Hokie Tracks Have Impressed Peter King
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Those of you who logged on to Beamberball.com this morning were greeted with a positional breakdown of the coaches' biggest concerns heading into fall camp this week.
Pretty standard stuff. I won't reveal too much, as I'm worried Greg Roberts' smooth question-asking abilities will haunt my dreams. What I will reveal is that every position has its usual football concerns: depth, injuries, experience, etc.
Well, every position but one: Wide receiver.
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
![]() |
| From Drop Box |
BOOM!
The other day, I was curiously* thinking about NFL free agency and in some roundabout way it got me to thinking, about the Hokies ... and my All-Hokie team. Over the last twenty years (since my freshman year in 1991) what would my perfect Hokie starting lineup look like? All of the guys on my team are all conference, but they aren't necessarily the best during that time, just my favorites.
Let me just say it pained me to leave off the following players, I loved all of these guys:
Tyrod Taylor, Jim Druckenmiller, Lee Suggs, Jarret Ferguson, Bryan Still, Antonio Davis, Cornell Brown, John Engleberger, Jim Davis, Jonathan Lewis, Jamel Smith, Xavier Adibi, George Del Ricco, Macho Harris, Ike Charlton, Aaron Rouse and Torrian Gray, but they just didn't quite make the cut. You might as well call these guys my second team!
Without further ado my 20-Year-Team ...
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Virginia Tech, Clemson and North Carolina all had three selections apiece. Named for the Hokies, who were tabbed by the media to win the Coastal Division, were cornerback Jayron Hosley (Delray Beach, Fla.), who led the nation in pass interceptions in 2010, safety Eddie Whitley (Charlotte, N.C.) and offensive tackle Blake DeChristopher (Midlothian, Va.). Clemson’s honorees included running back Andre Ellington (Moncks Corner, S.C.), defensive tackle Brandon Thompson (Thomasville, Ga.) and punter Dawson Zimmerman (Lawrenceville, Ga.). Tabbed for the Tar Heels were wide receiver Dwight Jones (Burlington, N.C.), defensive end Quinton Coples (Kinston, N.C.) and defensive tackle Tydreke Powell (Ahoksie, N.C.).
| 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Team | |||||
| Offense | |||||
| Pos. | Name (Votes) | Ht | Wt | Class | Hometown |
| WR | Conner Vernon, Duke (20) | 6-2 | 195 | Junior | Miami, Fla. |
| WR | Dwight Jones, North Carolina (26) | 6-4 | 225 | Senior | Burlington, N.C. |
| TE | George Bryan, NC State (40) | 6-5 | 265 | Senior | Castle Hayne, N.C. |
| T | Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech (30) | 6-5 | 312 | Senior | Midlothian, Va. |
| T | Andrew Datko, Florida State (29) | 6-6 | 321 | Senior | Weston, Fla. |
| G | Brandon Washington, Miami (28) | 6-4 | 320 | Senior | Miami, Fla. |
| G | Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech (21) | 6-3 | 300 | Junior | Lithonia, Ga. |
| C | Tyler Horn, Miami (18) | 6-4 | 305 | Senior | Memphis, Tenn. |
| QB | EJ Manuel, Florida State (23) | 6-5 | 245 | Junior | Virginia Beach, Va. |
| RB | Montel Harris, Boston College (49) | 5-10 | 200 | Senior | Jacksonville, Fla. |
| RB | Andre Ellington, Clemson (19) | 5-10 | 190 | Junior | Moncks Corner, S.C. |
| Defense | |||||
| Pos. | Name (Votes) | Ht | Wt | Class | Hometown |
| DE | Brandon Jenkins, Florida State (44) | 6-3 | 265 | Junior | Tallahassee, Fla. |
| DE | Quinton Coples, North Carolina (38) | 6-6 | 285 | Senior | Kinston, N.C. |
| DT | Tydreke Powell, North Carolina (21) | 6-3 | 310 | Senior | Ahoskie, N.C. |
| DT | Brandon Thompson, Clemson (21) | 6-2 | 310 | Senior | Thomasville, Ga. |
| LB | Luke Kuechly, Boston College (49) | 6-3 | 235 | Junior | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| LB | Sean Spence, Miami (35) | 6-0 | 224 | Senior | Miami, Fla. |
| LB | Kenny Tate, Maryland (23) | 6-4 | 220 | Senior | Forestville, Md. |
| CB | Chase Minnifield, Virginia (38) | 6-0 | 185 | Senior | Lexington, Ky.. |
| CB | Jayron Hosely, Virginia Tech (32) | 5-10 | 170 | Junior | Delray Beach, Fla. |
| S | Ray-Ray Armstrong, Miami (36) | 6-4 | 215 | Junior | Sanford, Fla. |
| S | Eddie Whitley, Virginia Tech (17) | 6-1 | 187 | Senior | Charlotte, N.C. |
| Specialists | |||||
| Pos. | Name (Votes) | Ht | Wt | Class | Hometown |
| PK | Will Snyderwine, Duke (18) | 5-11 | 190 | Senior | Potomac, Md. |
| P | Dawson Zimmerman, Clemson (21) | 6-0 | 205 | Senior | Lawrenceville, Ga. |
| SP | Greg Reid, Florida State (22) | 5-8 | 186 | Junior | Valdosta, Ga. |
Junior cornerback Jayron Hosley, senior free safety Eddie Whitley and senior tackle Blake DeChristopher were the three Hokies voted on the team by the media.
