This is what Athletic Performance Director, Jarrett Ferguson told BeamerBall.com about the top performers of the Hokies 6:00 AM workouts last week.
The three standouts were Wyatt Teller, Yosuah Nijman and Shawn Payne. I'm telling you, Teller and Nijman, two big guys, they just would not quit. They refused to lose. Shawn Payne was the same way. And the intriguing thing with Shawn, he never got tired. He was a machine. Just no quit in him. I'm not trying to shortchange anybody. We had a bunch of guys give great effort, but if you're looking for the top three, it's Teller, Nijman and Payne. Very impressive. They gave us what we were looking for. We want our players to battle through every rep, every day. The leaders do emerge. They guys who were just relentless like the top three, stepping up for their teammates and pushing them through when things got really tough in these workouts, they'll be the same guys who step up when things get tough on the football field.
Very encouraging news about Nijman. He's the guy I'm most intrigued about this spring, and it's not even close. I think we all knew Teller's a horse, hopefully he'll become the leader among the uglies, if he already hasn't. Payne, honestly had slipped my mind. The L.C. Bird standout was a camp offer during the 2014 cycle, and is a sizeable corner (6-2).
Comments
I really hope that Nijman sticks at DE. If we can get a solid 2 deep going across the line then the D could be lethal.
Also, Teller:
Hey, Dozer, perhaps a Wyatt Teller Pancake highlight video should be a thing?
This gif scares me in a very positive way.
Is it because Wang just stands there limp watching as Teller throws some syrup on his pancake?
I really hate the criticism of Wang on that play. His head is inside looking to block one of the two guys that Teller took out for a cutback lane, not to take on the guy that made the tackle. An excellent play by Teller makes it look like Wang isn't giving an effort, but instead, he's following his assignment and Teller beats him to the punch.
I didn't mean any disrespect to Wang. Dude gutted it out for 6 years and gave his all for the team and is a Hokie through and through. Teller just has a way of making a lot of players look bad.
More often than not, it's the other team.
Fair enough. But for all the talk about how heady a player Wang was, I seemed to see quite a bit of head swiveling (no pun intended) with little contact when I re-watched games to look at OL play.
The critisicm is warranted. Nobody questions Wangs effort but his recognition of defenders angles and how to get between them and the ball carrier in the open field was very suspect.
On this particular play, Wang is leading the ball carrier up field and despite being in position, doesn't block either of the two guys who tackle JCC. Bucky Hodges obviously has the assignment to block the LB coming from the inside, as he gets the inital block before the LB fights it off and gets in position to help tackle JCC.
You can argue that Wang's assigned player was taken out by Teller, but Wang didn't react to that the way he should have, nor did he react to the flow of the play correctly.
You say he's looking inside for someone to block. Well that LB chipped by Hodges was right there, in the ball carrier's path and Wang slides right past him instead of steamrolling him, all the while watching Teller crush the other LB. Wang also manages to completely ignore the DB who is coming up in run support. Wang instinctively AVOIDED contact with the two defenders who tackle JCC. You can't do that and be considered a good OL.
Assignments are only a starting point. If someone is coming free to tackle your ball carrier you take them, even if it means your "assigned" defender makes the tackle a couple yards downfield.
I'm not much of an expert on offense; but watching the gif it seems to me JCC should be closer to Wang's hip instead of 3 yards behind the block If JCC is in the hole, he is past the tackler and Wang takes out the next guy coming in and JCC scores.
well, he missed the gigantic hole for the cutback that Teller paved for him that's for sure.
This string is proof that we NEED football to start back up. We are overanalyzing 1 play from last year in a game we won. Also the gif was about Teller Pancakes, not Wang.
I second that emotion.
the offseason makes DBU... something.. something..
go crazy?
pfft... me addicted?... come on... never in a million.... wait, what was that? did someone say football?! Yes!! a gif about one half of one play in a previous season.... MUST REPLY!!
I CAN QUIT ANY TIME I WANT
One of my fav gifs! I still LOL every time. ;)
Classic tabletop. Just like they drew it up
I guess him staying at DE would be good.
But the prospect of perhaps the two hardest working, physical freakish guys on the OL together for 2 or 3 years is not unappealing...
Wyatt Teller loves pancakes
Bacon Pancakes.
Slightly off topic, I had Bacon flavored beer at Gordon biersch last night. It was amazing!!
Bacon flavored beer? The best of two worlds.
there's bacon flavored vodka too, perfect for bloody marys
All things bacon, including bacon :
http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/bacon/
I personally like the BArium, CObalt, Nitrogen shirt
Wyatt Teller is really just who the Norse called "Thor" in an earlier time. Whatever side of the ball Nijman sees, he'll hurt the players lined up to his opposite.
what a huge relief it would be if he can stay at DE though.
Why? DE's are easier to find (and easier to plug into Bud Foster's D) than big, strong, aggressive, mobile Off Tackles.
tell that to our DE depth chart.
Have you looked at the Off Tackle chart? Much worse than the DE chart. This year and going forward.
Saw the title and immediately thought of this duo...
Dadi ran a hand timed 4.55 yesterday. Thats great for a DE, even at his weight
Last year he ran some thing like a 4.45 (hokie time, of course) and I believe he was at 218 or last spring. I am hoping that he's 4.55 running around at 235 to 240 this spring. A lot of ACC doesn't like the thought of that....
BUT I DO
somewhere Tom Savage just woke up in a cold sweat and wasn't even 100% sure why
This is so encouraging, especially with Nijman. We really need to strengthen DE.