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Inside Hokie Sports
2016
QUARTERBACKS
4
Jérod Evans
(6-4, 238, Jr.)
9
Brenden Motley
(6-4, 230, r-Sr.)
11
Jack Click
(6-3, 218, r-Fr.)
17
Josh Jackson
(6-1, 211, Fr.)
AUGUST, 2016
(In numerical order)
VIRGINIA TECH
QUARTERBACKS
Nothing has come easy for Brenden
Motley since he arrived at Virginia Tech from
neighboring Christiansburg four years ago.
He spent much of his first four years behind
Logan Thomas and then Michael Brewer,
waiting for his opportunity. He’s dealt with
nagging injuries. Then Frank Beamer retired,
ushering in a new coaching staff that forced all
players, even veterans like Motley, to learn a
new system and prove themselves once again.
As Motley enters his final fall, he finds
himself fighting to be the starting quarterback.
This spring, all five quarterbacks on the depth
chart got an even number of repetitions
through the first half of spring practice,
but Motley and Jérod Evans separated
themselves.
Now, the two of them are continuing the
competition heading into the Sept. 3 opener
against Liberty.
“I’ve always had to fight for something I
want,” Motley said. “Competition is a good
thing, too. There is competition all over the
place—it’s not just at quarterback. It’s making
everyone on the field better. Having someone
to push you or you pushing somebody … it
makes the people around you so much better.
“We all have one goal—I don’t want to see
you fail and my teammates don’t want to see
me fail. We all want to keep lifting each other
up when something goes wrong. We know
what we’re working for, so we’re ready to go.”
Motley—who graduated in May and is
working on a second degree—has the edge
in terms of experience. He started six games
a year ago when Brewer went down with an
injury and the Hokies went 3-3 in those games.
For the season, he threw for 1,155 yards and 11
touchdowns, with seven interceptions.
Evans came to Tech last January after
spending the season at Trinity Valley
Community College in Texas. He threw for
nearly 400 yards per game and 38 touchdown
passes.
Both spent the spring learning the offense
of new head coach Justin Fuente and his
offensive coordinator, Brad Cornelsen. Motley
said the transition wasn’t too difficult.
“Football is football,” he said. “You’ve got
the same stuff in every offense. It’s all about
how you get to it, how you line up in it, how
you want to expose the defense … all those
things. But football is football. It’s different
terminology and the coaches are coaching it a
different way. That’s really the big difference.
“I love it [Fuente’s offense]. It’s fast-paced.
You get an opportunity to make some plays.
You get an opportunity every drive and that’s
what it comes down to—making plays. That’s
what the offense is allowing us to do. I’m
excited about it. I love it.”
In addition to quality quarterback play,
Fuente wants to see some leadership. As one
of just 10 seniors, Motley plans on giving him
just that.
Obviously, that means leading by example,
but it also means holding younger players
accountable. In addition, it means not being
afraid to be held accountable.
Motley isn’t afraid to do either one.
“I’ve gained a lot of trust from the guys
in the locker room and I appreciate that,”
he said. “I’m not the huge ‘rah-rah’ guy, but
when I feel like I need to say something, I’m
going to step in and say it. Or if I feel I need
to correct something that someone else is
doing, I’m going to step in and do it. They
also know that if I’m doing something wrong,
or if they notice something that they don’t
like about what I’m doing, then I encourage
them to come and say something to me.
“I’m not above any of them. We’re all the
same. We’re one team and we have one goal.”
For the Hokies, that goal is winning the
ACC’s Coastal Division and advancing to the
ACC title game—something they haven’t
done since 2011. It figures to be a tall order,
though, with a new coaching staff, only 10
seniors and a difficult schedule.
But this team isn’t using those as excuses.
“Expectations never change,” Motley said.
“We may have new faces, but the expectations
don’t change. We don’t come into any season
hoping to finish subpar. Expectations are
always high.
“We’re not coming into the season trying
to get third in the ACC, or second. We want
ACC championships. We want the possibility
of going to the playoffs and the national
championship is on everyone’s minds, or
otherwise, they wouldn’t be here. Faces
change, but expectations never do.”
Returning starter:
none
Starter lost:
Michael Brewer (20 career starts)
Projected new starters:
Brenden Motley
(six career starts) or Jérod Evans
Top reserves:
Dwayne Lawson, Josh Jackson,
Jack Click
Newcomers:
Jackson, Click
Breakout candidate:
Motley
Notes:
Motley did not play in the final three
games of last season … Motley led the Hokies
in passing yardage last year until the final
game of the regular season … Motley ranked
seventh in the ACC in pass efficiency (128.9)
and eighth in yards per completion (12.6) …
In addition to throwing for 1,155 yards, Motley
rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns
… Six of Motley’s 11 touchdown passes last
season went to Isaiah Ford … Despite playing
in just 10 games, Motley finished third on the
team in rushing and tied for second in rushing
touchdowns.
A QUICK GLANCE
BRENDEN
MOTLEY
Motley ready
to
resume
competition at
QUARTERBACK
by
Jimmy Robertson
