Tyler Boyd has gotten off to a tremendous start at Pitt. One that even has surprised him.
The Clairton High School graduate was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s receiver of the week and the 247 Sports True Freshman of the Week Monday.
“It’s a dream come true,” Boyd said of his early success. “Everything I expected, but I didn’t know I was going to go through it this early. I’m just really happy about it and I’m thankful for everybody that helped me get there.”
Again, it isn’t that Boyd is good and has had an impact. It is that he has been so good and the impact has been immediate.
While Boyd is having the splashiest impact, he is far from the only freshman that is vital to this Pitt team for this year and the next few.
James Conner is another obvious impact freshman. Dorian Johnson has been deemed ready to be placed into the mix on the offensive line.
Freshman Dorian Johnson remains the backup to T.J. Clemmings at right tackle, but he lost his redshirt Saturday when Pitt coach Paul Chryst used him as a blocker in some short-yardage plays. Chryst said Johnson, a prized recruit from Belle Vernon, is ready and will be used in other ways throughout the season. “Right now, we think Dorian’s a guy that is certainly ready to contribute and we think there are ways that we can use him,” Chryst said. “It may differ from game to game, but certainly when we play a guy we want to make sure that we’re committed enough to make it a worthwhile year for the young man. We’ll have some things for Dorian. If something happened at one of the tackle spots, he’d absolutely play.”
In all, 12 freshman will not redshirt. Over half the recruiting class will still redshirt and be given more time to develop.
Twelve freshmen from the Class of 2013 and seven redshirt freshmen have played in the first two games, meaning:
• Chryst wants to win now.
• The older players on the roster need help.
• The freshmen are among the best, if not the best, players at their positions.
“It depends on a lot of variables,” he said, “like who’s here already and who are the freshmen. It’s your job as a coach to make sure that your best players can play.”
I have no doubt that Coach Paul Chryst would love to have redshirted several more freshmen. The numbers by way of transfers, turmoil, suspensions and attrition made it a necessity to play more of the freshman.
To a significant extent, they are filling the gaps from the junior/redshirt sophomore class that is miniscule. There are only 10 active members of that group. Of them, only six are even listed on the 2-deep.
For this coaching staff, it is probably a little frustrating from a long-term plan perspective. Guys that they would like to just have more time to learn and develop forced to go earlier.
At the same time, it has to be a huge boost for the long-term with recruiting. It is a strong selling point every time a potential recruit sees Pitt play. They are seeing that the opportunities are there. That the coaches are willing to play them right away if they earn it. There’s no false promises. It is right there on the field.
Last year felt like it was about just making it through the carnage and instability of the prior two years. So much chaos. So much negativity.
The freshmen who are getting experience. The redshirt freshmen getting their chance this year. They know that by next year, they will have to be the guys to set the lead. There are 17 seniors. Of them, 14 have a spot on the two-deep. Even with all the redshirt juniors on the roster (18), next year it will be the sophomores (regular and redshirt) that set the tone for the team. This year, is the foundation for them.
Never a good thing for 12 true freshmen
to be playing. Mostly the result of the
coaching debacle. 6-6 with a win in a bowl
would be outstanding…..however not
betting we will get there.
I saw Tony Dorsett running that jet thingee end-around TD during the first half. Boyd was looking 15 yards downfield.
The Hawk is back!
Obviously Boyd and Johnson would play anywhere. However, how many other Freshman would get playing time if Pitt had kept the 22 odd players lost during Chryst’s settling in period? Obviously Shell would have been a major contributor. How many others would have been?
Chryst knows he can’t be fired for at least several years. Pitt can’t afford to go through another coaching change for awhile. What does Chryst care about buliding depth for years to come? No, I don’t think he plans on being in Oakland for an extended period of time. He needs to make progress now to personally look good.
I hope this coach turns out to be a winner, but so far the scales are not in his favor.
TJ Clemmings, who is manning DJ’s presumed position(RT) is only a junior. So that means he will be coming back next year to play RT.
Even if they decide to move DJ to a Guard spot, they could still redshirt him this year and then he could start at Guard as a redshirt freshman.
For a dozen plays this year, in ‘jumbo’ formations and whatnot, doesn’t seem worth burning a year of his eligibility. imo
Yes/No ??
Comment by Old Pitt Grad 09.17.13 @ 2:08 pm”
I think that depends on how one defines winning. If one is thinking NC game or bust, well you have a point.
