Listed Measurements: 6-foot-4, 225 pounds
2017-18 year, eligibility: Junior with three seasons of eligibility remaining including the 2017 season
Depth chart: Following spring practice, Boykin appears to lead the charge for the starting position at the W, or boundary, receiver position. Sophomore Javon McKinley provides motivation for Boykin to stay on top of his game on the outside, with incoming freshman Jafar Armstrong likely to take practice reps there, as well.
Recruiting: A consensus four-star recruit, Boykin chose Notre Dame over a number of prestigious offers, including Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon.
CAREER TO DATE
Boykin preserved a year of eligibility in 2015 before catching six passes last season for 81 yards and a touchdown. He saw action in all 12 games, with the score coming against Virginia Tech.
QUOTE(S)
Boykin’s springtime emergence may have caught the Irish coaches a bit by surprise. If nothing else, his steady development in the weight room and on the practice field gives Notre Dame the option of moving junior Equanimeous St. Brown to the X, or field, position, giving the dynamic breakout star from a year ago even more space to work with.
“[Boykin is] tracking the ball very well and catching it consistently,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said in March. “Last year it was about consistency for him. He’s starting to show the consistency that will allow him — he’s very sneaky. He eats up a lot of ground with those long strides. Before you know it, he’s running past people.”
A week later, Kelly trotted out that buzzword of consistency a few more times in relation to Boykin, praising the receiver’s fit into new offensive coordinator Chip Long’s offense and particular preferred routes.
“Miles is starting to build some ‘bank,’ if you will, as it relates to consistency,” Kelly said. “I’m using the word ‘bank,’ he’s putting a lot in the bank of trust. That we can trust he’s going to give us the kind of performance that’s going to lend itself toward playing time.
“He’s been very consistent as a ball-catcher. He’s been very consistent in terms of assignments. His traits have been very evident in terms of attention to detail. His focus has been great. His attitude, he’s been gritty.
“He gets a lot of those back-shoulder throws where he has to go up and get it, and he lands, physically, he gets beat up a little bit. I see him in there getting treatment and he comes back out and makes good decisions.”
WHAT KEITH ARNOLD PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“I’ve got Boykin pegged for the 10 to 15 catch range, with outliers on either side being possible. The optimist in me sees the depth chart and his physical traits. The pessimist in me sees the other guys who have been given shots in front of him and the challenge of leaping someone like [now-junior tight end Alizé Mack] or [former Irish receiver Corey] Robinson if he’s healthy and playing.
“Ultimately, someone is going to step in and be a surprise at the position next year. We’ve assumed Torii Hunter, Jr., will be the leading man. Kevin Stepherson was the freshman spring sensation. And [Mack] feels like the answer if Robinson isn’t going to be able to play after a series of concussions.
“It’s easy to be a fan of Boykin if you watched him as a high schooler and saw his recruiting profile. Now it’ll be up to him to fight for a role at a position that’s one of the most unsettled on the roster.”
2017 OUTLOOK
Boykin’s rise to the top of the depth chart this spring was always a possibility, if not necessarily a likely one following the 2016 season. As Keith pointed out, Boykin’s pedigree kept this result in play despite his minimal role. The question now is, will he maintain this consistency and thus create more opportunities for himself?
If he does, 20-plus catches and a couple touchdowns seems entirely reasonable. If St. Brown and Mack are the top-two targets in the 2017 offense, Boykin will likely be competing with sophomore slot receiver Chase Claypool to be the third. The difference between third and fourth is not all that much. A year ago Stepherson pulled in 25 catches for 462 yards and five scores while now-junior C.J. Sanders caught 24 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns. The two drew similar attention in the system — Stepherson was simply more of a down-field threat.
If Boykin returns to the ways of his past, McKinley certainly has all the tools to take his spot in the lineup, or St. Brown could move back to the boundary position, presenting more of an opportunity in the field for Stepherson.
Such back-and-forth among the receivers needs to be remembered. In Long’s up-tempo system, Boykin is expected to know the duties at all three positions so as to minimize the time spent racing back-and-forth across the field to reach proper alignment. For that matter, St. Brown is expected to, as well. If Boykin stumbles, there will be options to fill in for him.
DOWN THE ROAD
Boykin’s size alone makes him a piece of intrigue in Long’s offense. Whether 2017 is the season that leads to production or not, Boykin will have chances each offseason to make it happen. His ceiling may not be as high as St. Brown’s after last season’s outburst, but Boykin should fit well as a complement to his classmate.
It is not inconceivable St. Brown could excel again this year and then head to the NFL. If that were to occur, it would probably be partly due to Boykin preventing teams from focusing all their coverage energies on St. Brown. In this scenario, Boykin would have a chance to headline in 2018.
If St. Brown is still around in 2018, that should simply lead to a strong one-two punch among the receiving corps, even if it reduces Boykins’ claim to top-dog status.
2017’s Notre Dame 99-to-2
Friday at 4: Goodbye A-to-Z, hello 99-to-2 (May 12)
No. 99: Jerry Tillery, defensive tackle
No. 98: Andrew Trumbetti, defensive end
No. 97: Micah Dew-Treadway, defensive tackle
No. 96: Pete Mokwuah, defensive tackle
No. 95 (theoretically): Darnell Ewell, defensive tackle
No. 94 (theoretically): Kurt Hinish, defensive tackle
No. 93: Jay Hayes, defensive end
No. 92 (theoretically): Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, defensive tackle
No. 91: Ade Ogundeji, defensive end
No. 90 (theoretically): Cole Kmet, tight end
No. 89: Brock Wright, tight end
No. 88: Javon McKinley, receiver
No. 87 (theoretically): Jafar Armstrong, receiver
No. 86: Alizé Mack, tight end
No. 85: Tyler Newsome, punter
No. 84 (theoretically): Michael Young, receiver
No. 83: Chase Claypool, receiver
No. 82: Nic Weishar, tight end