Since a few of you have asked, junior defensive end Corey Marshall is expected to practice with #Hokies this spring and play this fall.— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) January 9, 2014
With Ken Ekanem and Dwayne Alford being a bit of an unknown quantity at stud defensive end (James Gayle's position, usually lined up over the right tackle, often to the tight end side), news that Marshall, who has experience at both defensive end spots, is a pleasant surprise. Traditionally, Bud Foster uses his best all around defensive end at the stud position to help take on the run at the point of attack (which is also the same reason that the stud end doesn't always produce the number of sacks that you would expect from your best pass rusher–often a tight end can be aligned to chip him). Marshall's bigger frame may be well utilized at the point of attack.
At the same time, both Marshall and Dadi have mostly played the defensive end position, lined up wide and angled over the left tackle. Dadi had moments where he struggled at the point of attack against the run, and can likely be more disruptive at the defensive end spot. However, Wiles has used him on that left side in passing situations when Gayle was gassed. It will be very interesting to see how both are used, where Alford and Ekanem fit in, and to see if Marshall has recovered the trust of the coaching staff this spring.
Comments
As a side note on Ken Ekanem:
He played a few snaps (kicks?) as an interior kickoff coverage man this season.
Although he was no doubt the biggest guy out there, he was still one of the first ones to get down field.
Dudes got some serious wheels.
Good to hear that Marshall will still be a Hokie.
What is the situation with Ekanem? He was supposed to be one of our next great Defensive Ends and was one of our top recruits in 2011- but I haven't heard much about him, good or bad, since he got to Tech. His profile shows he has mostly just played on special teams.
To be fair, he was coming off a torn ACL out of high school, so his redshirt year was mostly a rehab/recovery year. Not to mention the studs in front of him on the depth chart. This'll be a big spring for him to see if he can be a real force at DE for us.
Agreed on all fronts. The kid will be a redshirt sophomore this season, and his entire true freshman season was spent getting his knee right. Both he and Alford will have to have some impact this season, as the Hokies rotate two groups of down linemen under ideal circumstances, and both could beat out Marshall if they explode this spring or Marshall doesn't play at a high level.
In the spring, to me he looked pretty explosive off the line. At 6-3, 250 or so, I think he'll be big time at DE
I think that Ekanem is going to be a beast. Next year he will play a major role.
I just love it when a defensive line comes together.
What a ducking hilarious gif.
Am I the only one who thinks this looks like Lane Kiffin?
Murdock could coach circles around Lane Kiffin.
Nobody could predict a Murdock offense.
huge news. I thought he'd be gone. Very glad to be wrong, assuming the issues are worked out and stay that way.
Our Defense gets better and better for 2014 projections.
Watch out, VT will be a sleeper on the Div 1A scene.
I'm loving the mix of VT blue collar philosophy, chip-on-your-shoulder mentality, and surpise scenario that Mark May, ESPN, and other pundits are creating here. Its a Perfect Storm!
Also great news!!
I think with getting Vandyke and Marshall back the defense should remain in the top 10 in the country. Adding some more recruits we should get (Nnadi, Minor, and Bronson if we offer) and hopefully a transfer QB would be the cherry on top.
Bronson has offers from Florida, Miami, Nebraska, NC State and WVU. He definetly should get an offer from us and I hope he commits. Of note, he is scheduled to visit UF the week after he visits Blacksburg. Good looking player in a position of need.
I never understood this logic, even if he has offers from schools X, Y, and Z, why should he get one from Tech? Maybe he doesn't fit our scheme.
It's the logic of recruiting experts who are right at least 99% of the time. Therefore, said logic will be treated as Gospel for the foreseeable future. Besides, everyone knows how well X evaluates talent, look how many times they've beaten Y!
It's simple free market dynamics. The schools with the most money hire the best evaluators so their offers matter more. Then they go win the most games and justify that assumption.
Well, Wiles is recruiting him and has committed some of our very limited recruiting budget to fly him up here for an official visit. So the scheme question has presumably been considered.
