Standing at 6-foot-6, 288 pounds according to the team’s official 2026 roster, Florida freshman Heze Kent presents the Gators with one of the more unique tight end builds in college football
Yet Florida tasked Kent with drastically improving his stature this offseason, as he weighed in at 313 pounds ahead of the Gators’ spring training camp in March
After recovering from an ankle injury suffered during those practices, Kent during the summer sported a 20-pound weighted vest for two approximately 45-minute walks and one set of stadium runs daily, a grueling yet successful task that allowed the Brunswick, Ga., native to shed 25 pounds over the last several months
As part of our exclusive interview with Kent, Swamp247’s Graham Hall attempted the freshman tight end’s weight loss workout program this past weekend, walking over 2.5 miles through the UF campus while wearing a 20-pound weighted vest
Swamp247 documented the journey before interviewing Kent on Saturday. Watch Hall attempt the workout in the video above
RELATED — Heze Kent goes in-depth on losing significant weight ahead of freshman season: ‘Put in a lot of work’
Meeting with reporters last week, Florida director of football performance Rusty Whitt and director of football nutrition Jake Sankal offered insight regarding Kent’s physical development and his ultimate weight goal in order to play tight end for the Gators
“It was a tough day daily for Heze Kent. He had to do the team run, team lift, strap on a 20-pound weighted vest, and walk between 30 and 40, 45 minutes a day, and then in July he was doing that twice a day. He put in a lot of work,” Whitt explained
“And it wasn’t me. It wasn’t Jake. At some point, that young man said, ‘Hey, I really want to play tight end here.’ And 33 pounds, right? 30 total. So he went from 315ish to 280-something, in the high 280s. So his ideal weight in our mind right now is around 275. So we’re going to get him that. And just imagine taking a 40-pound weighted vest off, how much faster you’re going to be? So he ran two weeks ago 19 miles an hour at 288. So now he’s a tight end.”
Having successfully reshaped his body this offseason, Kent has put himself in position to play for Florida in 2026. That said, it remains to be seen how much he will be utilized in a position group with multiple options, as most of his teammates at tight end possess the advantage of playing experience, although that has not deterred Kent in the slightest
“To play as a freshman,” Kent said of his goals. “When I play, I want to win. I want to go Freshman All-American. I want the team to go to the College Football Playoff, win the conference, win a natty (national championship. We’ve got a great team. We’re explosive, defense is good, everybody’s all in with the new staff. We’re definitely going to surprise some people.”
