Detailed notes from yesterdays scrimmage
- Thread starter VTHokie1001K
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Thanks.
I wonder if talent can overcome lack of experience for Nijman as he sounds like a diamond in the rough.
I wonder if talent can overcome lack of experience for Nijman as he sounds like a diamond in the rough.
Sounds like arriving over winter after prepping at Fork Union (as a D-lineman) has done him the world of good. He still needs to put some weight on though.
i think he will definitely play this year, the question is does he start. He is working on his weight. From 260 to 280 at this point but he will get it there. Remember he came in as a DT and that's why his weight is low. I think he can carry a lot more weight and still look tough.
Andy Bitter wrote a good article this week on the freshmen and who he thinks will play.
Which Hokies true freshmen might play this year? Here's a best guess
Virginia Tech will hold its second and likely last open scrimmage today at 3:15 in Lane Stadium, so if you want to see the Hokies in action before the season, this is probably your final opportunity.
Alas, I will not be there, having taken this weekend as an opportunity to get back to Minnesota for one last gasp of summer. I'm sure plenty of media folks will be tweeting what's going on at the scrimmage. (There are no interviews afterward.) I'll try to aggregate some of the best info tomorrow on the Sunday links.
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
But I'd be a slacker if I didn't give you something to read on the blog today. So here are two things:
1. My story in today's paper summing up the linebacker situation. If there's a question anywhere on this defense, this group is it.
2. Today's scrimmage will probably be important in determining which true freshmen could play this year, since Tech will really get into game prep mode next week. As such, here's what I'm thinking as to which true freshmen could contribute this season.
Will definitely play
ROV Adonis Alexander: He's been moved to rover, but he got an early start by enrolling in the winter and is high enough on the depth chart (second team behind Desmond Frye) that you'd expect him to have a role, certainly if Tech wants him to push for a starting job fairly early in his career. Guys with his physical skills usually find a role on special teams regardless.
LT Yosuah Nijman: He's young. He's raw on the o-line. But he's got incredible potential, and Tech's not deep at left tackle, so Stacy Searels seems intent on accelerating his development by getting him in action now. It's inevitable that someone will get nicked up on the line this year, so the Hokies need their backups ready to go.
CB Mook Reynolds: Another one of the young bucks in the secondary, he had a good spring after enrolling early and is the backup to Greg Stroman at nickelback. Bud Foster talked as far back as signing day about Reynolds possibly following the Kyle Fuller path to the field, starting at nickel and expanding his role over time.
Wild cards
DT Tim Settle: I've created a special category for the next two players, because I think they're talented enough to play. The question is whether there's a viable role for them that makes it worth it to use a year. Settle's huge and quick, although his technique needs work. The issue is tackle is the deepest position on the team. Would the Hokies want to burn a redshirt on someone who would have an extremely niche role? We shall see.
QB Dwayne Lawson: Physically, he's how you'd build a quarterback in the lab, standing 6-foot-6, 222 pounds and getting bigger. He glides when he runs, a smooth athlete who was a track champion in high school. He's got the tools to contribute in some way this year, even if his decision-making skills are why at times he's going to look like a freshman quarterback. Everyone goes through it. Could he have a package? Wouldn't surprise me. Could he supplant Brenden Motley as a Wildcat option? Again, I would not be shocked.
If I had to guess, yes
LB Tremaine Edmunds: Foster loves his potential, even if right now he's buried fairly deep on the depth chart. You don't get many 6-foot-5 guys who can run like this. A special teams role at least seems in the cards.
CB DuWayne Johnson: He's a little further behind Alexander and Reynolds in the pecking order, simply because he didn't have the advantage of going through spring ball. But Tech uses a lot of DBs. And he's another one that, at least initially, was on the two-deep.
TE Xavier Burke: Tech has a lot of tight ends, with Ryan Malleck, Bucky Hodges and Kalvin Cline, but Burke's more of a traditional tight end that the latter two. He's 264 pounds and could add some bulk in jumbo situations, which is what he was doing in the spring.
RB Coleman Fox: As a running back, I can't envision a role for him. But he's among the most versatile players in this class. Frank Beamer talked earlier about him possibly finding a role on special teams early as a way to play this year. A spot on the coverage teams wouldn't surprise me at all.
LB Carson Lydon: If this was May, I would have said he'd definitely play. But now he's behind Sean Huelksamp on the depth chart at mike. Still, he arrived early last offseason for a reason. I keep going back to this, but special teams is always looking for players with good size who can run and tackle. That fits the bill for Lydon.
If I had to guess, no
RB Deshawn McClease: He showed some real agility in the first scrimmage, making players miss quite a bit. But he's at a position with plenty of depth, and a lot of the things he might be able to contribute on special teams seem like they're already covered by Travon McMillian.
DE Darius Fullwood and Houshun Gaines: I'll combine these two because I think they're in the same boat. Tech's not blessed with a ton of experience at defensive end, but Vinny Mihota's emergence allows the coaches to bring these guys along more slowly. An injury or two there, though, and it wouldn't shock me if either played.
OL Tyrell Smith: Another guy who enrolled in January, Smith's been slotted some at center, where he had some snapping issues in the spring. He didn't have a history there. If Kyle Chung can't get healthy, that changes the equation. But right now, a redshirt seems likely.
All but certainly a redshirt
DE Trevon Hill: He tore his ACL last March. Otherwise you might be seeing him compete for reps right now.
TE Chris Cunningham: He's more of the H-back type than a typical tight end, but the Hokies have guys like Bucky Hodges and Sam Rogers who have that role pretty well locked down.
DT Harry Lewis: If a guy like Settle might not get on the field, then Lewis won't. Defensive tackle is loaded right now.
