Pitt's wide receiver room looked like it would be led by senior Taysir Mack going into training camp with Shocky Jacques-Louise, Jared Wayne and Tre Tipton being the secondary options for Kenny Pickett.
But that has quickly changed.
Pat Narduzzi announced on Tuesday via Zoom that senior Maryland wide receiver D.J. Turner had transferred to Pitt and would be immediately available. Narduzzi emphasized that Turner is picking up the offense quickly and will be part of the offense in the team's season opener next week against Austin Peay.
"D.J. Turner got here Tuesday night or Wednesday morning," Narduzzi said of his new receiver. "But he practiced with us today for the first time. He looked really good out on the field today. He'll be ready for week one, he'll help us right now. He can play X, Y, Z, P, Q, whatever. He can play all the receiver positions. He's got legs bigger than mine. This dude's big. He's a graduate transfer with one season left."
Turner is a 5-foot-9, 208 lbs. receiver who shows good quickness and explosiveness in and out of his breaks. He only put up 24 catches for 294 yards and a touchdown in 19 games over four seasons. He also started returning punts last season, one of which he took for a touchdown against Howard in the 2019 season opener.
You can see how quickly he changes direction and accelerates to get past defenders:
Pitt's true freshman receiver Jordan Addison acknowledged later on Tuesday that he remembers watching as an eight grader to see Turner put up high school highlights.
"I'm familiar with him," Addison said with a smile. "I remember D.J.Turner because in eighth grade I used to watch his highlights. It's a lot of fun to play beside him and see him be smooth in his first day in practice. I haven't told him yet that I remember watching him, but eventually I will. He looked electric, I'm going to learn from him."
Part of what Turner brings is also a veteran's savvy to find the soft spots within defenses and make himself available to a quarterback in key situations.
Watch this third down conversion against Syracuse last year where he runs a seam route, gets inside of his man and slows down just at the right spot to fit between the underneath and overtop zone defenders:
That kind of wherewithal can give a senior quarterback like Pickett another reliable option to look for in clutch moments when a smart play is needed to keep a drive alive.
But don't discount Addison from being one of the new faces at wide receiver that will boost the offense in 2020. I reported earlier in training camp about how Narduzzi already has him starting at slot and compared him to Antonio Brown. A comparison that the 18-year old freshman tried to shrug off when asked about it.
"I think that's great," Addison said. "But I try to stay humble and focus on myself. Comparisons are good, but I just keep working. I've done a little bit in the slot, I played both slot and outside in high school. I feel like slot's better because I can create matchups with linebackers and get in open space."
Addison said part of what's encouraged him in his first training camp has been the follow through on the promises he received from receivers coach Chris Beatty during his recruiting process.
"It's been pretty good, everything's been good," Addison said of working on Beatty. "Everything he told me in the recruiting process has been real, he's stuck to his word. I feel like I can trust him. Not many freshmen get to play, and our relationship is a good thing. I have to be able to trust him so that wherever he tells me to line up I know I can go there and do the right thing."
And of course, Addison knows he has to build trust with Pickett if he wants to make an impact in the offense.
"I just talk to him about everything, routes, details, get on the same page," Addison said of his work with Pickett in camp. "After practice, before practice, where he wants me to be at so we can start clicking. He's a great leader. I was worried about picking up the plays, knowing where to line up and adjusting to the speed of the game. Over time, the guys took me in and I got a little more comfortable as I was coming in early and they helped me with the playbook. Everything's going well now."
What might've been the most interesting about Addison's first comments with Pittsburgh media was his confidence. When asked about who his rivals were among the freshman, he said there weren't any in his class. The player he feels most rivaled with is one of the team's stars.
"Not freshman-wise, no," Turner said when asked about who he was duking it out with the most in camp. "I would say Paris Ford, we definitely got something going on at practice. He'll get me a couple plays and I'll get him a couple plays. Going up against him I know have to come out 110% everyday because he's going to be sharp on his side of the ball, so I've got to stay sharp on my side."
When I asked Addison about what skill of his that he's relied on most in his first training camp he said one word, "speed."
Here's some of that speed on display from his time at Tuscarora High School out of Frederick, Maryland. You can see how fast he kicks into high gear, sprinting away from defenders and showing he's a talent far above those around him:
Combine that with the electric moves of Turner, and this receiver room has even more weapons for Pickett than anticipated. That could become the key to this offense ranking back towards the middle of the ACC after ranking in the bottom three of the conference for three straight seasons.