A significant move was made following Saturday's scrimmage that involved the Virginia Tech football team's most intriguing freshman. Yosuah Nijman, after weeks of being called raw and being described as light years away from where he needs to be at defensive end, has made the move to left offensive tackle, a position where Stacy Searels intends to keep him for the remainder of his time with the Hokies.
"You like to have your most athletic, most talented player to block the blind side," said the offensive line coach. "That's what we want to train (Nijman) to do. That's what we want him to do one day."
The simultaneous position switch of wide-receiver-turned-running back-turned-receiver Joel Caleb was similar in that it was one of necessity, not due to a lack of efficiency at the previous position per se.
Prior to Nijman's move, the Hokies had two left tackles listed on the depth chart: Jonathan McLaughlin and former tight end Darius Redman.
Nijman shores up a thin spot and offers another big option behind McLaughlin, a junior. The move was one that Searels had previously considered.
"We knew he was a big talented kid that we wanted on our team," Searels said. "He came in as a defensive lineman (at Fork Union) and we wanted to make sure he got an opportunity to get a chance at that here."
Moving back to a position he's familiar with from high school, Nijman has tolerated the switch — even if he's not jumping off the walls about it.
Searels attempted to solidify the decision in the freshman's mind by referencing the successful switch from tight end to tackle by current Houston Texan and former Hokie, Duane Brown.
"(Searels) talked to me about that," Nijman said. "It didn't really make me more content but it made me more open-minded."
Searels was probably hoping for a more emphatic response from his youngster, given the reward that awaited Brown for his efforts.
"Duane Brown was a tight end and now he's an offensive tackle for the Houston Texans and he's making $54 million. That would sell for me," Searels said. "A lot of those guys that have played nine or ten years in the league were tight ends or defensive linemen and have moved over.
"I've had several guys in the past that I've coached that were recruited as defensive linemen or tight ends. It's always better to have guys that can move their feet and be athletic and I think he can do that."
While it may not have been Nijman's first choice, Searels admires the team-first attitude.
"He's a team player," Searels said. "I think he understands that it's how he can get on the field quickest and how he can help this team the best."
Nijman assessed his performance from his first day at the new post.
"I think I did pretty well today," he said. "I went over the plays with Coach Searels. I understood more of it today. It's not too hard to get the plays down. It's just my zone steps and gap controls. I have to work on that."
In a similar boat to Nijman is Darius Redman.
The self-proclaimed "Calculator" — because you can count on him — the tight end-turned tackle, with a couple more weeks under his belt, has made strides at his new position.
"Redman's doing a good job," Searels said. "The kid's got a great attitude. He competes and plays hard. He has good feet. We meet in the morning and afternoon. He wants to learn and be natural. We have to get where we trust him. He's starting to gain our trust."
Searels noted that Redman has been working at both left and right tackle.
"I'm comfortable now at both tackle spots," Redman said. "A lot of the older linemen, I can talk to them at any time. Any time of the day McLaughlin is willing to meet with me."
The redshirt senior has made a name for himself through his viral distribution of "calc knowledge."
"(Calc knowledge) is my way of thinking of things and my perception of life," Redman said. "I just try to give calc knowledge to people so they can understand me."
The calc's most recent display of calc knowledge is a 15-second video encouraging followers to work with what they have.
Week 20. "work with what you got" All you need is an inch to build off of to go as far as you want. #Calcknowledge pic.twitter.com/rQ6sWB3L6G— Darius Redman (@TheCalc_33) April 6, 2015
"I give calc knowledge on twitter every Sunday at 9 P.M.," Redman said. "People look forward to it."
Nijman and Redman are two newcomers to a makeshift offensive line that's still seeking an identity and filling out depth, but it's one that's Searels is encouraged about.
"I was excited about the first group. I thought they did a good job" Searels said of Saturday's scrimmage. "They played well as a unit. We need to be more consistent and eliminate the pre-snap penalties. That was an issue last year."
Searels also referred to the continued good showing of center Eric Gallo, as well as the emergence of Tyrell Smith.
"Tyrell smith has really competed," Searels said. "Seven days of practice and I really like how he's competing. He's not ready to start yet but he will be a good player."
Pass protection issues that played a part in allowing 34 sacks last season, Searels insists, is the biggest focal point this spring.
"We have to do a better job of protecting the quarterback," he said. "But I was pleased with their work ethic and the way they competed."