But he has a good chance to field competitive winning teams in the ACC.
To answer your question from this morning.
I was on the UNDER last nite.
Only had one play on Saturday, Arizona -24.5
Final Score was 38-13. lol
Next up Duke, is a perfect opponent for Pitt at the perfect time. We will get a read on who this team is right now after our 1st road ACC game. If we win at Duke then I feel fairly confident that Pitt can play to a .500 season and become bowl eligible, only needing four more victories.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, one game at a time and for right now that game is against Duke. They are just a “tough enough” opponent to tip Pitt’s hand on whether WE are any good or not. A win would be a good confidence builder for this young team and would be a nice way to come back to Heinz Field for our homecoming game against Virginia the next week.
Hail to Pitt.
So if Johnson is ready to see the field, give him reps when the opportunity arises, I say. The other consideration is IF he has the sky high potential as advertised, then he may only be around for three years. If so, then why waste one of those years with him riding the bench in a redshirt when Coach Hueber could be preparing him for primetime come next year and thereafter?
TJ Clemmings, who is manning DJ’s presumed position(RT) is only a junior. So that means he will be coming back next year to play RT.
Even if they decide to move DJ to a Guard spot, they could still redshirt him this year and then he could start at Guard as a redshirt freshman.
For a dozen plays this year, in ‘jumbo’ formations and whatnot, doesn’t seem worth burning a year of his eligibility. imo
Yes/No ??
Comment by EMel 09.17.13 @ 3:33 pm
………..
Plain and simple: they are not going to keep a 5* kid on the bench. for all the talk about frosh playing now and the opportunity to play asap…keeping a 5* OL on the bench would negate all of that.
He’s a stud and they want him to play as much as possible…who cares if they line him up at TE. Let ’em block and have some fun. Plenty of OL depth and more talent coming in.
Who is on Thursday? I’m off to Boise State so let me know what you like if anything.
All is right. I won that Arizona bet, they won by 25 so I won by a half point. Waited the entire day to make a play, as that was the last game of Saturday’s schedule. Almost screwed the play up by parlaying it with the OVER. But the site wouldn’t accept the bet, so I just played the line. haha
Thursday nite is Clemson (-13.5) @ NC State.
No O/U listed yet.
Boise State (+3) travels to Fresno St. on Friday nite. No O-U listed yet for that one either.
Clemson looks like a good play. Have to do some research on Fresno. Their game @ Colorado was postponed last week due to flood.
Have a good trip in Potatoland. 🙂
Just getting some of your viewpoints.
PC might have also promised to play him his freshman year in the recruiting process. Who knows!
OPG- how exactly would the Shell have helped??? In disrupting the locker room??? Teach a seminar on dogging it or faking injury? GOOD FREAKING RIDDANCE. Good luck in Holggie’s spread offense there speedster! Hail to Pitt! UPone
You better get in early then, as that line will probably move to 14 or higher as game time approaches. And yea that half point can be huge as that’s what I won by with AZ.
A little worried that Clemson might come in a little flat after their big win over Georgia and
then a bye week last week. Last year was that crazy 62-48 game in which Boyd accounted for 8 TD’s. Clemson’s last visit to Raleigh didn’t end to good, losing 13-37. Clemson also lost one of their starting WR’s for the season this past week in practice with an ACL.
On the other side, NC State struggled with D2 Richmond winning only 23-21. And their QB has yet to throw a TD pass, but has thrown 3 picks and them like PITT start true freshmen at RB and WR. Last year State upset FSU in Raleigh and of course the defensive minded former NIU and Wisconsin DC, Dave Doeren is the new HC with our buddy Huxtable as DC. So there is a taste of Wisconsin in both the Coastal & the Atlantic Divisions.
After the Total being 110 last year, it will be interesting to see what it will be this year.
I’ll hold off on the talk that Johnson will declared for the draft until he sees some actual playing time. I think he’ll be a good one for us, sooner rather than later, but that is hard to predict – especially for OL IMO.
Nonetheless, based on the college all-star game when he was matched up against the No. 1 prospect (DE who went to Ole Miss), Johnson definitely has the tools as such. He showed footwork and strength … and by the late 3rd quarter, the announcers quit raving about the DE in lieu of the OT.
He has to get bigger and stronger, but barring injury, will be very surprised if he doesn’t turn out to be a real good one.
Again, it is a long season, and the old adage freshman mistake is there for a reason. But the future looks brighter than it did two weeks ago.