I want to preface this by saying there's not going to be much groundbreaking stuff to reveal here. I wasn't given information about any specific plays (the folks I talked to wouldn't know or care unless those specific plays came from specific players), but more vibes-based.
The quarterback competition remains the same. I assume we're going to get the official word about a starter from Pry and Bowen when they speak to the media at 6:45, and that the starter for the opening game is going to be Grant Wells. I know that's not going to be exciting for many fans (though I'm less worried about it), but the reality is that his comfort in the offense is much stronger than Kyron Drones's - for good reason, of course - and he has the arm to also make the big plays. Drones has too much of a boom-or-bust quality at this stage, whereas Well's floor is much higher, and the ceiling not appreciably lower (except in the run game, where the QBs take extremely limited contact in camp).
The injury situation has been clearing up. They probably aren't getting as many full-go reps as the coaches would like, but there's been participation from guys like Bhayshul Tuten and DaeQuan Wright to the extent that they're not missing the mental reps, and getting back into the swing of things physically. Malachi Thomas has been heavily-used throughout camp, but if Tuten's back to 100% in a week and a half, he should have the comfort to go.
The surprise (at least for me) has come at WR, where Ali Jennings and Jaylin Lane are expected starters... but fellow incoming transfer Da'Quan Felton has been making a case for a starting gig. His initial explosiveness is not the best at the position group, but Pry and Mines have not been joking around when talking about his catch radius. His size can mean he's open even when he's not open, and that's something VT can really use - it was the one area where Kaleb Smith was really helpful last year (and as I've said a number of times, Smith would've been a great No. 2 or No. 3 option, and his struggles as a No. 1 were somewhat a matter of poor circumstance: even if the reality ends up being that he just wasn't good enough for the role he was cast into, it's not his fault that was the role). The other surprise has been Da'Wain Lofton, who's one of the guys looking like a starting spot saw a guy transfer in over him... but he's not going down without a fight. It remains to be seen if his dropsies resume in live action, but they've been less of an issue in camp than expected.
Offensive line is still looking for that one starter - at guard - and it seems like the staff is doing what they can to find a guy to fill it, rather than go with Bob Schick. Similar to Smith last year, Schick would be good in a certain role (and it's the role he coincidentally had last year: backup at multiple positions), but the one that is available might be a bridge too far for him. It feels like the coaches would rather try a number of young guys and ride through the growing pains - and if one of those guys doesn't win the job, they can at least use the experience of competing for it to improve as a backup option - and build for the future. Alas, no body has been able to do it. Schick got starters reps and is expected to start, at least for the opener.
The other position of question is linebacker. My take is that Alan Tisdale is perhaps the best of the ILB options... but that might make him too valuable to start at either of them. He can be a really good backup at two spots, or step into one or the other in case of injury, etc. Keli Lawson has been getting starters' reps at WLB, and Jaden Keller at MLB. It's totally possible that when the lights come on, we see that Tisdale seizes one of the starting gigs, and the rotation right now is to see which of Lawson or Keller is going to be too tough to take off the field (with Tisdale supplanting the other). Either way, there's been enough development that the Hokies have multiple options at multiple linebacker positions... with Tisdale often representing the "multiple."
On special teams, the staff is impressed with Kyle Lowe's leg, and they wanted to use the scrimmage on Saturday to give a little bit of game pressure to see if he can do it under a bit of mental/emotional stress. I got conflicting reports about how well it went, but I think with both Lowe and John Love available this Fall, there's going to be a bit of rotation (or situational use) across the kicking game.
The quarterback competition remains the same. I assume we're going to get the official word about a starter from Pry and Bowen when they speak to the media at 6:45, and that the starter for the opening game is going to be Grant Wells. I know that's not going to be exciting for many fans (though I'm less worried about it), but the reality is that his comfort in the offense is much stronger than Kyron Drones's - for good reason, of course - and he has the arm to also make the big plays. Drones has too much of a boom-or-bust quality at this stage, whereas Well's floor is much higher, and the ceiling not appreciably lower (except in the run game, where the QBs take extremely limited contact in camp).
The injury situation has been clearing up. They probably aren't getting as many full-go reps as the coaches would like, but there's been participation from guys like Bhayshul Tuten and DaeQuan Wright to the extent that they're not missing the mental reps, and getting back into the swing of things physically. Malachi Thomas has been heavily-used throughout camp, but if Tuten's back to 100% in a week and a half, he should have the comfort to go.
The surprise (at least for me) has come at WR, where Ali Jennings and Jaylin Lane are expected starters... but fellow incoming transfer Da'Quan Felton has been making a case for a starting gig. His initial explosiveness is not the best at the position group, but Pry and Mines have not been joking around when talking about his catch radius. His size can mean he's open even when he's not open, and that's something VT can really use - it was the one area where Kaleb Smith was really helpful last year (and as I've said a number of times, Smith would've been a great No. 2 or No. 3 option, and his struggles as a No. 1 were somewhat a matter of poor circumstance: even if the reality ends up being that he just wasn't good enough for the role he was cast into, it's not his fault that was the role). The other surprise has been Da'Wain Lofton, who's one of the guys looking like a starting spot saw a guy transfer in over him... but he's not going down without a fight. It remains to be seen if his dropsies resume in live action, but they've been less of an issue in camp than expected.
Offensive line is still looking for that one starter - at guard - and it seems like the staff is doing what they can to find a guy to fill it, rather than go with Bob Schick. Similar to Smith last year, Schick would be good in a certain role (and it's the role he coincidentally had last year: backup at multiple positions), but the one that is available might be a bridge too far for him. It feels like the coaches would rather try a number of young guys and ride through the growing pains - and if one of those guys doesn't win the job, they can at least use the experience of competing for it to improve as a backup option - and build for the future. Alas, no body has been able to do it. Schick got starters reps and is expected to start, at least for the opener.
The other position of question is linebacker. My take is that Alan Tisdale is perhaps the best of the ILB options... but that might make him too valuable to start at either of them. He can be a really good backup at two spots, or step into one or the other in case of injury, etc. Keli Lawson has been getting starters' reps at WLB, and Jaden Keller at MLB. It's totally possible that when the lights come on, we see that Tisdale seizes one of the starting gigs, and the rotation right now is to see which of Lawson or Keller is going to be too tough to take off the field (with Tisdale supplanting the other). Either way, there's been enough development that the Hokies have multiple options at multiple linebacker positions... with Tisdale often representing the "multiple."
On special teams, the staff is impressed with Kyle Lowe's leg, and they wanted to use the scrimmage on Saturday to give a little bit of game pressure to see if he can do it under a bit of mental/emotional stress. I got conflicting reports about how well it went, but I think with both Lowe and John Love available this Fall, there's going to be a bit of rotation (or situational use) across the kicking game.
