Is Sammis Reyes the next Antonio Gates in the NFL?

The Florida Gators’ Pro Day was highlighted by the No. 1 player in the 2021 NFL Draft, Kyle Pitts. The former Gators tight end is the best tight end ever to enter the NFL Draft, and some are calling him a potential Hall of Fame player. While Pitts got all the attention, and deservedly so, there was another tight end that worked out at Florida’s Pro Day, and that was Sammis Reyes.

Now, for Florida football fans, that name isn’t familiar. Reyes did not play at Florida, and he did not even play football at all in college. So why did he work out at the Gators’ Pro Day? Gators’ head coach Dan Mullen allowed 11 international players to participate at Florida’s Pro Day and Reyes was a star.

Reyes grew up in Chile and then played college basketball at Tulane. He has been a basketball player his whole life. He decided to transition to football, and it seems he made the right decision. Outside of Pitts, Reyes was the talk of Florida’s Pro Day. He was incredible and put on a show.

Reyes measured in at almost 6-6, 260 pounds, and had an incredible 40-inch vertical. He added a solid 4.65 40-yard dash and an impressive 31 reps of 225 on the bench press. He ran some routes on the field and did some drills, too, and looked incredible. His potential is endless!

It is worth noting that there seems to be some confusion regarding if Reyes is draft-eligible or not, but according to Scott Pioli, Reyes is not draft eligible. Instead, he is currently considered an NFL free agent and can sign with whatever team he wants to, but he loses the opportunity to be considered an ‘exempt practice squad player’ in 2021.

We have seen future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates make the jump from college basketball to the NFL as a free agent, too, though Gates was a highly recruited high school football player. Reyes will obviously need to keep progressing as a football player, but his Pro Day signifies that he is on the right path.

It would not surprise me to see Reyes signed before the NFL Draft, as his workout was just too good to ignore. He may need to develop some aspects of his game, but there will be a team in the NFL that feels they can help him do that.

Reyes will have a long journey to becoming an elite tight end in the NFL, but he showed at the Florida Pro Day that he has the traits and ability to do so. I believe that with the right coaching and situation, Reyes has a real shot to be the next Antonio Gates in the NFL.