Sorting Through New Pieces of the Defensive Puzzle

I started writing about the X's and O's around Virginia Tech football following the Orange Bowl loss to Stanford in 2011. Since that time, despite advances in technology and a demand by the paying audience for more access, at no point has there been less access to offseason information about the football program than the present. The lack of spring game film made offseason assessment next to impossible, and questions abound about the schematic changes of new staffers: offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery, defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes, and offensive line coach Matt Moore.

There is also renewed hope. Virginia Tech was very active in the transfer portal, addressing significant weaknesses on offensive line and safety while rebuilding a defensive line that lost two difference makers. Jarrett Ferguson brought back Mike Gentry's strength training methodologies and work ethic that were a staple of the Hokies' initial success in the 1990s. Will the "reboot," as head coach Brent Pry called it, be enough to turn around a program that is floundering in modern college football?

Here is my stab at unwrapping the mystery on the defensive side of the football.

Pieces of the Puzzle: Reshaping the Defensive Line

The strength of Virginia Tech's defense last season was the d-line, and it once appeared to be a year of transition for that group. Tech lost Antwaun Powell-Ryland and one of the best defensive tackles in its history, Aeneas Peebles, to the draft, while steady veteran Wilfried Pene exhausted his eligibility. There were other signs of schematic transition. As I noted in my scheme analysis of Siefkes' previous stops, he used an odd front wherever he has gone. This represented a potential radical shift from the even front, one-gap philosophy that the Hokies have utilized since Phil Elmassian was the defensive coordinator in the early 90s. I speculated that transfers Ben Bell and James Djonkam are perfectly tailored as hybrid edge defenders in the type of system Siefkes coached elsewhere in his journey. Then, in the spring game, feedback was that the Hokies utilized an even front, four-man defensive line.

While it's unclear how the Hokies will line up defensively, a look at the roster changes indicates that Siefkes will continue to put a premium on quick, penetrating defenders who can get into a gap and cause disruption. One thing the Hokies have are lots of bodies at the defensive tackle spot. Returning inexperienced defensive tackles Emmett Laws and Kemari Copeland both flashed ability to shoot gaps in their respective high school and junior college films, and Laws made some plays in the bowl game against Minnesota. Kelvin Gilliam returns as a steady anchor, while FCS transfer Arias Nash (SR 6-0 278), who had an excellent game against Alabama last season, was not mentioned much in media encounters during the spring, and Gerard Johnson didn't look out of place in limited snaps versus the Gophers. Jahzari Priester provides the Hokies a massive project defensive tackle after not putting up any defensive statistics with Hampton, while Andrew Hanchuk continues to work back from a knee injury suffered in high school. Christian Evans rounds out the group as a true freshman, who given the numbers, will likely use the season for development.

The defensive end room is also full of bodies. Bell is a proven pass rushing commodity, but he's a bit one-dimensional, and needs protection inside from his defensive tackles and linebackers to roam free on the edge. Keyshawn Burgos has provided reliable depth at defensive end, but he needs to take a big step forward as a playmaker to evolve. If he does, I expect Djonkam to spell him as the field-side edge and move around a bit depending on the situation. It is worth noting that Djonkam was one of the most productive middle linebackers in G5 football, so I still wouldn't shock me if we saw him at MIKE despite all the talk about being a full-time edge in the spring. Aycen Stevens was better than expected against the run last season, but isn't a pass rushing threat.

I think the breakout candidate on the edge is Jason Abbey. While he has received limited snaps, every time he steps on the field he flashes a natural twitch and edge speed that screams playmaker. On top of a handful of garbage time sacks over the last two seasons, Abbey also showed he can make plays in the run game.