Pitt's Tyler Boyd doesn't really have any business leading the ACC's wide receivers statistically, but that's exactly what's happening.
Boyd missed the team's season opener and has played only two games to date. But despite most of the conference's other receivers being up a game on him and it being early in the season, Boyd is still leading the charge.
On the year, the Pitt star already has 21 catches after a 10-catch effort against Iowa on Saturday. That actually leads the entire ACC and even ranks 15th nationally. Boyd's 226 yards are 'only' fourth in the conference among wide receivers, but his 113.0-yard average per contest is also tops in the ACC. His 10.5 catches per game also lead the ACC and rank fifth nationally among receivers playing at least two games.
Also noteworthy is that Boyd has accomplished all of that despite not having an additional threat. I'll have more on this later in the week, but the three receivers ahead of him in terms of yardage, Miami's Rashawn Scott, Virginia Tech's Isaiah Ford, and Virginia's Canaan Severin, all have a teammate with at least 100 receiving yards - Boyd does not. It could be argued that Boyd is getting more targets, but while that's true, it says a lot that he is finding a way to make plays despite being the focal point of opposing defenses.
Pitt's lack of a running game should also show that what Boyd is doing is truly amazing. The Panthers haven't been able to rely on a strong ground attack since the season opener against Youngstown State but Boyd is still catching more balls than anyone else in the ACC.
If you take Boyd's 113 ypg average, he's on pace to still post the best numbers of his career despite the missed game. Even though he hasn't played as much as the other wideouts in the conference, he's still proving that he's the class of the ACC.
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