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Florida Football: 3 biggest surprises from Gators’ 2019 season

By Connor Muldowney

MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 30: Kyle Trask #11 of the Florida Gators looks to pass against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half of the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 30: Kyle Trask #11 of the Florida Gators looks to pass against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half of the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Florida football had a successful 11-win season in 2019, but the Gators are still looking for a playoff berth. Still, what were the biggest surprises of 2019?

Capping the 2019 season off with an Orange Bowl win over Virginia, Florida finished 11-2 in Dan Mullen’s second year and that had to be considered a major success, given the circumstances.

Just three games into the year, the Gators lost their starting quarterback, Feleipe Franks, to a season-ending injury and an unproven Kyle Trask took over. He led the Gators to a comeback in that game against Kentucky and then went 8-2 as a starter. His only losses were to LSU on the road and against Georgia.

This season was filled with ups and downs for the Gators, but overall had to be considered a major success and building block for Mullen.

Who, or what, were the biggest surprises from the 2019 season?

3. Kyle Pitts

Before the 2019 season, Kyle Pitts was considered a tight end with plenty of potential, but he hadn’t quite shown it yet.

In his freshman season, he had three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown in three appearances. That’s not exactly a huge sample size and some may have still expected a breakout from the talented tight end in 2019, but not quite to the extent that he showed.

Pitts had an All-SEC type of season, shattering his freshman numbers with 54 catches for 649 yards and five touchdowns. He seemed like one of Kyle Trask’s favorite targets all season long and he was as sure-handed as any pass-catcher on the team. He was instant offense and a major contributor to Trask’s breakout season.

If you had Pitts breaking out to this extend before the season, you may want to pick your numbers for the lottery because you have world-class premonitions.

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