Preseason magazine season is coming. Athlon Sports unveiled their 2015 Virginia Tech preview online. The Hokies are ranked No. 35 nationally and are predicted to finish second in the ACC Coastal. Virginia Tech's annual divisional nemesis, Georgia Tech, got the nod to win the division.
The strength of Bud Foster's group lies in the trenches and on the back end. The Hokies have four starting defensive linemen who have earned All-ACC recognition in their careers. Tackle Luther Maddy returns from a medical redshirt, paired with undersized but quick Corey Marshall on the interior. The ends are even more disruptive. Dadi Nicolas and Ken Ekanem combined for 18.5 sacks and 33 tackles for a loss last year, the most productive D-line tandem in the ACC.
The secondary is in flux because of spring absences, but cornerback Kendall Fuller is a stud, an All-American who might be the best the program has produced. The big domino is cornerback Brandon Facyson, who missed last year with a stress fracture in his leg, which he reinjured at practice in December. If he returns to form, it allows Tech to move the versatile Chuck Clark to his more natural position at safety. This group gave up a ton of big plays last year, but it's as talented as ever.
Athlon's preview of the Hokies is spot on as far as 500-word topical previews go. They nailed summarizing the low floor, high ceiling outlook on Tech's 2015 campaign and the ramifications either scenario would have on Frank Beamer's future as head coach.
Sidebar: Matt Brown of Sports on Earth included Beamer, along with Bob Stoops and Steve Spurrier, at tail end of his 2015 college football hot seat.
Beamer built Virginia Tech football, turning an aimless independent into a national title contender, then one of the most consistently good programs in college football all last decade. They've hit bumps lately with three straight mediocre seasons thanks to a stagnant offense, and at 68 years old, Beamer won't be around forever, especially with a new athletic director, Whit Babcock, coming in last year. But this year's squad has potential with a few breaks on offense, and Beamer has enough clout to control his own fate, before potentially handing off the job to loyal assistant Bud Foster sometime in the near future.
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