There's a reason the Atlanta Falcons made Kyle Pitts the highest-drafted tight end of all time when they selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Pitts redefined the position with superb athleticism, route running, ball skills and red-zone production. Pitts was a beast for the Florida Gators, and there's no way around that, but when he was out for a few games due to a concussion last year, Kemore Gamble stepped up.
Now that Pitts is off in the pros, it's time for Gamble to hold down the tight end spot.
Kemore Gamble Recruiting & Highlights
Gamble was a four-star recruit out of Miami Southridge High School in South Florida. He had offers from Alabama, Miami, Cincinnati, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi State, North Carolina State, North Carolina, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin before committing to the University of Miami.
Gamble decommitted from Miami nine months after his initial pledge and eventually landed at the University of Florida.
The four-star was lauded for his athletic ability and soft hands coming out of high school, skills that only improved when he arrived in Gainesville.
Kemore Gamble Florida
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Tight end Kemore Gamble took some time to find his groove at Florida. He redshirted early and saw the field as a redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore, but he didn't make a large impact until last season when he filled in for Pitts.
The 6-foot-4 Gamble stepped up immediately after Pitts went down against Georgia. He recorded three receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown in UF's 44-28 win. He continued his connection with quarterback Kyle Trask two weeks later against Vanderbilt, hauling in three catches for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
Emory Jones also finds Kemore Gamble, who takes it 30 yards for a TD - Gamble accounted for 64 of the Gators' 99 yards on that drive. Gators up 38-17 pic.twitter.com/nZ05hC4ePo
— libgator (@lib_gator) November 21, 2020
This season, the redshirt junior headlines a tight end group that includes Keon Zipperer, Nick Elksnis, Gage Wilcox and Jonathan Odom. Florida tight end coach Tim Brewster has had high praise for Gamble out of fall camp.
"I think that we're going to be just fine," Brewster said. "I love the challenge, OK? Everybody says we're going to miss Kyle Pitts. Well, guess what? Kemore Gamble's going to be the best tight end in the SEC."
Florida football head coach Dan Mullen is known for his adaptability. With quarterback Emory Jones' legs and a new starting tight end, it's certain Mullen will maximize his players' skills.
Florida is projected to finish second behind Georgia in the SEC East standings, but don't be surprised if the Gators are headed to Atlanta once again come December.
UF has proved they can compete with the best of the NCAA such as Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Having one of the best tight ends in college football yet again will give the offense some much needed firepower.