OL D'Andre Plantin: Freshmen linemen coming straight from high school rarely play. Seems like a year of seasoning would help his cause.
S Jahque Alleyne: He just got here after clearing up some final things with his academics. That puts him even further behind than most freshmen.
OL Austin Clark: He enrolled early to try to get a jump on this season, but he didn't really make a move in the spring. The fact that he couldn't dent that situation at one of the tackle spots tells me a redshirt is in his future.
Which Hokies true freshmen might play this year? Here's a best guess
Alas, I will not be there, having taken this weekend as an opportunity to get back to Minnesota for one last gasp of summer. I'm sure plenty of media folks will be tweeting what's going on at the scrimmage. (There are no interviews afterward.) I'll try to aggregate some of the best info tomorrow on the Sunday links.
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
But I'd be a slacker if I didn't give you something to read on the blog today. So here are two things:
1. My story in today's paper summing up the linebacker situation. If there's a question anywhere on this defense, this group is it.
2. Today's scrimmage will probably be important in determining which true freshmen could play this year, since Tech will really get into game prep mode next week. As such, here's what I'm thinking as to which true freshmen could contribute this season.
Will definitely play
ROV Adonis Alexander: He's been moved to rover, but he got an early start by enrolling in the winter and is high enough on the depth chart (second team behind Desmond Frye) that you'd expect him to have a role, certainly if Tech wants him to push for a starting job fairly early in his career. Guys with his physical skills usually find a role on special teams regardless.
LT Yosuah Nijman: He's young. He's raw on the o-line. But he's got incredible potential, and Tech's not deep at left tackle, so Stacy Searels seems intent on accelerating his development by getting him in action now. It's inevitable that someone will get nicked up on the line this year, so the Hokies need their backups ready to go.
CB Mook Reynolds: Another one of the young bucks in the secondary, he had a good spring after enrolling early and is the backup to Greg Stroman at nickelback. Bud Foster talked as far back as signing day about Reynolds possibly following the Kyle Fuller path to the field, starting at nickel and expanding his role over time.
Wild cards
DT Tim Settle: I've created a special category for the next two players, because I think they're talented enough to play. The question is whether there's a viable role for them that makes it worth it to use a year. Settle's huge and quick, although his technique needs work. The issue is tackle is the deepest position on the team. Would the Hokies want to burn a redshirt on someone who would have an extremely niche role? We shall see.
QB Dwayne Lawson: Physically, he's how you'd build a quarterback in the lab, standing 6-foot-6, 222 pounds and getting bigger. He glides when he runs, a smooth athlete who was a track champion in high school. He's got the tools to contribute in some way this year, even if his decision-making skills are why at times he's going to look like a freshman quarterback. Everyone goes through it. Could he have a package? Wouldn't surprise me. Could he supplant Brenden Motley as a Wildcat option? Again, I would not be shocked.
If I had to guess, yes
LB Tremaine Edmunds: Foster loves his potential, even if right now he's buried fairly deep on the depth chart. You don't get many 6-foot-5 guys who can run like this. A special teams role at least seems in the cards.
CB DuWayne Johnson: He's a little further behind Alexander and Reynolds in the pecking order, simply because he didn't have the advantage of going through spring ball. But Tech uses a lot of DBs. And he's another one that, at least initially, was on the two-deep.
TE Xavier Burke: Tech has a lot of tight ends, with Ryan Malleck, Bucky Hodges and Kalvin Cline, but Burke's more of a traditional tight end that the latter two. He's 264 pounds and could add some bulk in jumbo situations, which is what he was doing in the spring.
RB Coleman Fox: As a running back, I can't envision a role for him. But he's among the most versatile players in this class. Frank Beamer talked earlier about him possibly finding a role on special teams early as a way to play this year. A spot on the coverage teams wouldn't surprise me at all.
LB Carson Lydon: If this was May, I would have said he'd definitely play. But now he's behind Sean Huelksamp on the depth chart at mike. Still, he arrived early last offseason for a reason. I keep going back to this, but special teams is always looking for players with good size who can run and tackle. That fits the bill for Lydon.
If I had to guess, no
RB Deshawn McClease: He showed some real agility in the first scrimmage, making players miss quite a bit. But he's at a position with plenty of depth, and a lot of the things he might be able to contribute on special teams seem like they're already covered by Travon McMillian.
DE Darius Fullwood and Houshun Gaines: I'll combine these two because I think they're in the same boat. Tech's not blessed with a ton of experience at defensive end, but Vinny Mihota's emergence allows the coaches to bring these guys along more slowly. An injury or two there, though, and it wouldn't shock me if either played.
OL Tyrell Smith: Another guy who enrolled in January, Smith's been slotted some at center, where he had some snapping issues in the spring. He didn't have a history there. If Kyle Chung can't get healthy, that changes the equation. But right now, a redshirt seems likely.
All but certainly a redshirt
DE Trevon Hill: He tore his ACL last March. Otherwise you might be seeing him compete for reps right now.
TE Chris Cunningham: He's more of the H-back type than a typical tight end, but the Hokies have guys like Bucky Hodges and Sam Rogers who have that role pretty well locked down.
DT Harry Lewis: If a guy like Settle might not get on the field, then Lewis won't. Defensive tackle is loaded right now.
OL D'Andre Plantin: Freshmen linemen coming straight from high school rarely play. Seems like a year of seasoning would help his cause.
S Jahque Alleyne: He just got here after clearing up some final things with his academics. That puts him even further behind than most freshmen.
OL Austin Clark: He enrolled early to try to get a jump on this season, but he didn't really make a move in the spring. The fact that he couldn't dent that situation at one of the tackle spots tells me a redshirt is in his future.
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