2017 Spring Practice Sneak Peak Number II

For the folks who don't have snapchat, Virginia Tech shared a behind the scenes look at spring practice.

I love the focus on the screen game, especially selling the run block and then peeling off into the screen. This goes to the theme of making EVERY play in a series looking the same. The quarterback will fake an IZR and the block sells the IZR. Then the WR can screen, or can sell the block and slip behind the corner on a go route. If the wide receiver changes their body language or technique when he blocks, screens, or runs a route, it becomes a tell and allows the corner to diagnose the play. Fuente's offense is not tough to stop because it is complex. It is tough to stop because the similar run actions make it incredibly tough for a defense to diagnose plays.

On the first snap, Henri Murphy gets into the body to sell a block or an outside release go route, and then pivots back to the inside. Put yourself in a corner's shoes. He has to widen out to not get beaten deep on the go route, which takes him away from run support. Because it is an outside release (which means the corner is playing inside leverage), Murphy's pivot inside into the block of Cunningham from the slot means the corner is going to get blindsided. One heavy blindside hit, and that corner is either going to be tentative coming back inside, or will be so focused on protecting inside that he will be more vulnerable to the go route down the line.

It looked like Trevon Hill was doing bag drills. That would be good news.

Khalil Pimpleton got matched up on Terrell Edmunds one on one, with Edmunds playing inside leverage. Pimpleton sold the corner route and snapped it back into the post to completely wrong-foot Edmunds for a wide open touchdown. Pimpleton can certainly create space for himself. I still would like to see him attack the ball with his hands a little more rather than cradling the ball in his stomach. The throw from AJ Bush could have lead him a bit more, but that technique will produce drops at some point. Still, I LOVE that sharp break that left Edmunds leaning. The "You reach, I teach" taunt would have been appropriate after that rep.

The next clips featured the number 2 offense, with Hendon Hooker at QB, DJ Reid at tailback, and Dalton Keene at Hback. The first clip shows the same inside zone read with the H-Back releasing to the edge to lead the QB that Jerod Evans closed out Miami with in the fall. Hooker may have read the play wrong and handed to Reid, who found unblocked mike Tavante Beckett in his hole. Reid steamrolled Beckett to get something out of nothing. Beckett gamely hung on. Reid is an enigma for me. He looks terrific every time we get a look at him, yet it doesn't translate to playing time. To me, he could make a major impact if he delivers whatever has been missing.

Reid follows it up with a catch on a flat release where the wide receiver clears out the corner in man coverage. Hooker shows off his athleticism with a leaping accurate throw. Reid left Ladler (the safety) in the dust.