Wiles details DL depth, Mook Reynolds talks whip responsibilities

In the eyes of many, Tech's defensive line never quite managed to live up to the hype last year.

But even with guys like Dadi Nicolas and Luther Maddy gone, Charley Wiles thinks this year's unit is talented enough that it could help realize some of the promise of the 2015 group.

Indeed, aside from the quarterback battle, the most heated competition for playing time has been on the defensive line. With a bevy of young talent waiting in the wings, Wiles likes what he's seen from his defensive tackles heading into this season.

"I think we've played pretty solid in the four guys that have gotten the reps," Wiles said. "Steve Sobczak really is the fifth guy right now. He's really been respectful and pretty solid in camp. We need to stay healthy there and keep getting better. Tim Settle has not ever played a game. He's only going to get better the more he plays. Keep everybody healthy and I think we can be pretty solid there."

Yet with the team's initial depth chart released on Monday, Wiles is sketching out a bit more details about this year's line.

"Gotta have depth," Wiles said. "You've gotta have the guys to do it. You're not going to play guys we don't trust or you don't know what kind of performance we're going to get. If we have depth there, and they've earned it, then yeah, we'll play them, for sure."

Wiles noted that Settle is among those who've performed well enough in training camp to provide that depth. Though he's been pleased with Nigel Williams' performance this fall, he expects Settle is "going to play probably half the time, or a little less."

He also foresees Ricky Walker figuring into the mix at DT after having a "great camp."

Things are a bit murkier at defensive end. As the depth chart indicates, Wiles expects that Trevon Hill will "be the first guy in the game," with Seth Dooley lagging behind a bit.

"I wish he was a starter," Wiles said. "I wish we had five starters and we (were) like, 'You (are) you going to play?' Right now you've got a depth chart, Seth is the fourth, fifth defensive end."

Wiles is similarly unsure how Houshun Gaines might figure in once he returns from his one-game suspension.
"He's had a good offseason," Wiles said. "You know, House has been a little up and down. Inconsistent. So again it goes back to our policy, my policy on consistent performance. Your worst and your best shouldn't be that far apart. It's about knowing what we're going to get and being consistent. We're working on that with all of our own guys."

Gaines notwithstanding, Wiles will have a good chance to experiment with the rotation on the line against an FCS opponent like Liberty this week. All the same, he knows perfectly well not to take too much for granted.

"They've built their whole summer around this football game," Wiles said. "You've got to make sure the kids understand that. This is their big, big, it's not only an opener, but you're playing Virginia Tech and it's a huge, huge game. So they're going to be a high energy bunch. For sure (they will) want to beat us."

Charley Wiles

ON SETH DOOLEY:

"You know, Seth needs to continue to grow. He gave us some good quality snaps a year ago as a backup. He is in the same role right now. Is he gonna be the first guy in the game? Probably not. Trevon Hill's gonna be the first guy in the game. It wouldn't matter which guy went down, Trevon is the next defensive end. He's gonna be the first guy in the game. Ken will go play the other side and Trevon will play Ken's side. He's definitely in the mix, talking about Seth, to hopefully continue to get better and give our guys some relief or whatever."

ON IF HE WAS SURPRISED SETH DID DOT MAKE BIGGER GAINS THIS OFFSEASON:

"I'm not surprised. I wish he was a starter. I wish we had five starters and we (were) like, 'You (are) you going to play?' Right now you've got a depth chart, Seth is the fourth, fifth defensive end."

ON THE COMPETITION AT DEFENSIVE LINE:

"I think Nigel (Williams) really picked up. It was a little closer, I think, coming out of spring. Nigel really had a big summer conditioning wise and really came out with a purpose, because he knew he was in a battle. Tim (Settle's) going to play probably half the time, or a little less, probably. Just see how the games go. But Tim's a factor."

ON RICKY WALKER:

"Ricky (Walker's) had a great camp. I mean a great camp. Ricky's going to play. You can't get too many plays in there, man. Your production goes down, so somewhere, probably those guys around 35 plays a piece."

ON ATMOSPHERE WITH THE NEW STAFF:

"Oh it's been exciting. It's been rejuvenating. It's been invigorating. It's been great. Coach (Fuente's) got all kinds of energy. There's a lot of ways, obviously, to skin a cat. I've enjoyed it. It's certainly been exciting is how I would describe it."

