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It’s the question that won’t stop getting asked until it finally gets answered on the field:
Who will replace Tyler Boyd?
The former Clairton star who finished his career as Pitt’s all-time leading receiver went to the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he took more than records with him.
Boyd also took the bulk - by a heavy percentage - of Pitt’s passing game. He recorded 91 receptions, or more than 40% of the team’s total receptions and was targeted more than 130 times. That’s more than eight receptions and 10 targets per game (Boyd played in 12 games last season) that have to be thrown to someone else.
So the question remains: who will replace Boyd and all of that production?
Pitt redshirt senior Dontez Ford has heard that question plenty of times since Boyd announced he was going to the NFL.
“I’m used to it. Really, I’m used to it,” Ford said this week. “But that’s expected. That’s what people are going to ask and the questions that are going to be raised about our team right now. But I feel like we have a group of guys who, everyone’s capable of stepping up and making plays. Really, I don’t like to do too much talking. I just go out there and play.”
Ford is the leading returning receiver for Pitt, having caught all of 26 passes last season and 29 in his career. The drop-off in numbers from Boyd to Ford was significant - 65 receptions and 421 yards separated them - but things evened out after that.
Tight end JP Holtz was right behind Ford with 24 receptions last year, followed by running back Qadree Ollison (14 receptions), tight end Scott Orndoff (13 receptions) and receiver Zach Challingsworth (12 receptions).
The result was a stat sheet that seemed to have a huge gap between Boyd and the rest of the receivers and tight ends and running backs. And when the sample pool is narrowed to receivers, there’s even more imbalance: the four receivers other than Boyd who caught a pass last season combined for 50 receptions and 731 yards.
But without Boyd this season, it would stand to reason that the numbers should be a little more balanced across the receivers.
“The way I see it is, it’s what happens with every team,” Ford said. “Coach (Matt) Canada or any team’s offensive coordinator is going to put the ball where they believe the ball needs to be. We have guys who bring different things to the team at each and every spot in the wide receiver position.
“And I think, because of that, we’re going to see more balance in the distribution in the passes and the receptions. But at the end of the day, if whoever gets the ball in their hands is also scoring, that’s what matters.”
