Bitter blog - Practice report: Bigger might be better for Hokies' offensive line

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Great job, Andy.

I gotta say, one of the things I am most looking forward to is seeing Corey Marshall play. From all we are hearing, he could be an absolute terror to complement Maddy.

Just a great great story if he has turned that corner, carries the work ethic and general attitude through to the fall, and has a breakout season.

I look forward to reading your practice reports! Thanks, you're the Man!

Just for fun, here are all of the current scholarship OLs by class -

55Brent Benedict 31OL6' 5"302r-Sr.Jacksonville, Fla.The Bolles School
63Laurence Gibson 11OL6' 6"274r-Sr.Sierra Vista, Ariz.Buena
76David Wang2OL6' 2"298r-Sr.Ashburn, Va.Stone Bridge
69Mark Shuman-OL6' 7"312r-Sr.Fork Union, Va.Fork Union
79Caleb Farris1OL6' 3"303Sr.Lexington, Va.Rockbridge

72Augie Conte-OL6' 6"293r-So.Richmond, Va.Blessed Sacrament Huguenot
75Alston Smith-OL6' 2"281r-So.Virginia Beach, Va.Cox
70Adam Taraschke-OL6' 5"302r-So.Fredericksburg, Va.Riverbend
71Jonathan McLaughlin 2-OL6' 5"314So.Mauldin, S.C.Mauldin

67Parker Osterloh-OL6' 8"321r-Fr.Williamsburg, Va.Warhill
57Wyatt Teller-OL6' 5"296r-Fr.Bealeton, Va.Liberty
61Kyle Chung-OL6' 3"281r-Fr.Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.Ponte Vedra
74Braxton Pfaff-OL6' 5"307Fr.Lynchburg, Va.Liberty Christian Academy

Is it me or is anybody else a little excited that our O Line are primarily freshman and sophomores with a couple senior veterans? Potential to be good for years!

ohh baby the boxing glove is back!!! well kinda , it looks tough though

"I'm high on Juice and ready to stick it in!" Whit Babcock

Here is a big point where Searels doesn't represent continuity from Grimes. After Grimes was hired, you saw a noticeable "downsizing" of the offensive line. Most of the players had become much more trim from the end of the 2012 season during the spring game as result on the increased emphasis on quickness in the zone blocking front. As I noted in a French On the Bench piece last summer, all four of the 2014 recruits (Mitchell, Smith, Gallo, and Pettit) were recruited with the zone blocking scheme in mind- they are all rangy lean athletes who can block on the move.

As I noted on Monday, Searels seems to be much more focused on getting movement north-south rather than east-west. Offensive line recruiting will need to be adjusted accordingly. And, besides Austin Clark, Brian Chaffin, and Matthew Burrell (with Burrell being a long-shot) I have not heard much recruiting-wise about offensive line in this class.

Five star get after it 100 percent Juice Key-Playing. MAN

My initial thought on reading this was 'crap, does our recent OL haul not fit the 'system.'
But then I remember the Lanier's: 6'4" 'thin' high school TE converted with effectiveness to starting tackle....

Do you think that the younger athletes will have any issues adjusting and is this more on Gentry to get the linemen to 'fit' Searel's design?