Comments
Nijman Speaks
Video where Nijman discusses the move
That's a bummer. You can hear the disappointment in his voice
I remember Teller being little more than content with the move to offensive line, and he seems to like it well enough now. Football is football. Is sacking the QB in front of thousands of screaming fans fun? Sure. But so is physically dominating another human being and moving him from point A to point B against his will so your teammate can score.
This type of move and his (perceived) attitude probably means he will transfer or become toxic to the team. He does not seem happy.
Ok lets give him more than 3 days before we start throwing around words like toxic
I wouldn't speculate on him being "toxic" to the team or anything, but I would definitely worry about him transferring. He seemed really set on playing DE, and I'm sure the coaches promised him the chance to do so. I really don't like the Duane Brown, "look how much money he makes" pitch to sell him on the move. Frankly, I think that's kind of weak. Totally different person and situation, and way premature to start telling someone how much they're going to make in the NFL. That quote from him didn't exactly sound like hes super excited. He's not going to play for a while at tackle due to the weight he will have to gain.
Bummed out for the guy. Hope I'm wrong, but he doesn't sound too enthused.
I agree on your take of the Duane Brown selling point. Very weak. He wants to play DE and they gave him a chance but then they overloaded him with information during his first week. That doesn't sound like they wanted him to have much of a chance.
I'm not trying to be too negative but it would frustrate the hell out of me to be "given a chance" and then be instructed in a manner that sets me up to fail. This guy was a big time recruit we all drooled over. I really hope our acclaimed defensive coaching staff didn't waste it.
Saying he was instructed in a manner that sets him up to fail is unfair to the coaches. They give all the guys the same information. He had the playbook and he is getting taught technique. There is a difference in the mind tying up the feet and the feet just being too slow.
Everyone was excited about him at DE but Bud needs his DEs to be able to do certain things. If he doesn't have the quickness to play there, he isn't going to get that quickness if he doesn't have it now. Bud wants guys who are fast and can bend and if he can't do it, why leave him at DE for 4 or 5 years and watch him maybe break into the 2 deep instead of moving him to a position he can thrive in? He has every measurable to be a great OT so the coaches put him in the best position to succeed.
I really hope you're right and I am wrong. I don't want to be negative towards our coaches because I respect the heck out of them and I'm not there at practice or in the meetings. But Wiles really rubbed me the wrong way in an interview.
I've been in that position in a different activity and it's frustrating as hell and you want to quit, but you don't because the team comes first, and in Nijman's case, well he's already moved to Blacksburg. Might as well stay and see what happens.
Maybe he was really bad and there was no hope to get to Bud Foster's level of expectations and hopefully there's more to this that I don't know or understand, but it makes me angry to think that we wasted a huge recruit because he was told what he wanted to hear and was never going to get a fair shot. I hope he sees the field faster this way and hits someone hard.
If Nijman would have been and 6'7" inch explosive DE he would have had everyone in the country after him and he didn't . He is to big to play DE and had to work hard to get under 270lbs . He is where he has a chance to be successful now . Teller knew he could not play DE after he got here he just wasn't quick or fast enough .
Teller was moved for depth, not because he knew he couldn't play defense.
From everything I read it wasn't anything about Nijman not physically being able to play DE and he was going to be a long term guy. He looked quick enough on the highlight he made in the scrimmage. Think what was happening with Nijman was the same thing that happened with Dooley last year with just as someone above quoted that "his head was tying up his feet."
I'd imagine that this has more to do with the current OL situation, specifically at LT, and Nijman's best possible position than anything else. Searels has said in the past that McLaughlin's natural position is RT and then seeing that the backup LT is a recently converted TE its possible that for the best of the team there needed to be more bodies that could play at LT. There needs to be a good athlete with quick feet at LT and Nijman gives someone who could potentially play there along with hopefully Mike Arnold.
not to mention that the only offensive coach still around from when DB came through is Stinespring. And he wasn't even well coached at the collegiate level anyway. I think Houston took a chance on him and came out on top.
I can't find the article presently, but I believe Brown even said that he came into the NFL really raw and poorly coached so he felt like he was behind everyone else. This would reflect poorly on VT coaches, but in their defense, I believe he made the switch to LT from TE his senior year so he only would have had 1 year of O-line coaching prior to the nfl.
Took a chance on him...wasn't he a first round pick?
