Ten minutes ago I was on my couch crushing cupcakes and watching a terrific first-half of the NCAA Basketball Championship, when all of a sudden the Virginia Tech football signal appeared.
@AndyBitterVT @thekeyplay Per Beamer's website, Caleb has been moved to Wide Receiver, and Nijman has been switched to Offensive Tackle.— Matt Barr (@MattyLight11) April 7, 2015
The HokieSports.com roster confirms said Tweet. Given how much defensive line Coach Charley Wiles gushed about Yosuah Nijman's athleticism and measurables, and the lack of depth at end, I thought Nijman would've at least made it through all of spring on the defensive side of the ball. Although, perhaps I was blind to the writing on the wall.
"(Yosuah Nijman) is still light years away from where he needs to be but he's getting better," defensive coordinator Bud Foster said following Tech's scrimmage Saturday. "Nijman is still raw at this point. His football IQ seems to be okay but I'll take him. He's got a great upside and I'm excited about him."
And Wiles turned the classic, "head tying up his feet" line to eleven after last Thursday's practice.
"I've got him coached into paralysis right now," Wiles said. "He's just information overload. He's 4-whatever fast, can run, jump, and he's playing slow. We've got a lot of stuff with him. Hopefully he can come on here by the end of spring. He's got some tools, so we'll see where he can fit in."
If you want a glass half-full take, maybe the light really has come on for Seth Dooley, or Melvin Keihn can punch above his weight class (at 211 pounds, that's featherweight for ends), or maybe Beamer Co. knows its getting some help at end when the rest of the 2015 class arrives on campus this summer.
I do completely trust Foster's and Wiles' ability to evaluate talent for their scheme. If the 6-7, 265 pound Nijman doesn't have a future on the d-line, then it's prudent to move him as soon as possible.
French noticed receiver turned tailback turned receiver Joel Caleb repping with the wideouts before anyone else. For the moment, depth at tailback seems fine. J.C. Coleman, Trey Edmunds and Travon McMillian comprise a capable top-three. Caleb was always an afterthought at tailback. Former Hokies wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead didn't think he could cut it at wideout, and Caleb never earned much more than garbage time carries at running back.
Kendrick Holland's and Carlis Parker's pre-spring departure from the program left a hole at wide receiver, and if Caleb doesn't stand a chance to make noise at wideout, why not let him try to fill it? Best case scenario is he develops a rapport with new wide receivers coach Zohn Burden, contributes and Tech fans grit their teeth thinking about the two seasons Caleb spent in limbo. The worst case scenario is the same as the current one, Tech's thin at wideout and still has a stable of running backs.
The position coaches provided Frank Beamer's website with some insight of where their units stand.
Shane Beamer purposely didn't scrimmage Trey Edmunds or J.C. Coleman. The purpose of Saturday's scrimmage to was to get the younger tailbacks work. "I'm really excited about Travon McMillian," the Hokies running backs coach told BeamerBall.com. "He had a couple of nice runs. He gives you that burst, and speed, and he's a strong guy who showed it in the weight room by earning Super Iron Hokie. He also catches it well, runs good routes, and I think he can be a real weapon for us. D.J. Reid, got better, but he has to use his size and his pad level."
"Bucky Hodges, we're letting him play in space," tight ends coach Bryan Stinespring told BeamerBall.com. "I'd say that 75% of his time, he's out in space. We want to build on that. He can do both, and he too has a lot on his plate, and we want to build on what he was able to do last season. I think that getting him over with the receivers makes him faster, helps give him a broader knowledge of the offense and makes him, and us, better. He's a little banged up, battled through that and had a good scrimmage."
Pardon me while I drool over the thought of Bucky creating mismatches all over the field and Mossing tiny cornerbacks.
Kalvin Cline suffered a seemingly minor left hand injury during Saturday's scrimmage.
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