ATHENS — Tre’ Mckitty will continue to be assigned the title of “tight end,” but make no mistake about it, the former Florida State Seminole is coming to Georgia to catch passes.
Former Florida State defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett saw plenty of Mckitty in practices to know what the Bulldogs are getting.
“Tre’ is the modern day tight end,” Barnett told DawgNation on Wednesday. “The modern day tight end is a guy that is not necessarily a great run blocker — he’s a position blocker — but he can run, and he can really catch.”
Georgia has used two tight ends often, typically with one that is a better route-runner and receiver (Isaac Nauta, Eli Wolf), and another that brings the traditional dual block-catch skillset (Charlie Woerner).
Mckitty had 23 catches for 241 yards last season, and he had 26 catches for 256 yards in 2018.
Former Bulldogs’ head coach Mark Richt recruited Mckitty while at Miami and watched his games as an ACC Network analyst last season.
Richt, like Barnett, believes this is another good pickup for the Bulldogs.
“When we recruited Mckitty at Miami, we thought he was a great player,” Richt said on Monday in New Orleans. “He’s very agile. He’s a lot like (First-team All-ACC) Brevin Jordan who is at Miami now and is one of the better tight ends in the ACC.
“Mckitty has got good ball skills, and he’s probably a better receiver than a blocker. But he’s a willing blocker, and he’s definitely a guy who can play.”
Barnett said Mckitty “is a good target, and he can run, too, reminds me of the tight end from Penn State, Gesicki, I think he’s with the Miami Dolphins now.”
Mike Gesicki was Miami’s second-round NFL Draft pick in 2018.
“As far as catching the ball and athletic, yeah, that’s Tre’,” Barnett said. “He’s a good football player.”
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