Kyle Pitts will skip his final season in Florida and will not be playing in the Gators’ upcoming bowl game to prepare for the 2021 NFL draw, he announced on social media on Sunday.
Pitts, a Philadelphia junior, is considered a potential top 10 pick.
“After much prayer and consideration and conversations with my family, I will give up my senior year and enter the 2021 NFL draft and not play in the bowl game,” Pitts wrote on Twitter. “I can’t wait to pursue my dreams of playing in the NFL. But I’ll always be a Gator.”
Pitts (6 feet-6, 239 pounds) is ranked No. 1 under tight ends by ESPN design analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. Kiper ranks Pitts as No. 7 overall; McShay ranks him in 10th place.
Pitts has 43 catches for 770 yards with 12 touchdowns in eight games this season for the Gators, who are expected to be selected to play in a New Year’s Six bowl game on Sunday. He had seven receptions for 129 yards with one score in a 52-46 loss against No. 1 Alabama in Saturday night’s SEC championship game.