ATHENS -- Tre' McKitty sat on his couch at home in Wesley Chapel, Fla., in January 2018 and watched Georgia and Alabama slug it out for the college football national championship. Two years later, he’ll have a much better seat for the latest Top 5 matchup between those programs.
McKitty will start for Georgia when the No. 2-ranked Crimson Tide plays host to the third-ranked Bulldogs on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (8 p.m., CBS).
“I never thought about playing for Georgia in the Alabama game, but I’m just glad to be here,” McKitty, a graduate transfer from Florida State, said on Monday. “I know those games were extremely competitive and exciting to watch. I can only imagine what it is going to be like playing in it.”
If his first action with the Bulldogs is any indication, McKitty will play a major role on Saturday. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end was projected as Georgia’s starter as soon as he arrived from Tallahassee this past January and did nothing in his brief time with the Bulldogs to dissuade that notion.
But McKitty sprained a knee in the Bulldogs' last scrimmage of preseason camp and was held out for the first two games. He was finally unleashed against Tennessee this past Saturday and immediately made his presence known.
Not only did he draw his first start in his first game with the Bulldogs, but his 28-yard reception was Georgia’s second-longest of the day. It was one of two passes McKitty hauled in for a total of 48 yards.
The Bulldogs are hoping for more of the same.
“I just wanted to go out there and play my best game,” McKitty said of his Tennessee performance. “As far as this week, I’m really looking forward to it. We’re just trying to focus on ourselves. We know it’s a big week but, as an offense, we’re just trying to improve ourselves and bring our best foot forward.”
Indications are tight ends are going to be a much more prominent fixture in the passing game under the watch of first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken. After catching just 23 balls in 14 games last season, Georgia tight ends already have eight this season. That includes this past Saturday’s touchdown by defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who occupies a tight end/H-back role for the Bulldogs in goal-line situations.
Moreover, the tight ends are catching longer passes over the middle of the field. In addition to the 28 and 19 yarders hauled in by McKitty against Tennessee, Georgia’s John FitzPatrick has an 18-yard catch and a touchdown and freshman Darnell Washington has a 26-yarder down the seam against Arkansas.
McKitty said one of the reasons he chose UGA when he entered the transfer portal last January was the promise of catching plenty of passes. But while he got plenty of work in three seasons with the Seminoles (35 games, 19 starts, 50 catches, 520 yards, two touchdowns), it wasn’t particularly rewarding. FSU went 18-20 with two losing seasons.
“I always liked Georgia growing up,” McKitty said. “I took an official here coming out of high school (at IMG). It just wasn’t the time then, and everything happens for a reason. When I went into the portal, I had some great conversations with Coach Smart and (tight ends coach Todd) Hartley and I knew Coach Monken was coming in with an NFL-style offense. I just knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.”
So is Saturday’s Top 5 matchup against Alabama. McKitty said it will be, without question, the biggest game he’s ever played in.
“It’s tough, you know, night game, 2 versus 3,” McKitty said. “But you really just have to do your best to blur it out and try to take it as any other week. We play in the SEC, so we’re playing a big game every week. So, we’re just focusing on ourselves, plugging up all the outside noise and get back to work for another week of football.”
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