I think some people on this board read too much into things
Well a year and a half in our strength and conditioning and dinning halls should get him up close to 300#'s, and once he starts pancaking people I am sure he will be a bit happier. Good luck gentlemen...
the guy wants to be Julius Peppers or Mario Williams. coaches want him to fatten up. when is the last time Tech had a guy taller than 6'4" starting DE?
While he may be disappointed or bummed now, I think if it lingers and Bud talks to him and is blunt with him about his likelihood of seeing the field at DE in the next few years is very slim vs possibly being a 3 year starter at LT is big.
They're essentially going to have to re-recruit him. If the coaches can't sell him on offensive tackle, I wouldn't be surprised if he transfers or if he stays, ends up a non-contributor.
according to some other info I've seen, OL was discussed with him during his recruitment. It's not exactly a surprise to him (or anyone else).
Wait, so why can't he be a DE? Is it because he has a slow first step? I mean, it's obviously not a lack of strength.
Bud needs his DEs to be able to do certain things athletically and some guys just can't do it. Having great size and strength doesn't always equal success if you are not in the right role.
I think the company line is that they needed the depth more at offensive tackle than defensive end.
I feel for Nijman, but I think our coaches gave him an honest look at playing the DE position. His size would fit well in a 3-4 type of set, but not as a 4-3 rushing-the-QB type of DE it seems like he wants to be. If he doesn't have the speed or technique to make it at the college level, the NFL is out of the questions (if that is his goal). The coaches want to see all these guys succeed and he has the perfect frame, size, and right amount of quickness to be an amazing tackle on the OL. Tie him to Teller's hip and let him see how well the move can be.
I hear what you're saying, but honestly, it was so obvious that he would become an OL that even the fans were calling it.
Assuming they weren't, the coaches should've been honest with him and said "look, we've never had a 6'7" DE before in our system. You can certainly be the first, but there's a good chance you'll move to OL if it doesn't work out"; if they said that and he was still on board for committing to us, then I think we have a clear conscience.
That's what this all comes down to, how he was recruited. There is a problem if he feels misled about his opportunity at DE, otherwise there is no issue with moving him.
I could remember wrong, we all do at times, but I seem to recall a conversation where we were the only team looking at him to give him a shot at DE. He may be disappointed, but it seems like they gave him a shot, and considering people switching positions, it may not be the only shot he gets. He could take it and say, "Okay, this is what I have to learn to show that I can be a DE, and then go back to the coaches and say he wants to try again."
Or, he can take it and it can get the worst of him. How many stories have you read about players starting out bummed to move positions, but later realizing it was the best thing that could happen to them? Not just at VT, but other schools as well.
His frame reminds me of Kyle Long before he started playing college football. He could definitely fill out and become an absolute beast on the o-line.
Redman definitely has an offensive lineman beard.
I refrained from commenting individually over the boards because there are a lot of conversations being had, and I guess I kind of sparked it off before the news about Nijman even happened. So here is my reply to the conversation in general:
In reality, I have nothing against players being switched. I know it happens in every program. I know that it's a necessity both for players and the team. I don't want to seem like I don't understand that. My point and granted I am far removed from the program is that I have heard about this affecting recruiting since I was at VT in 95 - 99. I remember this topic coming up before on TKP and ifScrapp saying that his cousin, who was a D1 recruit specifically chose another team because VT had that reputation of moving people. I am certain that this conversation happens for most programs, but I have always wondered how much Foster's system was attractive or unattractive to recruits.
I have full respect for Foster and his genius. In all honesty if we have a top 10 defense with 3 and 4* recruits year in year out then I will ALWAYS stay happy. But when the question comes up as to why we are not landing 5* recruits for our vaunted defense I look for answers that are less apparent. And when our norm is to play OLB size at DE, DE size at DT and Saftey size at OLB I think this is something savvy recruits, and those helping them make their decisions, make note of. And certainly what other programs will be telling them.
So when we have 3 classes where we have 3 players with size come in to play DE and see all three move to DL and OL it keeps me coming back to the notion that our system, though brilliant, probably is not suited for 5* recruits (DBU excluded) that are at the prototypical size and expect to remain at the position they are playing at. Is that fair to Foster to say that this caliber of recruit couldn't play at their expected position? No, probably not. But I think it's fair to say there is a perception problem and until we land some 5* talent on DE/DT that stay in their position it will remain a perception problem. I believe this is something that recruits notice and I think that perception problem gets more exacerbated with technology. Now you can track players more easily. You can see Teller's comments, Mihota's comments, Nijman's comments readily and see that these star players who all stated their desire to play DE/defense were moved quickly to fill depth at other positions.
