GT Roundtable: Projecting Pitts' catch total, UF's sack and INT leaders

GatorsTerritory brings you another roundtable discussion with our team of writers.

This week, Corey Bender, Zach Abolverdi, Conner Clarke, Joseph Hastings and Lauren Reynolds project Kyle Pitts' catch total and UF's sack and interception leaders for 2020.

Bender: There is a lot to consider here. There is still a chance the season could be shortened due to COVID-19, but Dan Mullen is also known for distributing the ball and that could be the situation in 2020 with UF forced to replace a quartet of receivers. However, I still expect Pitts to manufacture a stellar season and lead the Gators in receptions. The 2019 season was certainly his coming-out party after reeling in 54 receptions for nearly 650 yards and five touchdowns, but surpassing Aaron Hernandez's school record of 68 catches in a season for a tight end is going to be difficult, yet achievable. I'm going with the under here, but there is no doubt who is entering the season as the No. 1 tight end in college football.

Abolverdi: Pitts hauled in a team-high 54 receptions for 649 yards and five touchdowns — the most by a UF tight end since 1996. He had four games with five or more catches, and his season total (54) ranked third nationally amongst tight ends. With the loss of four starting receivers and a full year to play with Kyle Trask, Pitts has a chance to break UF’s single-season school record for receptions by a tight end (68). Aaron Hernandez set that mark in 2009 with a lot of shovel passes from Tim Tebow, which Trask doesn’t do with Pitts. His targets may go down if the Gators have a more balanced offense, and the team could also play one or two less games in 2020 due to COVID-19. I think those factors will prevent Pitts from making 15 more receptions.

Clarke: Even though I think Pitts will have a great season, I don’t think he will get to 68 catches this year. Dan Mullen and Trask have shown they like to spread the ball around to many different receivers and not rely on one guy to be their primary target. With an improved run game, I also think Trask won’t have as many pass attempts and that could keep Pitts from getting to the 68-catch mark.

Hastings: In the two games Kyle Trask didn't start or finish a game last year, Pitts had five receptions (2.5 catches per contest). In the 11 games where Trask started or finished a game, Pitts recorded 49 receptions, which is about 4.5 catches per game. The two obviously established a connection and made it a nightmare for opposing defenders to take on the challenge of guarding Pitts. We also recently saw Emory Jones working in the lab with Pitts during the offseason, so they should have some chemistry going into their 2020 campaign. As long as there is a full season and Pitts stays healthy, I believe he will break the record. Also throw in my belief that Florida will make the SEC Championship, and that's potentially another game or two that he will have to reach 69 or more catches.

Reynolds: After leading the team in receptions in 2019 with 54 catches, I don't think anyone would be surprised to see Pitts break the school record this upcoming year. Pitts and Trask have an obvious chemistry that will only be strengthened as they continue to work together. Pitts will be a go-to target again in 2020 and his stats should get even better as he continues to grow as a tight end. Look for him to hit, if not surpass, that number of catches needed for the record.

Bender: The Gators are loaded with options at BUCK, and if you want to consider the history at the position, whoever has started under Todd Grantham has went on to lead the team in sacks that season. If Mohamoud Diabate stays put on the edge, I think he could pile up sacks in a hurry due to his explosive first step and quickness advantage. That would have been my selection if you asked me earlier in the year, however, it's very possible he scoots back to linebacker with the likes of Jeremiah Moon, Brenton Cox and Khris Bogle on the roster. Each of those defenders are not only capable of starting but also piling up over a handful of sacks. However, as for my prediction, I'm choosing Cox, a former five-star prospect and transfer out of Georgia. He is a natural pass rusher who has already developed a flurry of go-to moves and should fit in nicely at BUCK. Zachary Carter will more than likely get the nod at strong-side defensive end and is poised for a breakout season as well, but I envision the starter at BUCK leading the program in sacks this season.

Abolverdi: UF’s sack leaders under defensive coordinator Todd Grantham have been the starters at the Buck position, with Jachai Polite racking up 11 in 2018 and Jonathan Greenard leading the SEC with 9.5 last year. The Gators could go in a few different directions for Greenard’s replacement, with Brenton Cox Jr., Jeremiah Moon, Mohamoud Diabate, Khris Bogle and David Reese all vying for the starting role. Whoever wins that competition could lead this category in 2020, but I’m going with Zachary Carter as my pick. He finished tied for second on the team in sacks (4.5) last season and now takes over for Jabari Zuniga on a full-time basis. I expect him to have a breakout year and potentially double his sack total.

