over the course of his career.

“With Hunter Henry franchise tagged, there is no guarantee he will return. Even if he does, they have different enough skill sets to have both see the field at the same time and provide elite targets for Justin Herbert.”

Henry, in his fifth professional season, also starred in the SEC, playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks under then-head coach Bret Bielema.

The other Gator to appear in this mock draft was quarterback Kyle Trask, chosen by the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 15.

“If the Raiders miss the playoffs for the third-straight season under head coach Jon Gruden, you can bet all options will be on the table at the quarterback position,” Renner said.

“Trask seems like just the type of pocket passer Gruden craves, and if he plays as he did in Week 1 for the rest of the season, the Raiders will have to trade up for him. He had four big-time throws in a superb 416-yard passing day against Ole Miss.”

As Renner alluded to, Trask opened eyes with his performance in Oxford, tossing six touchdown passes, one shy of tying the school record.

Other notable selections include Miami Hurricanes redshirt sophomore defensive end Gregory Rousseau to the Miami Dolphins at No. 6 and Alabama Crimson Tide junior cornerback Patrick Surtain II to the Denver Broncos at No. 8, redshirt junior linebacker Dylan Moses to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 9, redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Christian Barmore to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 12 and junior wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Detroit Lions at No. 13.

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The case for the Dolphins to consider drafting a TE early in 2021

The case for the Dolphins to consider drafting a TE early in 2021

The Miami Dolphins are likely thrilled with the continued development they’ve seen from tight end Mike Gesicki throughout the first month of the 2020 NFL season. Gesicki has been a productive weapon and continues to showcase a renewed nose for the end zone as a third-year talent. As Miami’s passing offense continues to grow and gel, the opportunities for Gesicki to receive targets figures to only expand from here.

But we’re here to tell you that the Dolphins have the chance to add a new dynamic to this offense with another tight end in the picture. The Dolphins run much of their offense through 11 personnel — but the lack of balance between the likes of Gesicki and the rest of the tight end room (Durham Smythe and Adam Shaheen) makes it quite apparent when the Dolphins are looking to pass and when they’re looking to throw.

So much so that the Dolphins are looking for creative workarounds, including running the same concepts to try to add an extra body onto the blocking surface by calling upon slot receiver Isaiah Ford at times. Miami will flex Ford tight to the line of scrimmage and have him run a return motion to try to indicate man or zone before either blocking play side or inserting across the set to pick off an end man on the line of scrimmage. In theory, it works well — but Ford isn’t built to serve as a blocker in the box. The Dolphins have run many of the same concepts with TE Durham Smythe, but Smythe’s presence offers very little to no threat in the passing game. Add in Gesicki’s limitations as a blocker and there’s no real answer to Miami finding balance with that extra body out of spread sets. Either the team compromises their blocking ability by trying to deceive opposing defenses and calling on Ford to block in the box or they tip their hand to runs by inserting Smythe into the mix.

The long-term answer may not be too far away. There are two “move” tight ends eligible for the 2021 NFL Draft in Kyle Pitts (Florida) and Brevin Jordan (Miami) who can do the best of Ford & Smythe combined. Perhaps that’s an area Miami could look to upgrade their offensive versatility? And doing so would change nothing about Mike Gesicki’s role in the offense; which is an added bonus. They’ll have another few months to review the existing pieces on the roster, but if more progress isn’t made, perhaps the 2021 NFL Draft can hold a solution.

Florida’s two Kyles lead PFF’s top 10 performances from NFL draft prospects in Week 4

Gators quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts are perhaps the most iconic duo in college football this season after UF’s win Week 4

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Florida quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts are perhaps the most iconic duo in college football this season. The two Kyles are among the best at their respective positions in the country this season, and their individual performances in Florida’s season-opening 51-35 win over Ole Miss led to them headlining this week’s top-10 performances from Pro Football Focus.

Pitts leads the way, following an eight-catch, 170-yard game that netted him four total touchdowns.

