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The “next man up” mentality usually doesn't carry the same weight when your team has to replace arguably the best tight end in college football.

While losing Kyle Pitts certainly changes the dynamic of Florida’s offense, the strategy hasn't had to change a lot over the last three weeks. Roles in the receiving game have increased across the board during that span, including at the tight end spot.

The one-two punch of Kemore Gamble and Keon Zipperer have truly embraced the added responsibility with the absence of their teammate within the position group. Over the last two-and-a-half games, Gamble has six catches for 117 yards and three touchdowns, while Zipperer has gathered three catches for 47 yards and two scores.

“Coach [Tim] Brewster’s done a great job getting those guys ready," UF coach Dan Mullen said of Gamble and Zipperer. “They have taken massive steps forward from where they were last year. … You guys might not have seen a lot because we’ve got Kyle, but we’ve rotated those guys.

“In one drive against Texas A&M everyone was like, ‘Oh my God, is Kyle Pitts hurt?’ We’re just giving them some reps. Those guys are doing a good job. We probably don’t rotate them as much as everybody else, but now all of a sudden they’ve had their opportunities and those guys have really stepped up big and played well.”

Gamble played a major part in UF’s victory over Vanderbilt with his two-touchdown performance, earning a career-high 66 receiving yards to complement a career-tying three receptions on Saturday.

Two of those grabs came on a crucial game-sealing drive in the fourth quarter. He pulled in a 34-yard pass from Kyle Trask to move the Gators away from the shadow of their own endzone on the first play of the drive.

Later, Gamble caught a pass from Emory Jones and raced up the sideline to give Florida a commanding three-touchdown lead over the Commodores with just under seven minutes left. Zipperer made the key block on the play.

Pitts is expected back on Saturday against Kentucky, but the Gators have proven of late that he isn't the only tight end that can produce meaningful snaps.

“Him and Zipperer have been very reliable and very hard working throughout the week," Trask said when asked how vital Gamble has been with Pitts out. "They’re just making the most of their opportunity to be on the field. They’re going to keep working and keep getting more shots.

“I just think we have a very talented tight end room and a very talented tight end coach. They are a pretty tight knit group and they just feed off of each other. They know how to get open, and they know how to block. I just think, overall, that group of tight ends is just doing a phenomenal job.”