How do you replace Kyle Pitts? Is it even possible?
The Florida Gators are trying to find out if you can replace someone his teammate called the best tight end in the world and a player his coach called a "generational talent."
Kyle Pitts is an anomaly. A 6-6, 250-pound human that runs like a gazelle and catches anything thrown in the same zip code. There's not one player in the country that could replace Kyle Pitts and that's been Tim Brewster's message to the rest of the tight end room.
"It’s not fair for anybody to try to be Kyle Pitts. He’s generational. He’s just absolutely different in his skill sets and the things that he can do," Brewster said Wednesday after the Gators' fourth practice of spring camp. "I do exactly what you just said: I take Kemore Gamble and I say, ‘Let’s extenuate the things that you do. Let’s not try to be Kyle. Let’s not do the things Kyle did. But let’s be the best version of you that you possibly can be and let’s look at the areas that you need to improve and let’s work on them."
It will take a team effort for the Gators to replace what they lose in Pitts. Right now the Gators have five tight ends on the roster and will add two more in the summer. Of the guys on the roster, two caught passes and played last season, while Jonothan Odom redshirted in 2020.
Kemore Gamble and Keon Zipperer both filled in admirably when Pitts missed time last season but neither is the complete package that Pitts was. Both tight ends, however, have really improved as blockers in Florida's offense and shown a real willingness to do the dirty work.
"Kyle is a once-in-a-lifetime guy. He really is and he’s the prototype. Now, in recruiting, you have to judge everything off of Kyle Pitts. You want to go get the next Kyle Pitts and he may not be out there. But maybe if you can get a similar replica, that’ll work pretty good.”
The Gators also brought in an early enrollee in Nick Elksnis, who looks a lot like the "prototype" of Pitts.
"I think the kid’s 6-foot-6, he’s 235 pounds. He’s a big, strong, physical guy, caught a couple of balls for touchdowns today against the defense," Brewster said. "He’s got a maturity about him."
The answer is, no, you can't replace Kyle Pitts with just one person but Brewster has a long track record of developing the position. Florida will add LSU transfer Arik Gilbert and Gage Wilcox in the summer to add to the mix and Brewster is confident that, while you can't simply replace Pitts, that Florida will be able to come close with the group they have now.
