Iowa men's basketball delivered the biggest upset of the tournament over the weekend, knocking off defending national champion and No. 1 seed Florida, and one San Francisco 49ers star thoroughly enjoyed it.
All-Pro tight end George Kittle took to Instagram to troll teammate Ricky Pearsall after the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes stunned Florida 73-72 on Sunday. Kittle starred at Iowa during his college football career, while Pearsall spent his final two collegiate seasons at Florida.
George Kittle trolling Ricky Pearsall after Iowa's upset win over Florida 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ChZ5uefxpO
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) March 23, 2026
The playful exchange quickly escalated, with Pearsall eventually firing back, "We gotta natty, tho," referencing Florida men's basketball's 2025 national championship—the program's third title.
With the win, Iowa advanced to the Sweet 16, giving Kittle even more reason to stay locked in on the Hawkeyes' March Madness run.
Kittle is recovering from an Achilles injury suffered during the 49ers' playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles, while Pearsall is coming off an injury-plagued 2025 season that limited him to nine games.
H/t to Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area for the find.
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