Tyler Boyd commits to Pitt

Finally some good news for the Panthers after they lost out on Robert Foster. During today's Army All-American game, Tyler Boyd announced that he will play next season for the hometown team, picking Pittsburgh over Michigan State and West Virginia. A huge pickup for Paul Chryst and this Pittsburgh football team, who was heading into next season needing some depth at receiver. Now they have a talented wide receiver for Pitt's quarterback (whoever that may be) to throw to. Boyd also held offers from Penn State, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Notre Dame.

Boyd will still take visits despite the verbal, but the fact that he is committed certainly will ease Pitt fans as we approach National Signing Day. The consensus four-star recruit is a versatile and speedy playmaker who saw playing time on both of the ball during his high school career, but will likely only be used on the offensive side during his Panther career. He could also be featured in some Wildcat packages.

Here's a rundown of the newest Panther from ESPN.

Boyd has been employed as a utility weapon on offense, splitting time between wide receiver and running back. He is a really gifted athlete with a long, sleek frame and good height. He lacks significant bulk and strength so it would be hard to project him as a pure RB candidate despite his instinctive run skills. He returns kicks, punts, plays running back, wide receiver and is a corner/safety hybrid on defense. He is deceptively quick and speedy -- very smooth in all his movements. He is a pick-and-slide type runner through the line, can plant and cut laterally and exploit the cutback lane. He shows burst to and through the hole. He runs with a very low center of gravity. It can be difficult to get a clean shot on him inline. He shows very good balls skills and is comfortable working in the passing game out of the slot and backfield. He plucks with ease and gets upfield immediately after the catch. He is very good on the perimeter with the ball in his hands. If he gets into space at the second level, he can take it the distance. Defensively, Boyd displays very good coverage skills and is at his best in short area, man-to-man coverage and has a nice feel for zone as well. He keys the quarterback and gets a nice jump on the ball due to his feet and ability to accelerate. He shows good run support, fills the alley and is a solid open-field tackler. He isn't a devastating hitter, but he is efficient. Boyd will likely end up on offense and will need to refine and enhance his route running skills. He has big upside here because he is such a sharp, decisive athlete and has good feet. He has natural ball skills too. Boyd is a very good prospect.

Welcome to Pitt, Tyler Boyd!

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