Tech's Untested Bunch of Linebackers Ready to Prove Themselves Against the Tribe

The Hokies are likely to start a player that missed all of last season due to injury, a player that has just 42 defensive snaps of experience, playing time cut short in part to serving a 1 and 4 game suspension last season, and a player that has one start in three seasons as their starters at linebacker.

Even still, confidence in Tech's new linebacker group seems high among the coaching staff and fans alike.

Redshirt junior Ronny Vandyke seems to be back at full strength, completely recovered from his shoulder injury from a season ago. Junior Deon Clarke's off the field troubles appear to be behind him. And some might view redshirt senior Chase Williams' years backing up Jack Tyler as an incredible learning experience, instead of an indictment of his talent.

"Chase has really been very solid, very good, paid his dues, always been a good team player, a good special teams player and it's good to see him out there," said head coach Frank Beamer at the team's media day.

Williams has been busy biding his time behind Tyler, starting just one game in his time at Tech, but he says he's had a starter's mentality for some time now.

"As a backup, you always prepare to be the starter, because one play, one injury, you could be the guy, the rest of your career, the rest of the season," Williams said. "So I feel like I prepared myself for that all four years and now I'm ready to step up."

Williams may only have one year to prove what kind of player he is, but he seems committed to making the most of his only chance at starting.

"This is my last training camp, my fifth training camp here. In one way, it feels like it's been forever, but at the same time, it's gone by in the blink of an eye," Williams said. "You've got to take every play like it might be your last because you never know when you're going to be able to put the pads on again."

But while Williams bides his time to prove that he was worth the wait as a starter, the staff seems confident one backup with a tongue twister of a name has the talent to push him for the top job.

"The guy that's kind of been impressive is Andrew Motuapuaka. He's played well enough I had to learn how to say his name, or working on it anyhow," Beamer said. "But he's playing fast, he's a much better player than he was even in the spring. He lost a little weight and he's getting it out there."

Clarke has a much firmer hold on his starting spot at backer. He quickly won the job over Dahman McKinnon this spring, and now he's working on transitioning from the reckless abandon required on special teams to the controlled precision Bud Foster demands of his linebackers.

"Being on special teams, I loved it. Flying down the field on kickoffs, being a head hunter, but now, being a player on defense, I've really got to focus in on my key reads," Clarke said. "(I've got to) be on point with everything I do. Because Coach Foster doesn't like mess ups in the game, so I've got to stay focused."

Luckily, he too had an excellent mentor in former starter Tariq Edwards.

"I took everything from Tariq. Tariq was like my big brother on the field and off the field," Clarke said. "He was always there. If I messed up on a play, Tariq would pull me aside and tell me 'you've got to do this,' so Tariq was really like a second Foster off the field to me in a big way."

Now, he's working on developing chemistry with Williams so they can communicate as well as Tyler and Edwards once did.

"I've always had a tight bond with Chase Williams," Clarke said. "I came in and he was still one of the young players, and I bonded with him tight because when he was in, I was in with him too, always playing side by side. So you've got to have that chemistry with the guys next to you to build a good D."

Returning whip linebacker Ronny Vandyke hasn't had the same benefit of working with the younger players — after all, the last time he dressed for a game, Bruce Taylor was still a fixture in the linebacking corps.

"I'm just thankful that I can play this game. I'm thankful that I have another season," Vandyke said after practice this week.

Vandyke had a long, grueling rehab process to work his way back from his shoulder injury, but after missing time in his freshman season before taking a redshirt, he's used to the challenge.

"The rehab, I've been through it before, so it wasn't like a shock," Vandyke said. "But it was devastating when I heard the news that I had to get surgery and had to miss last year, and the recovery was long."

But he didn't have to go through it alone. Tight end Ryan Malleck suffered a similar shoulder injury right before the season was about to start, and the two bonded over their common rehab experiences.

"When I had to go meet with my (physical therapist) and rehab, he was there meeting his PT, so we kind of went through the recovery together," Vandyke said.

As he worked with Malleck and the training staff to recover his strength in his shoulder, he still tried to pass along whatever he could to backup whips Josh Trimble and Derek DiNardo.

"Whatever I knew that could help, I let them know, because there's no reason to hide anything," Vandyke said. "We're all teammates, we're all brothers, we're all in this together. It takes a whole football team to win the game, so I'm not going to hide anything at all."

Yet, neither backup saw the field very often in Vandyke's absence, as they lacked his incredible athleticism and speed. Instead, Foster was forced to play a nickel cornerback far more than he likely preferred.

With Vandyke's return, the staff will have to figure out to incorporate the whip back into the defense, but they've stayed quiet about their intentions so far.

"I have no idea (how much I'll play), I'm just trying to prepare like I'm starting," Vandyke said. "I know I'll be fine because I prepared."

One of Vandyke's greatest strengths is his ability to stay with tight ends and slot receivers in coverage, and he says the team's initial film review of William and Mary suggests he will get to spend some time on the field this weekend.

"We're just watching a lot of 21 personnel (two backs, two tight ends and one receiver) and 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends and two receivers)," Vandyke said. "I'm just preparing the best I can."

Facing off against the Tribe and their array of skilled receivers will be a good initial test for Vandyke as he continues to work his way back to full speed.

"In the beginning, it was kind of tough and I felt a little slow, but once I started getting more reps, I started warming up, loosening up, I was able to get my juice back," Vandyke said.