I think he already has an offer but has been told he must come for an Official Visit for Beamer to meet him.
This logic worked for Jarontay Jones, Donaldven Manning, Jake Johnson, Nic Acree....
Oh wait.
How about Tyrod Taylor, Kevin jones and Jameis Winston?
Welcome back, Corey. I hope the time off has been good for him in dealing with whatever he needed to and that he comes back and plays like a force to be reckoned with! Combined with Maddy's return, I like our DL even better now.
There goes the D-line...Marshall, Dadi, Maddy, and Nigel Williams.
Throw in the secondary of Kendall, Facyson, Jarrett and Bonner (or whoever beats him out)
The only question marks on this defense are the LB's.
RVD....?.....?
What is the status of Deon Clarke?
I would assume Chase Williams and DVD are in the mix also.
Maybe Holland Fisher (if he is truly qualified) will have a shot.
backer: Clarke was suspended for a long time, but was back for the bowl game. Sounds like that's behind him and he should be in the mix to start this fall. Keep an eye on Moss and McKinnon as well.
mike: DVD will miss the spring rehabbing his ACL, so Chase has a leg up there (pun intended). But DVD could be special if he comes back healthy.
Should be good battles. There's some practice experience there if not game experience. In the past when someone has left, Bud has been able to plug in previously-backup linebackers without much game experience. I'll count on him to do that again. Expect some bumps, but I think we'll be ok.
I'd be careful to get too excited yet, def hope he's for sure coming but saw this tweet as well:
Bingo. I find myself asking how many Tech coaches Barber has actually talked with about Marshall's situation. There are only three coaches who matter in this situation - CFB, Foster, and Wiles - and if none of those guys are Barber's sources, then the story is not any better than swamp gas.
Yes, I'm hoping that Marshall returns next season, but I'm not believing it until I read or hear it from an official source.
Well, if this is true, this coupled with Big Luther's announcement is almost the same as a big recruiting get. Keepin' the DLine strong.
Maybe even better. We know what Corey can do.
Hate to be Debbie Downer, but I'll believe it when I actually see him on the field. I'd like to believe he's turned himself around, but he dug a pretty deep hole for himself.
I try not to pass to much judgement on off field stuff, unless his name is Marcus Vick, as I don't think we really know what is going on for him. There could be any number of reasons why he needed to take time away and if he was really such a big problem and dug such a deep hole as you say I don't think the coaches would welcome him back so readily. Not saying they would turn him away or release him but by all accounts that I have read the coaches want him back on the field as soon as possible.
I hope he comes back and kicks some ass. But I do share the sentiment that until he is on the field playing in Fall I will believe it when I see it.
I seem to recall hearing something fairly early in the season (September/October) that he was back practicing with the team, but taking a redshirt year.
It was on-field practice issues and relations with other players that got Marshall into trouble, not any off-the-field stuff as far as I know. But, yes, it was a deep hole.
As far as Barber's story is concerned, he claims he's using an unnamed Tech coach as his source for the good news, then turns right around and claims another unnamed Tech coach is telling him that nothing has been resolved. Right now, I believe the latter is correct - nothing has been resolved.
I think Ekanem will be a good player, but he is another guy whose spring game work was almost exclusively lined up over left tackle. You have to have someone emerge at the stud position. He was very active in the spring game right along with Devin Van Dyke and Deon Clarke up front, but it is worth noting that all three over committed to the dive plays and IF Logan or Leal had been keeping the ball in a real game situation, there were a ton of yards to be had on bootlegs and read option keepers. Ekanem was put into a tough position against Duke, but when your one play is getting sucked inside on a read option keeper that allowed Anthony Boone to bounce outside for perhaps the easiest touchdown he has scored as a Blue Devil, well, that is a tough spill to swallow especially when it was a game winner.
Hopefully Ekanem (or Alford) comes out like a terror in the spring and Marshall's status won't be such a worry. Right now, it is a huge worry because that spot is, along with backer and boundary corner, the three most important positions on the defense.
Anxious to see what Seth Dooley can do as well