MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Virginia Tech's Jarrett Boykin catches a 48-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor during the Hokies' win over Miami last month. Boykin has helped Tech move up to No. 5 in the nation.

BLACKSBURG -- Meat Hands. Meat Hooks. Boat Oars.

Mention any of the aforementioned nicknames, which come courtesy of his teammates on Virginia Tech's football team, and split end Jarrett Boykin will assuredly catch your drift.

"It changes from time to time. It just depends on whoever and what mood they're in," a grinning Boykin said Tuesday.

"It's crazy."

Just like his hands. We're talking biggie-sized. Boykin's paws are so humongous that his fingers routinely rip through the seams of his size XXXL receiver's gloves, the largest size manufactured by Nike.

"No, not really," responded Boykin, when asked if he had ever seen anyone with comparable-sized mitts.

"It's nothing I really go around paying attention to, but people have just told me my hands were big my whole life. I just go with it."

Obviously. The 6-foot-2 sophomore has been the fifth-ranked Hokies' No. 1 receiving threat through five games, pacing the team in receptions (16) and receiving yards (286). His two touchdown catches share the club lead with flanker Dyrell Roberts.

Boykin enjoyed a breakout game in Tech's 34-26 victory at Duke last Saturday, hauling in six passes for a career-high 144 yards. He scored on a circus-like 28-yard TD reception, in which he jumped over 5-9 Duke cornerback Leon Wright and then ripped the ball away from the defender on the way down to the ground.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor wasn't a bit shocked.

"If you've seen Jarrett's hands, then you wouldn't be worried," Taylor cracked afterwards. "I knew he was going to come up with it when they rolled over. ... [It's not likely] that you're going to be able to take the ball from his hands."

As acrobatic as that play was, Boykin rated it second behind his one-handed catch last season against Miami, in which he tipped the pass to himself and then pressed the ball against his helmet and kept control on the way down with a defender grasped around his body.

"I still like that one more. We used to practice these one-hand catches, this crazy stuff, me and my friends," said Boykin, referring his pals back in Matthews, N.C.

Midway in the third quarter Saturday, Boykin reeled in a 62-yard reception in a third-and-34 situation that led to Matt Waldron's 33-yard field goal which put Tech ahead 20-13. Just another big play on a day in which Taylor completed 17 of 22 passes for a career-high 327 yards.

Taylor "is starting to put a lot of trust in the wide receivers," Boykin said. "He trusts us, we trust him. He can make great passes and we put it on ourselves that wherever he puts the ball, we can go up and make a play."

Boykin is on pace to perhaps double his team-high 441 receiving yards as a freshman last season. The air game will be huge the rest of the way for Tech, which always has been known as a run-first offense.

"It feels good that people are starting to respect our offense," Boykin said. "You can tell that everything has developed more than last year. We [the wideouts] have a lot more confidence. We're older and we're learning the offense a lot more.

"The defense, they've played hard a lot of games. There's a couple games they've won it for us. For the offense to turn around and play big when the defense is not doing so good, it's great to have that."

Sort of like being a receiver with big hands, right?

"Yeah, they play a good part. ... That and focusing on catching the ball," Boykin said.

Hands down to that.