ON HOW IF THE TRANSITION HAS LIVED UP TO HIS EXPECTATIONS:

"I didn't know what to expect to be perfectly honest with you. I didn't really have expectations other than going back to the top of the conference and going back to the top of college football, hopefully. That's been our goal, to be in the top four or five in the country, year in and year out. Get back to that. That's what we're working towards."

ON IF HE LIKES HAVING NEW COACHES IN THE DEFENSIVE ROOM:

"It's exciting, yeah! I've enjoyed it. I've really enjoyed. That's one of the shortfalls of staying in one place. There's not many, my circle's not very big. I've been a lot of places, but there's also a whole lot of positives. It's been nice to meet and see other ways of doing things and meeting new people and new coaching and just everything. It's part of that whole exciting type of, I've got a new job but didn't have to move. I live in my house still. That's really been exciting and positive and really been, the chemistry on the staff is outstanding. There's not egos and all that stuff. In our room, the defensive room, it's been a great fit."

ON PRACTICING AGAINST AN UP-TEMPO OFFENSE:

"It's been a process since December, in terms of just attacking and being more urgent in everything we do. That's the world we live in these days. You better get going. Having it right here in what we're doing, I guess it's obviously been helpful."

ON IF THE NEW SPEED OFFENSES HAVE CHANGED THE WAY THEY MOLD PLAYERS:

"The defensive end position has changed. What we're doing and how we teach it. There's not as much quarterback under center. How we develop, and what we've done here, and what Coach (Fuente) and his offseason is certainly different."

ON CHALLENGE OF GETTING READY FOR A TEAM WITH A NEW QUARTERBACK AND NEW COORDINATOR:

"Well it's hard just not having any games to watch. Of course you watch last year and the coordinator was there as co-coordinator. What are they doing? You've got to make in-game adjustments. We'll have to see, but the good thing is we've had a real thorough camp. We went against a whole lot of different looks during camp. So we've got a good preparation for a lot of things from the season. We can draw from that and make in-game adjustments. Just not being able to watch them this year. They've gotten some offensive linemen dinged up, although they have some really good skill back. You don't get to see their offensive line and get to watch them. They don't get to watch us either. That's just the way that is. That's probably the biggest challenge."

ON IF PLAYING MORE ZONE DEFENSE CHANGES THE DEFENSIVE LINE:

"It really doesn't. A defense here or there, but not very much."

Mook Reynolds

ON IF HE IS WORKING AT LINEBACKER OR NICKELBACK:

"Pretty much both. Certain personnels I'll be Whip, some personnels I'll be nickel. It's just like, same assignments. Different personnels, different responsibilities."

ON IF HE PLAYED A SIMILAR POSITION IN HIGH SCHOOL:

"Yeah, I played rover in high school. If there were four wide (receivers), I would drop back (to) safety. Any other formations, I'd be outside linebacker. So I'm pretty used to it."

ON IF HE HAD TO GET PHYSICALLY BIGGER:

"I got a little bit bigger (in) offseason workouts. I don't think the role requires you to get any bigger. I think that's something that's a plus or bonus. I don't think you have to try to gain weight to play. But it will help you excel at it. Just different techniques. I'm a smaller guy, so I have to approach things differently rather than a bigger guy. It just comes down to that. I learn how to play it, watch the bigger guys. Try to do those things, use my skills to my advantage and try to do big things."

ON IF HE'S WATCHED FILM OF KYLE FULLER:

"Not really. When I first came to school, I heard a lot of comparisons between me and Kyle. On my own I watch film. That's what I do now. If they ask me to do something, you know I want to see somebody who did it and who excelled in doing it. That's what I try to do. I watch film on my own. Try to watch those older guys who've done big things coming from my same situation to see what better ways I can do things differently and how I can, you know, the little things that can make me a better player. I'll watch Kyle. I watch a lot of guys on my own. I've talked to Coach Mitchell and asked him the best nickels he's ever coached at West Virginia and feedback from him and watched his highlights. Just trying to take bits and pieces from a lot of guys and just trying to put them all into my style of play."

ON WHO BRIAN MITCHELL TOLD HIM TO WATCH FILM OF:

"KJ Dillon."

ON IF HE FEELS LIKE HE WILL BE AN EVERY DOWN PLAYER:

"I don't really know what's going through Coach (Foster's) head. Whenever he asks me to go out there, whatever he asks me to do, I'm going to try to do to the best of my ability. Whether that's being out there every play, I can be an every down guy. I wanna do that. Pretty much whatever he asked me to do, I'm going to do it. If he wants me to come out for the packages, I'd be willing to do it for the betterment of the team."

