Florida Gators 2020 Roster Outlook: Tight End
With the 2019 season now in the rear-view mirror, it's time to start dissecting the Florida Gators' roster as the team begins to prepare for the 2020 season.
Here at GatorMaven, we'll be evaluating each position on Florida's roster based on its 2019 performance, what the Gators have done in recruiting at the position so far, and what the early expectations are for each unit. Obviously, those expectations can change as the offseason goes on, but this is where the roster currently stands.
After previously breaking down the quarterback, running back and wide receiver positions, let's look at tight end.
What the Gators return at tight end
Kyle Pitts: Junior Kyle Pitts will be the obvious No. 1 tight end for UF next season. He will also most likely be the Gators' favorite offensive weapon. He had 54 catches for 649 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore, enjoying a major breakout season.
He did all of that with a loaded wide receiving corps to catch passes as well. With four of those WRs leaving for graduation, those numbers will certainly increase barring injury, and they need to for Florida.
Pitts needs to be a weapon that the defense is continuously worried about. He already was this year, and it helped an already-explosive WR corps run more freely. Next year, the extra attention that Pitts will demand defensively can open up other options in the passing game.
Keon Zipperer: The No. 2 tight end in the 2019 class got buried in the depth chart early on this season, largely due to him not enrolling early. By the time he arrived at fall camp, there was too much experience ready to play in front of him for him to see the field in an important way.
However, with Krull leaving and a full year in the program under Zipperer's arsenal, I fully expect him to jump to No. 2 on the depth chart. He is a versatile weapon that has the size to block effectively as well. In limited playing time this past season, Zippered hauled in three targets for 31 yards and a score.
Pitts is too good to not have on the field as often as possible, but that does not mean Zipperer cannot play an extremely useful backup role. Look for Florida to continue getting creative at TE with options developing behind Pitts.
Kemore Gamble: Sophomore Kemore Gamble saw surprisingly little action this season. It was not expected that he would be a huge difference maker, but the feeling was definitely that Florida's tight end room was three-deep between Gamble, Lucas Krull and Pitts.
However, with Krull being as ineffective as he was, and with the coaching staff's seeming refusal to give Gamble a stab at more reps in meaningful time, it became evident that it was actually just one deep. It stopped and ended with Pitts.
Gamble, like Zipperer, is a question mark for 2020. The two of them should be the culprits battling for Pitts's backup role. Zipperer is the higher-rated recruit, but Gamble has another year of experience. He ended his season with 71 snaps played, and 56 of those were spent blocking, per Pro Football Focus.
Dante Lang: Redshirt freshman Dante Lang saw even less action than Gamble this season - 55 snaps, to be exact. And on the depth chart of every game, he was always the last tight end listed behind Pitts, Krull and Gamble.
Truthfully, we know little-to-nothing about Lang as a tight end. The Boca Raton native played defensive end in high school before switching over to offense. He has an impressive frame at 6 foot 5, 252 pounds, but outside of that, he has not played enough to evaluate his skill set.
What the Gators gain at tight end
Jonathan Odom: Odom, out of Jesuit High School in Tampa, FL, is the No. 29 tight end in the 2020 recruiting cycle. While his three-star ranking may not shake the composite rankings, it doesn't need to.
Truthfully, thanks to Pitts having another year and in all likelihood seeing a jump from either Zipperer or Gamble, Odom will have plenty of time to develop.
Tight end is similar to quarterback in terms of how you recruit it. If you get at least one per class, then you never have to throw someone into the game who is not ready.
And this is exactly the case for Odom. Chances are, you will not hear his name, at least as a receiver, early on in Gainesville. However, his 6 foot 5, 250-pound frame is something that with time, this program can develop into a reliable player. Perhaps it could even land him blocking opportunities early on.
What the Gators lose at tight end
Lucas Krull: The day after the Florida State game, just like quarterback Feleipe Franks, tight end Lucas Krull announced his decision to transfer. He is now on his way to playing his final season of football at Pittsburgh.
While he was the backup tight end, Krull contributed almost nothing in the passing game, with only three catches for 33 yards all season. He also struggled at times to block effectively, which left little reason for him to be on the field in big moments.
Room for more?
The Gators might not be done at tight end yet, as the team is in pursuit of three-star athlete Dee Beckwith (Florence HS - Florence, AL) to cap off their 2020 signing haul. The 6-4, 215 lb. athlete, who also plays basketball anf runs track, would serve as a tight end in the Gators' offense if he chooses to play for Florida.
Beckwith is set to visit the Gators on January 24th.
2020 outlook
With Pitts in house, the tight end position immediately gets considered as a strength across the Gators' roster. He is already considered one of the most dynamic tight ends in college football, given his size, speed, and receiving capabilities, and he will have another offseason of training under his belt to grow as a difference-maker in 2020.
The Gators have to like the depth they've built at tight end as well, and they aren't done yet.
In Gamble and Lang, at worst Florida has two blocking tight ends to use in bigger personnel formations and boost the run game. Whereas, Zipperer has loads of potential as a receiving tight end who can move around in 2020, and the same will be said about Odom down the line.