1. TE KYLE PITTS, FLORIDA

Pitts’ performance Saturday wasn’t simply stud tape by tight end standards, it was stud tape by wide receiver standards, as well. He got open nearly at will and at every level of the field. And even when he wasn’t open, Pitts was hauling in passes.

His combination of athleticism and ball skills is unlike anything we’ve seen at the tight end position in recent classes. The true junior finished with eight catches for 170 yards, four scores and two broken tackles on the day.

Meanwhile, Trask became the second Florida quarterback to throw for six touchdown passes in SEC game and the first since Chris Leak in 2004. He passed for over 400 yards on 30-of-42 passing.

2. QB KYLE TRASK, FLORIDA

For as good as Pitts was, Trask wasn’t too far behind. He finished with an elite 90.0-plus overall grade and had four big-time throws on 43 dropbacks. It was a far cry from the quarterback who had only nine big-time throws all last season. He looked so much more comfortable pushing the ball down the field and giving his guys chances to make plays.

The sort of accuracy he showed when throwing into tight windows or to closely guarded receivers was something we didn’t get to see nearly as much in 2019. For the quarterback many have tabbed as “this year’s Joe Burrow,” he had a Burrow-esque Week 1.

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Game 1 Postgame Reactions: It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

The duet of Kyles made sweet music for UF on the afternoon, connecting eight times out of nine attempts for 170 yards and four touchdowns.

The Florida Gators rose from the field at Oxford, Miss., on Saturday with the victory against the Ole Miss Rebels in an offensive affair that saw both teams put up huge numbers — including a school record for yards in a Southeastern Conference matchup for Florida, who put up 642 total yards with 446 coming through the air and 196 on the ground.

The game ended with a score of 51-35, though Ole Miss almost made it closer in the final minute with a touchdown followed by an onside kick and a drive down to UF’s 10-yard line that died as the clock expired. The duet of Kyles made sweet music for the Gators on the afternoon, as Kyle Trask connected with Kyle Pitts eight times out of nine attempts for 170 yards and four touchdowns.

Here is a look at some of the responses from around the Gator Nation found on social media Saturday afternoon after the end of the game, including the school’s official account as well as UF great and NFL Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith.

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Kyle Trask shines as Gators win shootout over Ole Miss in 2020 opener

Trask completed 30 of his 42 passes for 416 yards and no INTs. His six scores through the air were the most for a Gators since Chris Leak.

It was a mistake you just can’t make.

On the second play of the third quarter, Ole Miss brought one of its safeties into the flat and used the other to blitz quarterback Kyle Trask, leaving no one covering the defensive backfield.

Tight end Kyle Pitts licked his chops.

The 6-foot-6-inch tight end, expected by many to be the premier player at his position this season, slipped between the linebacker and the nickel corner on a seam route. There was no one left to stop him.

Trask hit him in stride, and 71 yards later, he found paydirt, giving the Gators a 35-14 lead. The score was one of six on the day for Trask and four on the day for Pitts, the leaders of a stellar Florida offense that accounted for 642 yards in a high-powered 51-35 victory over the Rebels.

Trask completed 30 of his 42 passes for 416 yards and no interceptions. His six scores through the air were the most for a Gators quarterback since Chris Leak in 2004.

He led Florida to a touchdown on its opening drive, culminating in Pitts’ first touchdown of the afternoon. He finished with eight catches for 170 yards.

UF also found some success on the ground, as well. Kadarius Toney led the team in rushing with 55 yards on two carries due to a run he broke for 50 yards, leading to a score. He also had five catches for 59 yards and a touchdown, finishing second in receiving behind Pitts.

Running backs Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis saw a fairly even split in carries, taking nine for 54 yards and seven for 49 yards, respectively.

Florida’s offense was nearly unstoppable and forced Ole Miss into a shootout.

But the Rebels were prepared. Coach Lane Kiffin pulled a bit of subterfuge heading into the game, announcing that Matt Corral would start at quarterback instead of John Rhys Plumlee, who many expected to win the job.

Corral was sharp, as well, tossing three touchdown passes on 395 yards. He threw just one interception in the outing, and it came on a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage.