ON WHAT HE DOES DIFFERENTLY AGAINST BIGGER GUYS:

"Just be physical. Play football, really. Not a lot of differences, still college (football). A lot of times last year I would be in the course still, so it's really not a big difference between being whip and being nickel. Sometimes last year we wouldn't have time to substitute, so I would have to play in as a smaller guy. Got a lot of plays still doing that, but now it's just designated to be out there in that position so it's just, I've got to accept that role and have a more productive year than I did last year."

ON IF HE SITS IN DIFFERENT MEETING ROOMS:

"No. We still with the safeties, whips, and nickels."

ON IF THIS WAS A RECENT CHANGE TO WHIP:

"We've been working on it since spring. I feel like that was (Foster's), that's what (Foster) wanted to do. He wanted to head in that direction a little bit more. All throughout the spring, I was in the bigger packages just doing every down. I would have to prove that I would be able to do it. I guess I pleased him enough to help him want to go in this direction and this and decide an established way they want to go. I've just got to accept the role and be ready to do some big things."

ON IF FORMER WHIP CODY GRIMM HELPS HIM:

"Yeah, Cody (Grimm's) my guy. (He) had me watch his highlights a couple times. I look to Cody a lot, especially with my blitzes. I try to use my feet a lot, but I want to be able to destroy a block, get past the guy. Opened a lot of eyes with that. He's been teaching me a lot of techniques, a lot of skills I can use to help me take on running backs, tackles, guards, fullbacks, anybody. Cody (has) shown me little things. He had nine forced fumbles his senior or junior year. I'm just trusting the moves and everything he's teaching me."

ON IF CODY IS HAPPY HE WATCHES HIS HIGHLIGHTS:

"Yeah, I talk trash to him. I'll tell him they're lowlights instead of highlights."

ON HOW MENTALLY PREPARED HE IS FOR THIS SEASON:

"I'm excited. Ready to get things under way. Sophomore year. New era here. New coaches, new staff. New purpose really, for me. I have a lot to prove still, I want to set myself up for my future. I've got a chip on my shoulder this year so I just want to go out there and play the best I can and put myself on the map. As well as my team."

ON WHY HE HAS A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER:

"I just feel like I've got to, I want to do big things. I expect a lot from myself so I just want to be able to please myself. And I know I have to have a big time reason. Keep telling myself, something in the back of my mind that tells me, 'Go get what you want to accomplish, what you set out to get.' I just want to please myself. Self motivation."

ON GREG STROMAN:

"Stro(man) is ready. He's made a lot of strides from last year to this year. I think he's had more time to settle in the position. He's made a lot of plays throughout spring and throughout camp. There's a lot of times, you know, last year, he'll be there sometimes but he wouldn't quite make it. But this year, G-Stro's had a big time. I know he's ready mentally and physically for this year. I think as well as I do, he, too, has a chip on his shoulder. (He) wants to prove a lot to family, teammates, coaches. I'm expecting big things from him. I know he expects big things from himself."

Greg Stroman

ON A FRIEND HE HAS ON THE LIBERTY OFFENSE:

"Yeah, I know him from back home."

ON IF HE LOOKS FORWARD TO MATCHING UP AGAINST HIM:

"I just feel like it's another game. I'm not really looking at him too much, I'm looking at beating Liberty."

ON WHERE THE FRIENDSHIP COMES FROM:

"We didn't go to school together, I just know him from being around home."

ON HAVING THE CHANCE TO START AGAINST LIBERTY AT CORNER:

"Very (happy). I just want to show what I have and what I want to do to help my team."

ON IF HE HAS MADE STRIDES IN HIS PLAY:

"Yes. I feel like I'm finishing plays. That's just what you've got to do in the game."

ON THE DIFFERENCE IN PUNT VS. KICK RETURN:

"Not too much. You have a little more time (in kick return). I don't think there's too much difference. Just gotta get to the end zone at the end of the day."

ON IF HE FEELS BETTER ABOUT RETURNING KICKS:

"I just think having confidence in the guys in front of you. I know they go hard. They work hard. I've got tons of confidence in them that they'll spring me."

ON WHO IS COACHING KICK RETURNS:

"Coach (Galen) Scott."

ON IF HE SETS GOALS FOR RETURN TOUCHDOWNS:

"Every time I touch (the ball), I expect to get to the house."

ON IF HE WANTS TO WEAR THE NO. 25 JERSEY:

"It would be an honor to wear that. I'd love it."

Chris Cunningham