Carr’s Prospect Corner
Kyle Pitts (TE-Florida)
Age: 20 (October 6, 2000)
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 246 lbs
BMI: 28.4
BOA: 18.9
24/7 Sports Composite: 0.9334 (4-Star)
Injury History: Left Foot Injury (2020) Concussion (2020) (missed 5 games total)
Awards:
2020 John Mackey Award Winner (Nation’s Best TE)
2020 Biletnikoff Award Finalist
2020 Heisman Trophy Finalist
2020 Unanimous All-American
2x First Team All-SEC (2019, 2020)
HIGH SCHOOL:
Kyle Pitts coming out of high school was a highly touted recruit. He was a 4 star recruit and was the 5th rated TE in the class who played multiple positions including TE, WR, and even saw defensive end snaps for Archbishop Wood in Pennsylvania. Pitts had multiple offers that included Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, and many other programs but Pitts ended up going with Florida as his school of choice.
FRESHMAN YEAR:
Pitts didn’t play much during his freshman season. He appeared in 9 games but saw most of his time playing on special teams. He had one touchdown on the season against Idaho where he caught a 52 yard pass. Other than that, Pitts only had a couple other catches his freshman season and didn’t see the field a lot on the offense.
SOPHOMORE YEAR:
Pitts started to really get comfortable as a college player his second year. This was the year he broke out and started to get attention in the college football world. Pitts was first on the team in receptions (54), second on the team in receiving yards (649) behind Van Jefferson and was tied for third in receiving touchdowns (5). Pitts was named to the All-SEC first team.
JUNIOR YEAR:
Pitts became a household name in his final season of college. Pitts, you can argue when he was on the field, was the most dominant player in the sport. Pitts’ first game he caught 8 receptions for 170 yards and 4 touchdowns, which is where I think he really put his name on the map. Pitts, despite playing in only 8 games, had the most receiving yards (770) and the most touchdowns (12) by a TE in the nation in 2020. Pitts finished in the top 10 in the Heisman voting which was the first time a tight end finished in the top 10 since Ken MacAfee in 1977. Pitts also set the school record for most touchdowns by a tight end in a single season (12) and finished the season with the most career receiving yards by a tight end all time in Florida history.
METRICS:
Kyle Pitts checks every metrical box that you want to see with an incoming tight end prospect. He checks the size box with a 6’6” and 246 pound frame. His breakout age is 18.9 as a sophomore with a 15.9% dominator percentage. His 31.6% dominator rating his junior season is an outstanding number. Although we don’t know what he’ll test at his Pro Day in terms of his athletic metrics just yet, - I expect based off of his film - Pitts is going to test extremely well.
FILM:
Pitts may be my favorite TE prospect I’ve ever watched on film. Watching a 6’6” guy disguised as a WR playing at the TE position is something to just marvel at. He’s a freak athlete who is an absolute mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses.
VERDICT:
Pitts is my favorite prospect in this entire class regardless of position. The sky's the limit for his potential. He can be one of the best TE’s in all of football within a couple years easily.
Usually TE’s take some time to develop before they break out, which is something to think about, but I think Pitts just fits the modern NFL tight end so perfectly that it may not take long for him to find his footing. He’s super versatile considering that he wasn’t just an inline TE - he was moved in the slot from time to time and used on the outside quite frequently to give him the best opportunity to take advantage of the obvious mismatches.
His blocking was something that he was knocked on, but from what I saw from his sophomore season to his junior season, he has improved upon it but still isn’t a super polished blocker. It’s not a huge concern for me though, because I think there’s just so many positives that substantially outweigh that one knock.
My first thought when I saw him was that he reminded me of Darren Waller in terms of his size, skillset, and how Las Vegas utilized Waller around the field. Pitts should see a lot of the same usage as Waller has been used in Vegas when he gets into the league.
He will be 20 when he enters the NFL so that might be the only thing that could hold him back but there is no doubt in my mind we are looking at a generational talent at the position. He’s easily the best prospect at the position in the last 10 years and I think one of the best at the position ever. Pitts is a top 5 player in this class and will be drafted in the early-mid first round of the NFL Draft easily.