Pitt announced the addition of Maryland graduate transfer D.J. Turner to this year’s roster back on September 1st. At the time, it was thought that Turner could add some depth and be an extra veteran presence in the wide receivers room, but four games into the season it has become clear Turner is much more than that.

He has emerged as one of the top playmakers for the Pitt offense right away. Despite a 30-29 loss to North Carolina State over the weekend, Turner earned the honor of being named ACC wide receiver of the week for his performance. In Saturday’s contest he caught 8 passes for 186 yards. He pulled in five 20-plus yard receptions, including a 50-yard pickup in the fourth quarter.

Turner was set to play this season for Maryland, and in world without COVID, or one where the Big Ten did not delay its season because of the pandemic, that’s exactly where he would be.

“That was the initial plan, but it kind of just goes to show that I’m here for a reason,” Turner said of his transfer to Pitt. “If there was no initial COVID plans, than I still would have been there.”

Maryland’s loss has been Pitt’s gain. Turner credits his quick transition from being a late offseason addition to a major factor on offense for his ability to quickly learn the playbook. He has built a strong connection with quarterback Kenny Pickett almost immediately because of it.

“I feel like I’ve built a certain amount of trust with him and like when I’m in the game he feels comfortable giving me the ball and every opportunity I get I try to make the most of it,” Turner told reporters on Tuesday. “So I feel like that’s where the success comes from.”

Turner is putting up numbers like he never has before. In his four games with Pitt, Turner has recorded 17 catches for 319 yards and a touchdown. In the previous four years with Maryland, he totaled 294 receiving yards. The fresh start has benefitted Turner as much Pitt.

“I got plenty of opportunities at Maryland, but not as many as I’m getting here,” he said. “So like I said, every time I get an opportunity to make a play or get a chance to touch the ball I’m going to try to take full advantage of it no matter how it comes, so I feel like that’s probably the biggest thing is just touching the ball a little bit more than usual.”

Turner showed some resolve between weeks three and four. He had a few dropped passes against Louisville, but bounced back to put up a huge game against North Carolina State. As a veteran, he knows drops are bound to happen with the volume of passing plays Pitt runs each week and he found a way to move onto the next play, something he hopes can rub off on his teammates.

“With our offense we throw the ball around a lot. There’s going to be drops, and the biggest thing with that is kind of just play the next play,” Turner said.

Last week’s loss stung for Turner, so picking up the receiver of the week award caught him a little by surprise. He was appreciative of the honor, but knows he left some plays on the field last week and is hoping to improve on that this week heading into Saturday’s game with Boston College.

“I didn’t realize how many yards I actually had until I got back to the locker room and checked my phone,” Turner explained. “So it definitely got me by surprise a little bit, but there’s still a lot to be done. One more yard and we might have won the game if I would have punched that one catch in on the one-yard line. Still a lot more work to be done.”