Clarke: I’m going to go with Brenton Cox on this one. Cox turned heads last year when he got to campus and was finally able to practice with the team. From everything I heard, he was showcasing an elite blend of size, speed and pass rush moves that the whole country will finally get to see this fall. With the team’s top two sack leaders from last season gone, Florida will need a new guy to step up that can consistently get after the QB. I think Cox has all the tools and motivation to do it.

Hastings: I've gone back and forth here. If Florida opts to have Mohamoud Diabate as their primary BUCK position player, then I would go with him. If they don't leave him on the edge, which is a good possibility, I'll go with Zachary Carter. Carter was tied for second on the team with 4.5 sacks last year, and is certainly a potential breakout player for the Gators this season. Even though the BUCK player in Todd Grantham's defense has led the team in sacks each of the last two years, I expect that position to potentially be a committee where the role is split up amongst multiple players. Carter, on the other hand, should have the strongside defensive end position to himself, and will thus have the best chance at leading the team in sacks.

Reynolds: Although I’ve yet to see how he will work in Florida's defense, I believe Brenton Cox Jr. will take the cake in this category. He recorded just one sack during his freshman season at Georgia, but his dominant performances in high school and at the Under Armour All-America Game prove he has the ability to get after the quarterback. Cox also will be out to prove himself this upcoming season after having to sit out in 2019 as a transfer. He will get plenty of opportunities at the Buck position and put his name on top of the team’s sack list.

Bender: You can't avoid everyone in Todd Grantham's secondary. Marco Wilson will likely enter the season as the No. 1 cornerback on the roster, but I expect Kaiir Elam to gain more national recognition as the season goes on as well. The former Under Armour All-American recorded a trio of interceptions and four pass deflections as a true freshman, and should have plenty of additional opportunities as he steps into a full-time starting role in 2020. Regardless of what Elam's ceiling is, teams are not going to shy away from him completely, especially early in the season and with Wilson starting opposite of him. Shawn Davis is another one I strongly considered here, but I'm rolling with Elam, who does a great job of playing under control and then making a play on the ball.

Abolverdi: Teams will do all they can to throw away from UF cornerbacks Kaiir Elam and Marco Wilson, both of whom had three picks in 2019. Shawn Davis also intercepted three passes last season, making an impressive one-handed grab against Auburn and a pair of picks in the comeback win at Kentucky. He’s a former cornerback who possesses great ball skills and has now established himself as one of Florida’s starting safeties. I think he will receive more snaps as a senior and make even more plays in the secondary, leading the team in interceptions this year.

Clarke: This is a hard one to pick because I there isn’t really one guy in the secondary who’s shown consistent ball-hawking ability. Kaiir Elam was the best corner last year when it came to being able to flip his head around, find the ball and make a play. I really want to go with Elam for that reason, but I think teams will try and stay away from him. So, I’m going to go with Shawn Davis. Davis has shown flashes where he looked like the next great ball-hawking safety for the Gators, but also had moments where he blew coverages and left receivers running wide open. I think he gets those mistakes cleaned up for his senior season and leads the Gators in INT’s.

Hastings: First inclination here is to go with Kaiir Elam as I view him as the best player in Florida's secondary. The problem is, however, that I believe he won't be targeted as much due to this. C.J. Henderson was the No. 9 overall pick in the NFL Draft, but had no interceptions last year as quarterbacks didn't want to challenge him too often. In my opinion, the answer to this question is Shawn Davis. Davis is a ballhawk with good hands and always puts himself in a position to make a play. I actually like Chester Kimbrough as a dark horse candidate here, but I believe Davis is the safe bet.

Reynolds: I’ll go with Donovan Stiner for this one. He led the team in interceptions in 2019 with four and also racked up two the year before. Stiner has a knack for making big plays and being at the right place at the right time, such as the game-sealing pick to beat LSU in 2018 or his end-zone interception against Auburn last year. Heading into next season, I could see him increasing his interception total once again and maybe even getting himself into the end zone.

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