His favorite target was senior receiver Elijah Moore, one of our players to watch heading into the game. Moore had an even bigger day than Pitts, catching 10 passes for 227 yards, though he was kept out of the end zone.

Running back Jerrion Ealy had 79 rushing yards and Corral scrambled for an additional 50, contributing to a 170-yard day from the Rebels ground game.

Florida’s defense struggled to make tackles and gave up big plays as Ole Miss utilized trick plays and looks that included both Corral and Plumlee. The Rebels also surpassed 600 yards on Saturday.

But ultimately, the Gators defense got the stops it needed. Meanwhile, the offense couldn’t be slowed down.

UF stretched its lead to a game-high 44-21 lead in the fourth quarter, and though Mississippi managed 14 more points in garbage time, the Gators weren’t truly in danger at any point in the second half.

Though the big victory provided encouraging signs for the team’s direction on offense, its defensive struggles are a cause for slight concern.

Safety Shawn Davis exited the game in the first quarter on a targeting penalty, and his absence certainly impacted a secondary which got burned all game.

When Florida opens its home slate next Saturday against South Carolina, it will hope to do a better job at preventing big plays and getting its defense off the field.

The Gators offense looks to be the real deal. The question now becomes how much of a limiting factor their defense will be.

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Florida TE Kyle Pitts goes off on Ole Miss, catches 4 TD passes

Florida tight end Kyle Pitts was dominant in Saturday’s win over Ole Miss, hauling in four touchdown catches

If you were unclear about who the top tight end prospect in the country is heading into Saturday’s college football slate, Florida’s Kyle Pitts’ performance against Ole Miss should have removed any doubt.

Pitts carved up the Rebels’ defense Saturday to the tune of eight receptions for 170 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Gators run away with a 51-35 victory.

A big, athletic target with a huge catch radius, Pitts showed off all the physical traits that should make him a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and likely the first player off the board at his position. He’s a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, something Ole Miss found out the hard way Saturday:

NFL linebackers and safeties alike won’t be thrilled to have to cover him, but whichever quarterback ends up with him will be ecstatic.

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Florida stars Kyle Pitts and Kyle Trask put together their own highlight reel against Ole Miss

The Kyle to Kyle connection, folks.

Saturday was a good day to be a Kyle, apparently.

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts had themselves a day against Ole Miss on Saturday — and it’s not even over yet.

So far in Florida’s game Trask has thrown for 343 yards and 5 (!!!) touchdowns with a quarter left to play in the game. And, of course, three of those touchdowns and 146 of those yards went to Pitts at tight end.

There was absolutely nothing Ole Miss could do with the Kyle to Kyle connection. The two have just been on the same page all game long. Pitts scored the first touchdown of the year for Florida with this catch.

They’ve also hooked up for ridiculous catches like this one. No idea what you’re supposed to do with this. What a throw.

Like, fam. What do you do with that? Double teams don’t even matter. They also hooked up on this big play here.

And it feels fair to ask now if Pitts is actually a tight end because, uh, this is definitely not regular tight end speed.

The Kyle to Kyle connection, folks. You absolutely love to see it.

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WATCH: Trask tosses fifth touchdown of the day on 71-yard dart

The big play marked Trask’s fifth passing touchdown of the afternoon, as he is 20 of 27 with 316 yards and no interceptions in the 3rd.

A huge afternoon for Kyle Trask just became even bigger. On the opening drive of the second half, the redshirt senior quarterback picked up where he left off in the first half, leading the Gators on a quick two-play drive that culminated in a 71-yard passing touchdown to tight end Kyle Pitts.

The big play marked Trask’s fifth passing touchdown of the afternoon, as he is 20 of 27 with 316 yards and no interceptions early in the third quarter. Pitts has six catches for 146 yards and three touchdowns.

Pitts ran a seam route on the left side, and Ole Miss didn’t have anyone deep in the secondary after calling a safety blitz. Pitts snuck between the linebacker and the corner and was wide open down the middle of the field, giving the Gators a 35-14 lead over the Rebels.

The Gators now have over 400 yards of offense with nearly 30 minutes of football still to be played in Oxford, Miss.

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