Quick Snap Chat Observations 8/15

Hokies had a morning practice this morning. Unfortunately, since scrimmages started, we are getting next to zero footage of team work. Essentially we are limited to individual drills which indicate very little about performance.

As far as today's footage:

1) I noticed that Parker Osterloh was getting some work at first group left guard in place of Wyatt Teller. Since arriving at VT, Teller somehow always seems to be the first OL who gets supplanted in drills by one of the back ups. I am not sure what to read into that, but I maintain that Teller is the most mobile and by far the most physically dominant OL up front. Whatever continues to happen, I hope it gets rectified.

2) If there is a consistent theme from the full series of snap chats, it is Bucky Hodges getting open deep. I know we don't know the volume of the routes being run, and they are happening without a pass rush, but Hodges is getting vertical and passes have been delivered accurately. That is exciting. The deep ball to Bucky came from Josh Jackson today. I have been hearing that his play has impressed.

3) I am not sure if it is a warm up technique, or an effort to build versatility, but the warm ups seem to be featuring a multitude of players fielding kicks. I know the defensive line bits (Nigel Williams and Tim Settle) fielding kicks has been fun. However, we are seeing most of the skill position guys and defensive backs also fielding kicks. Today I noticed Isaiah Ford and Mook Reynolds fielding punts. I thought perhaps Sam Rogers was also fielding a kick in a drill, but couldn't positively identify him.

4) To improve tackling (targeting the outside leg and wrapping in pursuit), the defense is using a gigantic yellow doughnut. That should help improve keeping guys healthy.

In pass pro drills

Jimmie Taylor used a bull rush to drive back D'Andre Plantin. There are some repeated patterns here. Taylor is very reliant on his speed and physicality to push the pocket, but is limited with delivering a secondary move (rip, swim, or push pull off of the initial bull rush.) Plantin continues to give more ground than I would like to see and allows the defender to initiate contact. Taylor wins this rep.

Ricky Walker gets a nice jump off the ball on Parker Osterloh, who is playing left guard. Walker attempts a swim, and Osterloh smartly attacks under Walkers arm to knock him off path. Osterloh smoothly slides with Walker as he attempts to rip under with his second move. This is a very nice rep for Osterloh.