How Kyle Pitts is helping one of Georgia’s promising young tight ends

ATHENS — Ethan Barbour didn’t hesitate to mention that one of the most important people in his life is a former Georgia rival.

“Definitely my mentor Kyle Pitts,” Barbour told reporters on Tuesday. “I work out with him a lot, so that’s definitely one person I study a lot.”

Pitts was the No. 4 overall pick by the Falcons in the 2020 NFL Draft after a stellar career at Florida. He was the winner of the John Mackey Award in 2020, given to college football’s top tight end. He also happened to play on the last Florida team to beat Georgia.

In between sharing tips and knowledge with the young Georgia tight end, Pitts doesn’t hesitate to bring up the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, which will take place in Atlanta this year.

“Just having that type of wisdom from him, just knowing how, he made it to the biggest level, so he knows what it takes,” Barbour said.

While Pitts is largely known for his abilities as a pass catcher, Barbour has made an instant impact at Georgia because of his willingness to block.

He’s started each of the last two season openers for Georgia, even while playing in one of the most loaded position groups in the country.

“We have a bunch of studs in the room,” Barbour said. “Everybody has different skill sets. So really just, I just trust Coach to put us in the best position every day. And that’s what they’re doing. So I don’t think it’s really anything that I did. I think it’s just we all just work together. We all work hard and things like that.”

For as much discussion as there has been around Georgia’s tight end room with the breakouts of Elyiss Williams and Jaden Reddell, Barbour is more than holding his own.

He caught his first career touchdown on Saturday in the win over Western Kentucky. That his score came on Georgia’s opening drive of the game was no fluke.

Georgia wanted to reward the versatile tight end.

“Ethan’s one of the toughest dudes on this entire team, and honestly, one of the toughest kids I’ve seen come through Georgia,” tight end Lawson Luckie said. “He’s a tone setter, but he’s a leader as well. I think our team feeds off of Ethan. I think he does a great job of bringing it every day.”

One only has to look at how Barbour ended his first season in Georgia to have an appreciation for his toughness. Barbour broke his ankle just before halftime in Georgia’s second game of the season. For most, it would’ve been a season-ending injury.

Yet Barbour, a self-described optimist, kept putting in the work in rehab. The same mindset that earned him a starting spot in his first career game got him back on the field in Georgia’s College Football Playoff game against Ole Miss.

“That says a lot about that kid’s determination just to come back and his resiliency and his response to something bad that happened in his life,” tight ends coach Todd Hartley said of Barbour in August.

Barbour has long put his ankle injury in the rearview mirror. He’s now able to fully focus on helping this Georgia offense and team.

“He’s such a strong and powerful presence at the line of scrimmage in the backfield,” Hartley said. “I say he has Mike Tyson hands, man. When he puts his hands on you, the defenders feel it. You can see the air come out of their lungs when he puts his hands in their chest. So very strong, powerful hands, and he does a lot of things. He is very well-rounded, tight end, but physical at the point of attack.”