He played college football at Southern Illinois, where he was a two-time first-team FCS All-American.

Pruitt was born to Colette Bonds and Carlos Pruitt on March 24, 1992, in South Bend, Indiana, He went to Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, where he was a three-time All-Conference defensive end and first-team All-Conference tight end in 2009.

He attended the same high school as former Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

He caught 30 passes for 397 yards with six touchdowns and posted 50 tackles (14 for loss) and six sacks, helping his team advance to the second round of the playoffs in his junior season.

In addition, Pruitt played basketball, volleyball and competed in track & field at Kirkwood.

He participated in throws and jumps on the track team, and was a state qualifier in the discus, with a top-throw of 47.90 meters (157 feet, 1 inch).

He was a consensus NCAA Division I Football Championship (FCS) All-American as a junior and senior.

He earned a spot on the MVFC All-Newcomer team and was also an honorable mention All-MVFC selection.

He also ranked fifth in the MVFC in receptions and sixth in receiving yards per game (52.5) and led all conference tight ends in both categories.

He finished the season as SIU's all-time leader in career receptions (140) and receiving yards (1,740) by a tight end.

In his final season at SIU in 2014, Pruitt was named a First-team All-American by the AP, AFCA, The Sports Network and Walter Camp Foundation.

He was a three-time CFPA Tight End Performer of the Week (after PUR, WIU and USD games).

[8] Prior to the draft, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller listed Pruitt as the seventh-best tight end prospect in his final 2015 rankings.

He also showed his versatility by delivering a key block that helped running back Adrian Peterson break free for a 75-yard gain.

[14] With Rhett Ellison out with a concussion against the Chicago Bears in Week 8, Pruitt saw a season-high 28 snaps out of the 58 offensive plays the Vikings ran in their 23–20 win.

[26][27] On September 10, 2018, Pruitt was signed by the Tennessee Titans off the Texans practice squad after Delanie Walker suffered a season-ending ankle injury.

[28] On November 18, 2018, in a 38-10 Week 11 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Pruitt caught his first reception of the season for 19 yards.

[29] On December 22, 2018, Pruitt caught his first NFL touchdown from Blaine Gabbert in the Titans' 25-16 Week 16 win against the Washington Redskins.

[40] With teammate Casey Hayward being put on IR, Pruitt was promoted to the active 53-man roster on October 18, 2022, the day after scoring a touchdown in Week 6.