Kyle Pitts won’t be joining the growing list of college football players who’ve opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.

Florida’s junior tight end and projected first-round pick said Wednesday he didn't consider sitting out this fall to prepare for the NFL draft.

“It’s something I never really thought of,” Pitts said. “I only was thinking about this season and how I can get better from last year to this year.”

He garnered preseason first-team All-America honors from Walter Camp and has been named to watch lists for the Biletnikoff Award and Mackey Award. Pitts admits he’s been motivated by the huge paydays for NFL tight ends Travis Kelce (four years, $57.25 million) and George Kittle (five years, $75 million).

“Definitely, I watch those guys a lot,” Pitts said. “I sit up in the office and watch with the coaches and try and critique their game and add certain pieces that they do in the game to add to my game because I see we kind of do a lot of things similar.

“Those guys obviously have been in the league, and they know how to do certain things. But seeing those contracts really just opened my eyes, because years ago tight ends weren't getting those types of contracts. So now that they're changing the game, it’s really interesting.”

Pitts had a breakout year in 2019 and earned first-team All-SEC honors after leading the team with 54 receptions for 649 yards and five touchdowns. He developed a connection with UF quarterback Kyle Trask, which has only strengthened through the offseason.

“We developed a pretty strong relationship as the season went on last year,” Trask said of Pitts. “I think just over time, with the repetitions and the experience of going through that whole last season and now going through this whole offseason, it's only gotten stronger. Kyle is just a very, very hardworking guy and just poses a matchup problem no matter who you line up against him.”