Do you guys think there were any omissions?
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Boston College running back Montel Harris, who enters his final season within striking distance of the
conference's 33-year-old record for career rushing yardage, is the preseason Player of the Year.
The Seminoles of coach Jimbo Fisher, who won the Atlantic last year, received 65 of 71 first-place votes in that portion of the balloting. Fifty of the 65 also said Florida State will prevail in the title game, set for Dec. 3 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
The Hokies, who have won three of the first six championship contests, got 66 votes in the Coastal election.
Eighteen electors picked Tech to repeat as ACC champion.
Harris, who enters this fall with 3,600 career rushing yards, the most of any ACC player after his junior
season, as chosen by 26 media representatives, with FSU quarterack EJ Manuel second with 14 votes. Harris' teammate Luke Kuechly, a 2010 unanimous All-America linebacker selection, was third with 12 votes.
This fall, Harris will be chasing the Atlantic Coast Conference career rushing record of 4,602 yards, set in 1978 by NC State All-America Ted Brown.
ACC Championship Votes
1. Florida State.........................50
2. Virginia Tech.....................18
3. Clemson.............................2
4. Boston College ..........................1
Atlantic Division
1. Florida State (65) ..................420
2. Clemson (4) .......................... 286
3. NC State ................................ 270
4. Boston College (2) ............... 224
5. Maryland .............................. 211
6. Wake Forest .............................80
Coastal Division
1. Virginia Tech (66) ............... 421
2. Miami (4)......................... 328
3. North Carolina..................... 287
4. Georgia Tech (1) .................. 226
5. Virginia........................ 132
6. Duke.................................96
ACC Player of the Year
1. Montel Harris, Boston College ....................26
2. EJ Manuel, Florida State ...............................14
3. Luke Kuechly, Boston College .....................12
4. David Wilson, Virginia Tech ......................... 8
5. Danny O'Brien, Maryland .............................. 4
6. Andre Ellington, Clemson...................... 3
7. Lamar Miller, Miami.............................2
8. Sean Spence, Miami.................................. .1
Brandon Jenkins, Florida State................ .1
ACC Championship Game Predictions
1. Florida State over Virginia Tech ..................45
2. Virginia Tech over Florida State ..................15
3. Florida State over Miami ................................ 4
4. Clemson over Virginia Tech .......................... 2
5. Virginia Tech over Clemson .......................... 2
6. Florida State over Georgia Tech .................... 1
8. Virginia Tech over Boston College ............... 1
Boston College over Virginia Tech ............... 1
What do you guys think?
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
It seems like a pretty good bet that, at next week's ACC media conference, Florida State will be selected as the winner of the Atlantic Division and overall ACC Champion. You can't really blame the voters, given Florida State's 10-win season last year and unbelievable recruiting haul.
Florida State is poised on reclaiming its role as ACC overlord and destroyer-of-worlds, right? As a former FSU player said, "...Not so fast, my friend!" History shows that, if the Seminoles are going to return to the glory years, it's not going to be on the back of their recruiting rankings.
|
Recruiting Class Rankings (Rivals) |
Virginia Tech Hokies football, basketball, athletics blog and forum featuring: unique columns, breaking news, film studies, in-depth analysis, recruiting, videos and jokes.
I was curious to see just how dominant the Hokies have been in ACC football since they entered the league in 2004. So, I went through the final standings of each season and put the wins in a spreadsheet. This is what I came up with.
