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Dan Mullen addresses possibility of additional opt outs ahead of Cotton Bowl
By Keith Farner
Published:
Once star TE Kyle Pitts announced he would opt out of playing in the Cotton Bowl, it was understandable to wonder if more Florida Gators are set to sit out the final game of the season.
At a Cotton Bowl press conference, coach Dan Mullen explained his expectations for the roster ahead of the game against Oklahoma.
“I think we might have one or two more but I’ll let those guys handle that,” Mullen said. “That’s on them. I’m not going to get into all the details because I don’t know how guys want to handle all that stuff individually. I’m going to let them do it. I know of one to two more but I’ve also had a lot of confirmation of guys that are playing. I’m not going to get into the specifics of all of them.”
Pitts finished the regular season with 43 catches for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2021 draft and will almost certainly be the first tight end off the board.
Mullen said this kind of situation will allow the opportunity for young guys to step up like Kemore Gamble and Keon Zipperer to step into bigger roles, and presumably players at other positions as opt-out announcements come.
The Cotton Bowl is set to be played on Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
