GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 2020 Florida Gators got a glimpse of life without tight end Kyle Pitts.
The view was at times encouraging, other times bleak.
But veteran assistant coach Tim Brewster looks ahead to the 2021 season with bright-eyed optimism, confident the Gators have the talent and determination necessary to produce at a position where Pitts ― now with the Atlanta Falcons as the No. 4 pick in April’s NFL Draft ― became the gold standard.
“He was tabbed as a generational-type player, and he truly is,” Brewster said. “He’s going to be sorely missed, but we’ve got a couple guys that I think can step up. I’m all about player development, OK? I pride myself on my ability to truly teach the fundamentals of the game.”
Brewster developed Antonio Gates from a college basketball player into a perennial All-Pro with the San Diego Chargers. A decade later at FSU, he helped Nick O’Leary become a first-team All-American in 2014. Pitts, the highest-drafted tight end of the modern era and still just 20 years old, has the talent and potential to be the best Brewster ever coached.
The 60-year-old Brewster also does not plan to live in the past, instead focusing on getting the most out of his current players. The Gators have plenty of options in holdovers Kemore Gamble, Keon Zipperer and Jonathan Odom along with freshmen Nick Elksnsis and Gage Wilcox.
“You’d be hard-pressed in America to have a better, more complete tight end room than what I have,” Brewster said Monday. “I’m really excited about it. I just think that we’re going to be just fine this season.”
Pitts’ production will be hard to replace.
The 6-foot-6, 242-pound Pitts had the size to impose his will on defenders, the speed and fluidity to separate, and the keen understanding of the offense to exploits coverages. Those qualities and quarterback Kyle Trask’s accuracy allowed Pitts to total 43 catches for 790 yards and 12 touchdowns, a UF record for a tight end. Pitts had either a first down or a touchdown on all but four receptions in 2020. Blessed with enormous hands that required special-order gloves, Pitts leaves even bigger shoes to fill.
“I don’t know who’s gonna be Kyle Pitts’ skill set this year for us,” coach Dan Mullen said. “But we’re gonna utilize those guys in very different ways.”
The first crack at the spot will go to Gamble, a senior from Miami in his fifth year in Gainesville.
At 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, down nine pounds from 2020, Gamble runs well and has proven he can make plays. After Pitts suffered a concussion against Georgia, Gamble stepped in and caught a 24-yard touchdown ― his first as a Gator. Two weeks later at Vanderbilt, Gamble scored twice.
Gamble also dropped three passes during the Gators’ Cotton Bowl debacle against Oklahoma. Due to several opt-outs, including by Pitts, the 55-20 loss exposed many of the team’s backup players as not ready for prime time.
On Monday, Gamble sounded supremely confident that he is prepared for his long-awaited opportunity. Pitts showed him the best path to success.
“Kyle Pitts is Kyle Pitts and I’m Kemore Gamble,” Gamble said. “One thing Kyle Pitts taught me is the grind. Just grind every day; don’t let fatigue slow you down. Just keep grinding; fight through everything.
“That’s what he did and that’s what made him great, and that’s why he’s a great player today.”
Unlike Pitts, Gamble will not be a one-man show. He often will be on the field simultaneously with Keon Zipperer, a junior from Lakeland.
While Pitts sat out 2½ games due to a concussion, the 6-foot-3, 242-pound Zipperer, like Gamble, capitalized, highlighted by two touchdown catches against Arkansas. Also like Gamble, Zipperer struggled in the Cotton Bowl, dropping two passes.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Odom, the son of former UF All-America Jason Odom, enters his second year in Mullen’s program with a chance to surprise.
“Jonathan Odom has stepped up and become a player quickly,” Brewster said. “His advancement from last year to this year with [coach] Nick Savage and the strength department is nothing short of amazing. This guy’s doing some really good things.”
The 6-foot-6, 243-pound Elksnsis enrolled last January out of Jacksonville Episcopal and already has made an impression.
“He’s a tough ... I keep trying [not] to cuss ... he’s tough,” Gamble said with a smile. “And he’s tall and long. He’s fast; he’s athletic.”
Gamble also praise the athleticism of Wilcox, but the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Tampa product lags a bit behind having just arrived on campus in June.
Whatever the future holds for the Gators’ deep and diverse group of tight ends, Brewster has a blueprint for everyone to follow. Of all of Pitts’ selling points, his football IQ might have been the final ingredient to help him stand out.
Brewster hopes Pitts’ former teammates took note.
“That’s what separates great players from good players — the players that truly become students of the game and take a deep dive into studying the game of football,” Brewster said. “But you have to teach them how to study the game. And so what I’ve done is ... truly teach my guys. It was the process with Kyle. These guys now, same thing.
“When you walk into my meeting room, you better have a spiral-bound notebook and a writing implement. OK, I mean, that’s the deal.”
