Biography
Finished his career at UF after recording 100 receptions for 1,492 yards (14.9 avg.) and 18 touchdowns. Became Florida’s all-time leader for receiving yards by a tight end, while ranking second in career receptions at the position.
2020: Started and played in eight games his junior season, tallying 43 catches for 770 yards (17.9 avg.) and 12 touchdowns... Finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy voting, becoming the first tight end to finish in the top 10 in 43 years… Became the eighth player in school history to earn unanimous first-team All-American honors… Named winner of the Mackey Award... Tied the UF single-game record in receiving touchdowns (four at Ole Miss)… Set the school single-season touchdown record by a tight end (12), while ranking second in the SEC.
Notable Games: Caught eight passes for 170 yards and four touchdowns against Ole Miss... Caught four passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns against South Carolina.. Recorded a touchdown reception along with 47 yards receiving on five catches against Texas A&M... Tallied three touchdown receptions and brought in five catches for 99 yards against Kentucky... Caught seven passes for 128 yards against Tennessee... Caught seven passes for 129 yards and a touchdown in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama.
Against Ole Miss: Pitts tied a school record with four touchdown receptions, equaling the performances of Ike Hilliard (Sept. 16, 1995 against Tennessee) and Jack Jackson (Sept. 3, 1994 against New Mexico State)... Pitts became the third FBS tight end since the start of 1996 with 150-plus receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in a game... Pitts’ 170 receiving yards were the highest single-game total by a Gator since Demarcus Robinson’s 216 yards against Kentucky (Sept. 13, 2014)... Pitts is the only Gators tight end since at least 1996 to have three receiving touchdowns in a game... Named Mackey Award TE of the Week.
Against South Carolina: Pitts’ second touchdown reception was the 12th of his career and tied the school record for career receiving touchdowns by a tight end.
Against Kentucky: Became the first Gator since Taylor Jacobs (2002) with three games of two-plus receiving touchdowns in the same season... One of eight SEC players since the start of 2000 with multiple games of three receiving touchdowns in a season... Pitts’ 11 receiving touchdowns this season (through the Kentucky game) are the most touchdown catches in a season by any Gator since Jabar Gaffney had 13 in 2001... Pitts’ 11 touchdown catches (through the Kentucky game) are two more than 2019’s FBS leaders for receiving touchdowns by a tight end... Pitts’ 56-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against Kentucky was the 82nd reception of his career, tying Kirk Kirkpatrick (1987-90) for the second-most career receptions by a tight in school history... Pitts passed Kirkpatrick with his second catch of the day, a 12-yarder from Kadarius Toney in the third quarter against Kentucky.
Against Tennessee: Logged his third career 100-yard receiving game, breaking the school record jointly held by three Gators – a trio which included Kirk Kirkpatrick (1987-90) and Ben Troupe (2000-03)... Third Gators tight end with multiple 100-yard games in a season (2009, and Troupe in 2003).
Against Alabama: With his 10-yard reception at the 4:37 mark of the first quarter, Kyle Pitts broke the school record for career receiving yards by a tight end previously set by a 2007-09 Gators tight end (1,382 yards)... Pitts’ 22-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was his 12th of the season and tied him with Carlos Alvarez (1969) for seventh on the school’s single-season record list... Pitts’ 12 receiving touchdowns this season are the second-highest total by a tight end in SEC history... Vanderbilt’s Allama Matthews (14 in 1982) holds the SEC record... Pitts’ 770 yards this year ties Kirk Kirkpatrick (1990) for second on Florida’s single-season record list for receiving yards by a tight end; he still trails the school record set in 2009 (850 yards)... Pitts is the first tight end in Gators history and the eighth FBS tight end in the last five years (including 2020) with three games of 100-plus receiving yards in the same season.
2020 HONORS
Mackey Award Winner
Biletnikoff Award Finalist
CFPA Tight End Trophy winner
Top-10 Heisman Trophy voting finisher
Unanimous first-team All-American
Coaches’ All SEC first-team selection
Associated Press All SEC first-team selection
Walter Camp Player of the Year Semifinalist
Maxwell Award Semifinalist
SEASON STATS
Receptions: 43
Receiving Yards: 770
Touchdowns: 12
2019: Played in all 13 games, starting 12 at tight end as a key target in the passing game… Recorded 54 receptions for 649 yards and five touchdowns – second-most by a UF tight end since 1996… Pitts’ 54 receptions tied Antonio Callaway (2016) for the fourth-most by any Gator in a season since the start of 2007 (2009 leader – 68; Percy Harvin, 2007 – 59; Andre Caldwell, 2007 – 56)… Finished third nationally amongst FBS tight ends in receptions… Finished seventh nationally among FBS tight ends in receiving yards… One of nine FBS tight ends since 2015 to finish with over 50 catches, 625+ receiving yards and five TDs in a season… Led all tight ends in the SEC in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns… Led the Gators’ receiving core in receptions; finished second in receiving yards and third in touchdowns… One of three Gators – Van Jefferson; Lamical Perine - to record 40+ receptions in a season for the first time since 2001… One of four Gators – Trevon Grimes; Van Jefferson; Freddie Swain – to finish with at least 30 receptions, 475 yards and three touchdowns for the first time since 2007… Tallied nine games with at least four receptions and five games with 60+ receiving yards… Recorded four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee (9/21)… Scored a career-high two touchdowns on four receptions for 28 yards against Towson (9/28)… Hauled in a career-high eight receptions for 65 yards against Auburn en route to earning John Mackey Tight End of the Week Honorable Mention honors… Notched a career-high 108-yard performance on five catches at LSU en route to his second consecutive John Mackey Tight End of the Week Honorable Mention nod… Added a pair of touchdowns against South Carolina and Vanderbilt … Was named a Walter Camp Player of the Year Semifinalist… Named to AP/Coaches’ All-SEC First Team (TE)...
2019 HONORS
Coaches’ All-SEC first-team selection
Associated Press All SEC first-team selection
Walter Camp Player of the Year Semifinalist
2018: Played in 11 games as a key member of Florida’s special teams units and served as a reserve tight end… Tallied three catches for 73 yards and one touchdown… Caught his first-career pass at Mississippi State… Recorded a 52-yard touchdown against Idaho.
CAREER HIGHS
Receptions: 8 (2x, last at Ole Miss, 2020)
Receiving Yards: 170 (at Ole Miss, 2020)
Receiving TDs: 4 (at Ole Miss, 2020)
Long Catch: 71 (at Ole Miss, 2020)
CAREER HONORS
Mackey Award Winner (2020)
CFPA Tight End Trophy winner (2020)
Unanimous first-team All-American (2020)
Biletnikoff Award Finalist (2020)
Two-time Coaches’ All SEC first-team selection (2019, 2020)
Two-time Associated Press All SEC first-team selection (2019, 2020)
Two-time Walter Camp Player of the Year Semifinalist (2019, 2020)
Maxwell Award Semifinalist (2020)
PRIOR TO FLORIDA:
Selected to participate in the 2018 Under Armour All-America Game... Recorded one catch for 11 yards in the game... A 2017 Under Armour All-American selection... Led Archbishop Wood to an overall record of 11-2 and a State Championship... Totaled four tackles, two interceptions and a touchdown reception in the title game... Recorded over 300 receiving yards and five touchdowns during his senior season... A versatile athlete who also spent time at defensive end for the Vikings... Played for Coach Steve Devlin... Chose Florida over Georgia, Alabama, Miami, Ohio State and Tennessee.
