Florida standout Kyle Pitts wins John Mackey Award honoring nation’s best tight end
By SDS Staff
Published:
Florida’s Kyle Pitts was named the winner of the John Mackey Award, which is presented annually to college football’s most outstanding tight end.
The junior established himself as a top tight end and one of the best pass-catchers in the country this season with 43 receptions, 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. Pitts’ 12 receiving touchdowns this season were the second-highest total by a tight end in SEC history. Vanderbilt’s Allama Matthews (14 in 1982) holds the SEC record. His 770 yards this year ties Kirk Kirkpatrick (1990) for second on Florida’s single-season record list for receiving yards by a tight end.
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.
Pitts is the second tight end in school history to win the Mackey Award, joining a Gators tight end who won the award in 2009. Ben Troupe (2003) and Jake McGee (2015) were named finalists in their respective years.
His dominant performance this season also landed him a spot as a Biletnikoff Award finalist, which is presented annually to college football’s best pass-catcher.
Pitts also became Florida’s first unanimous first-team All-American since Vernon Hargreaves III in 2015. Both Pitts and Hargreaves were named AFCA, AP, FWAA, Sporting News and Walter Camp First Team All-Americans.
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
