As we continue looking ahead to the 2020 season, we're asking questions. Today, the focus is on the wide receivers and which player will emerge as the No. 1 receiver in the coming year.
To start, let's look back at last season.
Ffrench was obviously the standout in the group and the focal point of the passing game, and he set the Pitt record for receptions in a single season. He passed the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Tyler Boyd and Antonio Bryant in climbing that list, but the other half of his stat line was far less impressive.
Despite catching 96 passes, Ffrench recorded just 850 receiving yards. Only one player in college football last season caught at least 80 passes and had fewer yards than Ffrench.
Of course, much of that was due to Ffrench's role in the offense and the types of passes he was seeing on a regular basis. In lieu of an effective rushing attack, Ffrench caught a lot of short throws; sometimes he turned those into productive plays and sometimes he didn't.
The overall result was a passing attack that was, remarkably, not all that much of an improvement from 2018's punchless attack. In 2018, Pitt averaged 6.3 yards per pass attempt and 10.9 yards per reception; last season, the Panthers averaged 6.6 yards per pass attempt and 10.8 yards per reception.
The 2019 team produced 17 passing touchdowns, which was an improvement over 2018's 12 passing scores, but a fair amount of that can be attributed to volume: the 2019 offense averaged 39.5 pass attempts per game, while the 2018 offense averaged 22.6. That puts the touchdown numbers into context: Pitt threw the ball 17 times more per game in 2019 and gained just five additional passing touchdowns (averaging one score on every 30 throws, as opposed to one on every 26 in 2018).
There are a lot of factors that went into the passing game's success - or lack thereof - in 2019, but let's focus on the receivers. Here's the career production of Pitt's returning receivers on the 2020 roster.
That brings us back to the original question:
Who will be Pitt's leading receiver in 2020?
THE FAVORITE
Based on the career numbers, Taysir Mack would seem to be the favorite. He's got the most experience and the strongest resume, so he makes sense as the top option.
But if history is any indication, it probably won't be him.
Mack has shown an ability to make tough catches down the field and win 50/50 balls at a pretty solid rate, but in his two seasons at Pitt, that has been his primary role and he has not been used very frequently as a possession receiver or on short, quick passes.
Those types of throws were the foundation for Ffrench's record-setting season last year, and if Mack is going to be Pitt's leading receiver, he's going to have to see a lot more of those throws - which probably isn't likely to happen.
Really, the favorite might be Shocky Jacques-Louis. The biggest thing that held him back in his first two seasons was health; he missed nine games in 2018 and 2019 and wasn't 100% healthy in the games he did play. But he made splash plays when he got an opportunity and his career yards-per-reception average isn't too far away from Mack's.
He's also got a skill set that should lend itself to stepping into Ffrench's role, as he has the speed and athleticism to take quick passes and turn them into big plays.
If he stays healthy, Jacques-Louis should be the favorite to lead Pitt in receptions in 2020.
THE DARK HORSE
There aren't a lot of clear dark horse candidates, but sophomore Jared Wayne could be one. He dealt with injuries last season as a freshman, but when he got on the field late in the fall, he played well. Over the final four games of the season, he caught 17 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, making him Pitt's second-leading receiver in that stretch behind Ffrench.
Wayne probably projects as a possession receiver - that was his strength last season - and there should be opportunities for him to excel in that role. He should be one of Pitt's top three receivers, and if Jacques-Louis can't stay on the field, Wayne could see his targets increase considerably.
THE NEWCOMER
Pitt has a couple interesting freshmen who could play their way into the mix at receiver.
Jordan Addison enrolled in January and took part in spring camp (before it was canceled), and his performance during that week of practice did nothing to change the coaching staff's belief that he has a chance to be Pitt's most talented receiver.
The biggest questions are how much progress he can make as a true freshman and how quickly he can make it. Mack, Jacques-Louis and Wayne are more or less established but there will be opportunities for other receivers to get the ball and Addison is talented enough to merit looks.
Fellow freshman Jaylon Barden is, too. He didn't enroll early but he's anxious to get to campus and the coaches are eager to have him. Barden is a smaller receiver like Addison, but the two freshmen have big-play potential and will probably show it this season.
It's not likely that Addison or Barden leads Pitt in receiving in 2020, but they should contribute, and if the stars align, one of the newcomers could find himself piling up stats.
So we'll come back to the question:
