Some quick thoughts
1) Competition on defense. Seth Dooley and Ken Ekanem are listed as co-starters at JR Collins DE position. Deon Clarke and Dahman McKinnon are listed as co-starters at backer. Most interestingly, Luther Maddy isn't moving to the nose (1 technique in Foster's defense). Instead, he will stay at the 3 technique. Nigel Williams and Corey Marshall are co-starters at nose tackle.
2) As expected, Leal is listed as the starter, with Motley and Ford as the backups. Expect Ford to get some work with the 2's, and perhaps even get some snaps with the ones if he performs well. I think there will be some fluidity at quarterback.
3) Perhaps the biggest surprise is Jerome Wright as the #2 tailback. But, with Edmunds hurt, Wright could be the surprise starter at tailback if the staff decide to redshirt McKenzie and Williams. Williams is listed as the co-#3 with Mangus and Dyer. Unless they decide to keep Coleman away from contact, it is going to be tough for Williams to get the reps needed to impress. He will need to really open some eyes in limited scrimmage reps to get moved up.
4) It appears that Matt Arkema will not be on the team this season. Kyle Chung is listed as the backup center, although we have to assume that Caleb Farris would move to center if David Wang was injured.
Biggest observation- The Hokies are INCREDIBLY THIN at defensive tackle and safety until freshmen join the team. The second team group will feature a DII transfer in Wade Hansen and a 225 pound walk-on in Jeremy Haynes on the defensive line. Everything is set up for the first team offense to run the heck out of the football in spring scrimmages against the 2nd team D. If they do not, then it is time to worry about next season.
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I'm wondering if a 274 pound Laurence Gibson can hold off weight room monster Augie Conte.
Would be interesting if Conte and Teller can become starters to give us a couple of road-grinding bad-ass bash brothers on the right side of the line. I can envision Wright/Williams powering through on the goal line behind the bash brothers and maybe Redman as a run blocking TE, that would be a big punch in the mouth to any defense.
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Quick sidebar: there are plenty of seniors on this offensive line, but if you remove them to look at what a possible 2015 line might look like, it goes, from left to right, McLaughlin, Smith, Chung, Teller and Conte, with guys like Osterloh, Pfaff and Taraschke obviously still in the mix.
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Dooley is listed as a sophomore on the site for some reason, but his bio said he redshirted and I don't recall him ever getting on the field last year.
I noticed that with several other players when I was looking through. As you pointed out, Wade Hansen is listed as a Senior, but his profile says that his sit-out year counted as a redshirt year. I'm assuming that they haven't updated redshirt status on the rosters yet.
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The youth of our receiving corps is incredible. Imagine what they will be like when Ford or Durkin finally take over. Talk about smoothing the transition
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Comments
This might be the best line ever.
I hope to see a Longsnapper win the Heisman one day
Competition!? Didn't Colton Taylor break the position record in vertical jump?!
How is this even a competition?!
I apologize in advance...
Long snapping...It'll get after ya
So DT and DE depth looks pretty dire.
That has been the big worry so far this off-season and why people wondered if Teller would be moved back from O line to D line.
http://www.hokiesports.com/football/depth/
Some quick thoughts
1) Competition on defense. Seth Dooley and Ken Ekanem are listed as co-starters at JR Collins DE position. Deon Clarke and Dahman McKinnon are listed as co-starters at backer. Most interestingly, Luther Maddy isn't moving to the nose (1 technique in Foster's defense). Instead, he will stay at the 3 technique. Nigel Williams and Corey Marshall are co-starters at nose tackle.
2) As expected, Leal is listed as the starter, with Motley and Ford as the backups. Expect Ford to get some work with the 2's, and perhaps even get some snaps with the ones if he performs well. I think there will be some fluidity at quarterback.
3) Perhaps the biggest surprise is Jerome Wright as the #2 tailback. But, with Edmunds hurt, Wright could be the surprise starter at tailback if the staff decide to redshirt McKenzie and Williams. Williams is listed as the co-#3 with Mangus and Dyer. Unless they decide to keep Coleman away from contact, it is going to be tough for Williams to get the reps needed to impress. He will need to really open some eyes in limited scrimmage reps to get moved up.
4) It appears that Matt Arkema will not be on the team this season. Kyle Chung is listed as the backup center, although we have to assume that Caleb Farris would move to center if David Wang was injured.
Biggest observation- The Hokies are INCREDIBLY THIN at defensive tackle and safety until freshmen join the team. The second team group will feature a DII transfer in Wade Hansen and a 225 pound walk-on in Jeremy Haynes on the defensive line. Everything is set up for the first team offense to run the heck out of the football in spring scrimmages against the 2nd team D. If they do not, then it is time to worry about next season.
I'm wondering if a 274 pound Laurence Gibson can hold off weight room monster Augie Conte.
Would be interesting if Conte and Teller can become starters to give us a couple of road-grinding bad-ass bash brothers on the right side of the line. I can envision Wright/Williams powering through on the goal line behind the bash brothers and maybe Redman as a run blocking TE, that would be a big punch in the mouth to any defense.
like what your saying here BASH BROTHERS!!!!!!!!
I will give turkey legs to any Mighty Ducks reference.
Seeing Jerome Wright that high on the depth chart doesn't surprise me because of how involved he was in the Sun Bowl gameplan.
they are just trolling us by listing Bucky at 6'6".
Regarding his TRUE height...
My favorite Andy Bitter-supplied tid-bit:
I noticed that with several other players when I was looking through. As you pointed out, Wade Hansen is listed as a Senior, but his profile says that his sit-out year counted as a redshirt year. I'm assuming that they haven't updated redshirt status on the rosters yet.
The youth of our receiving corps is incredible. Imagine what they will be like when Ford or Durkin finally take over. Talk about smoothing the transition