The success of Teller on OL is fantastic. It's exactly what you hope for and why coaches are paid the big dollars, but no one can say that Teller is not our best defensive player. Until he meets Doc Brown and goes back to the future to not move and remain on defense, this argument really is baseless to me. As I recall he was asked to move for depth, not because he wasn't working out on defense. (if I am wrong about that please correct me.)
It's the depth issue that bothers me the most. I know we need depth at tackle. Apparently more so than any other position, but I disagree with moving promising players at one position to cover depth issues at another position especially at the expressed request to not do so by the player. So then it comes to how much time has that player been given to prove his mettle at the position he wants. to that end, I do not believe that 2 weeks is enough time to qualify as "getting a chance" or "having a shot" at making the position you dream of. So unfortunately, Nijman falls in the same argument with Teller for me. He may very well be one of our best defensive players that we are now turning to OL again against his said wishes. That doesn't sit well with me.
That doesn't mean this move isn't right for him, or that he would light the world on fire on defense. I just do not like the face of the move. We are covering our ass at tackle with someone that clearly did not want to play that position. Now having watched the video of Nijman talking about it he seems very astute and thoughtful, but he also seems extremely disappointed by it. I hope he stays at VT but watching him part of me feels like he will be gone after Spring semester. I really hope that doesn't happen because he seems like a great guy.
Going back though, I think it reflects badly on VT when it comes to recruiting. I can't be the only guy thinking this (and it appears I am not) and I think recruits are looking for the place that gives them the happy feeling. And if I am a 5* caliber player faced with choosing VT or team B, and Team B has a history of playing my size at my position I would choose that team. It doesn't mean Foster would move me, it's just a matter or mitigating risk.
Looking beyond the issue at VT I start to wonder how the idea of guaranteed scholarships will work for this in the future. If Nijman said NO and really was terrible at DE but just wanted to stay there then he could. Coaches can't pull a scholarship for that player and they can't force him to move. Interesting debate there too.
Great points and I tend to agree with you. On the flip side, I think I'm remembering this correctly but someone correct me if I'm wrong; the Joel Caleb situation. I'm pretty sure he was adamant about staying on offense when the coaches wanted to move him to Safety and thought that's where his long term potential was. He was a much higher rated recruit than Nijman and more crucial at the time, which may be why they allowed him to stay on offense. But we all know how that has turned out, obviously he still has time to prove us wrong and I know we all hope he does. Just something to think about though.
Good points, but one minor note is that none of these guys were 5* recruits. None of them were so good that they forced us to keep them at that spot. If Sweat had come here, there is absolutely no way that he goes to OL or DT. How many times have we moved a 5* recruit? I don't know of any (of course, correct me if wrong). If anyone's getting moved, it's the athletic 4*'s with size who aren't quite elite. Guys who could be All-American if and only if they get put in the right place for the team and themselves. They're the ones being moved and I don't see that being an effect to the truly top flight players.
Logan Thomas was the number one TE recruit in the country that year. Not sure on stars but if not 5 probably a very high 4. Since Rivals started doing stars VT has only had maybe 2 5 star signees total?
my point is exactly that they are not 5* recruits. I don't really believe that a 5* recruit would discredit a 4* recruit very easily to say that whatever happened to that guy won't happen to me. In fact I am saying the opposite, that I believe that this may be turning this level of player off from VT's defense which is routinely credited as being one of the best. And because we have not been able to find success cases with any 3/4* player at that size before them a 5* player may be nervous about coming to a program that from an outside perception appears to move size to fit a system.
I see top flight players becoming more and more picky about the program that's going to get them to the next level and finding faults anywhere they can to help them make what is essentially a life impacting decision. I don't see many saying: "yeah, but none of those players were 5* and I'm going to break the mold. I'll show them how it's done." I see them, and those advising/handling them, becoming ever more prescient in their decision making.
A week of spring practice and one scrimmage against the first team O does not feel like he was given a shot
I agree with this. Though my mind is glad he's at OT now (selfishly speaking of course), my heart feels bad that he didn't get a good shot at DE. To me. that's not fair.
Actually, all of his interviews are kinda low key. He is a shy kid and NOT TOXIC for gods sake. He may not be excited yet, but give it time.