Recent Comments

yep. Agreed.

yeah, you know I honestly don't either. I really do not believe that Teller was pressured into it by coaches and rather given an honest assessment and told he could be a star OL. I do think there is always the peer pressure to "help" the team and be a team player. However, I think the issue is when you consider that teenage kids that have a dream of playing their favorite position are considering VT and there is that perception, rightly or wrongly, that will influence them.

It's like Tyrod saying definitively to NFL: I am a Quarterback. I'm sure he got pressure to consider playing other positions by teams interested in him, but he made his choice. I think recruits coming from high school are making the same definitive decisions, again rightly or wrongly, and are generally against getting moved around.

Alston Smith *ducks again*

I will give them this year. But they think that they are a staying force and will rule the ACC for many years to come. They are going to be absolutely crushed when Bennett leaves them for a bigger gig.

I have tempered expectations for Dadi this year. No doubt, he's the best athlete at the DE position. But there are 2 reasons I think he won't have a monster season. First, I don't know if he's big enough to be an every down DE. He's definitely more of a prototypical pass-rushing specialist and, at times, struggles against the run (like the Hundley TD in Sun Bowl). Second, I really hope he doesn't, but it wouldn't surprise me if he gets that junior year slump after a spectacular sophomore year, much like Gayle, Collins, and Hosely.

I would much prefer you to be right, and I hope Dadi has a season to remember.

What do you mean "back to irrelevancy"? Have they ever left?

If Calipari goes to the NBA, say bye bye to Bennett Hoos and back to irrelevancy where you clowns belong.

I was specifically addressing the following:

After Teller and Smith waste a couple of years bumping around the OL merry-go-round there they will be back on DL.

Like I said, I haven't seen Smith's film, but as for Teller...

Agreed. But I think what he was alluding to was not specifically Teller but the way big time recruits are shuffled to other positions than the one the professed to want to play. I remember reading your post but I also remember reading multiple interviews with Teller where he said he had zero interest to play offense.

From the time I was at VT, they had a reputation for moving players and I think they still do. Someone on TKP, I forget who, told the story of his cousin who was a D1 kid in VA not considering the Hokies precisely because it was known to recruits that we will move them from the position they want to play. In Teller's case, I have always agreed he would be a monster on OL but if he has said time and again that he wants to play defense and gets "asked" by coaching staff to change to create depth then there is something wrong. Yes, it may be the best move for him and I am sure coaches explained that to him, but in reality the failures of the coaching staff to recruit well for OL is not Teller's.

Logan was "asked" to change to position he stated clearly he did not want to play. Teller the same. And as I said it's a perception that's been around since 1995 at least.

That perception affects recruiting if the recruit does not believe that they will get their shot at the position they dream of playing, and in their mind they need those 4 years of solid position coaching to get the next level. As with Corey Marshall who has shuffled back and forth more than most ever do. Again because of depth issue tied to recruiting. If that is the perception then it will affect an 18 year old's decision to select the Hokies. this combined with a defensive scheme that French labels an outlier means we are more often than not outside looking in on these 5 star recruits. (Hopefully that changes next year with Settle).

Also it would be fair to point out that in this way staff continuity can be somewhat of a negative. If that is the perception and staff never change then it will always be the perception. Case in point, VT was never perceived as a location for top QB talent to consider. Now after 1 year of Lefty we have 2 recruits that normally would never give VT a sniff and were in the hunt for the #1 recruit in nation most of the year. That's a huge change in the perception of what's going on in Blacksburg.

Teller is a beast! He will play this season!

He just needs to get smarter