The Florida Gators Can't Replicate Kyle Pitts. So How Do They Replace Him?
Do you know what makes a unicorn special?
They are rare.
Even in fiction, the only place they truly exist, unicorns are scarce and therefore all the more magical when they do appear.
Kyle Pitts was a unicorn. Florida Gators Head Coach Dan Mullen never shied away from declaring him so.
“He’s kind of a unicorn, right,” Mullen pondered of Pitts back in September. “So unless you have a unicorn on defense to match the unicorn on offense…”
No one had a unicorn on defense to match Pitts. It’s what’s going to make him a NFL first-round selection in April, what won him the 2020 Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end and what earned him votes as a Top 10 Heisman Trophy finalist.
Now Gators tight end coach Tim Brewster has a unit of guys that want to replicate the best tight end play in Florida history.
"Everybody took so much excitement in watching the way that Pitts played. Now everybody wants to be like Pitts. It’s not be like Mike. It’s be like Kyle,” remarked Brewster.
“It’s just – we had an amazing year together. And he not only rubbed off on the room, but he rubbed off on the team. And I think everybody celebrated his accomplishments. It was a really special year with him.”
So how do you replicate something truly unique and special? How do you find another unicorn? Well, you don’t. You teach them how to be a world class horse and go from there.
"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,” admitted Brewster.
“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. That’s what makes spring ball so special.
“You’re out there and it’s all about fundamentals and player development and making guys better and when you see guys improving, it’s so exciting. Really from Day 1 to today, Day 4, I’ve seen all these guys making great improvement.”
The guys that are here in Pitts wake but now follow in the footsteps of an All-American but with their own unique step. So what are they bringing to the table?
Starting with the eldest, Kemore Gamble (10 receptions, 160 yards, three touchdowns): “I think Kemore Gamble has really stepped up. I think he’s gotten stronger. He’s being more competitive. He needed to improve in the run game, but he’s really showing that he can be a complete player, as well.”
Then the Lakeland product, Keon Zipperer (11 receptions, 145 yards, two touchdowns): “Keon Zipperer’s really stepping up and showing more athleticism. I challenged him to be more athletic on the field and make plays in the running game. He’s extremely strong in the run game, but I want him to be more athletic. In this offense, we want the tight end to really be dynamic —truly be dynamic. And he’s stepping up.”
The young gun, Jonathan Odom: “Really excited about Odom. Odom has done a nice job. He’s gotten bigger, he’s gotten stronger.”
And then the Jacksonville freshman, who Brewster can’t say enough about: “Nick Elksnis has come in and today [Wednesday] was the fourth day. I couldn’t be more excited about a young guy than I am. Both him and Odom are going to be outstanding young tight ends as they grow into this program…I really like my guy. I like Nick Elksnis. 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 [Wednesday] against the defense. He’s got a maturity about him.”
While each guy is going to bring a different aspect to the unit—and likely none matching Pitts deadly combination of speed and strength—there are some things about Kyle Pitts that are applicable to those who learned alongside him.
“Kyle Pitts was an amazing teammate, you know? He shared with his – he tried to help others get better, shared his knowledge. It wasn’t about him. It was about the team…I think his development as a run blocker from his second year to his third year, I think was very noticeable.”
So how do you replicate something truly unique and special? How do you find another unicorn? Well, you don’t. You teach them how to be a world class horse and go from there.
“Everybody’s worried about us losing Kyle Pitts, and we’re certainly going to miss Kyle and everything he brought to it. But I think these other guys are really going to do some great things next season.
“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.”
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