Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 9 No. 1 | August 2016

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FREE SAFETIES
19 Chuck Clark (6-0, 205, Sr.)
23 Der’Woun Greene (5-10, 196, r-Sr.)
20 Deon Newsome (5-11, 193, r-Jr.)
ROVERS
17 Jahque Alleyne (6-1, 177, So.)
22 Terrell Edmunds (6-2, 210, r-So.)
36 Alden Carpenter (6-0, 189, Jr.)
NICKEL BACKS/WHIPS
6 Mook Reynolds (6-0, 183, So.)
18 Raymon Minor (6-2, 231, r-So.)
24 Anthony Shegog (6-2, 213, r-Jr.)
37 Johnathan Galante (5-9, 208, Sr.)
AUGUST, 2016 (In numerical order)
VIRGINIA TECH
SAFETIES, ROVERS,
AND NICKEL BACKS
Returning starters: Clark (26 career starts),
Edmunds (eight career starts at cornerback)
Starters lost: none
Projected new starter: Edmunds
Top reserves: Der’Woun Greene,
Jahque Alleyne
Newcomer: Deon Newsome
Breakout candidate: Edmunds
Notes: Tech’s safeties/rovers combined for one
interception last season (Clark vs. UVA) …Clark
has started 23 straight games … Clark is one
of just two returning players on defense who
started every game in 2015 (Ken Ekanem) …
Clark’s 107 tackles were the most by a Tech
defensive back since 2003 … Clark’s eight
pass breakups in 2015 ranked second on the
team, while Edmunds’ seven ranked third …
Edmunds’ eight starts tied for the most by a
Tech freshman last season (Adonis Alexander)
… Shegog started the final five games of last
season, recording 26 of his 29 tackles during
that span … Reynolds and Alleyne were two
of three true freshman defensive backs to see
action last season (Alexander).
A QUICK GLANCE
Scott also coaches the nickel back/whip
linebacker position—a spot that has become
more important in Tech’s scheme, as the
Hokies went with five defensive backs most of
the time last season. Four players, including
Mook Reynolds, Anthony Shegog, Raymon
Minor, and Johnathan Galante worked at
that spot this past spring.
Reynolds played in all 13 games as a true
freshman last season, starting two of them.
He finished with 30 tackles, including four
for a loss. Shegog played very well down the
stretch last season and he had 29 tackles and
two pass breakups.
Those two possess the versatility to play
multiple positions, but Foster and Scott
kept all the secondary players in the same
spots this spring. That enabled players to get
important reps and learn the expectations
of their positions rather than trying to learn
multiple positions. The juggling around in
the secondary last fall after Kendall Fuller’s
injury led to some of the inconsistent
play—though don’t tell Edmunds that.
“I wouldn’t say it was the shuffling,” he
said. “Coach Foster and Coach Gray put us
in the spots that they thought were best for
us. We just have to make the plays when they
are there.”
Edmunds plans on doing his best to make
those plays. He joked that he will make more
tackles than his younger brother, Tremaine,
who plays the backer position and lines up on
the same side as him.
Joking aside, he loves the rover spot and
plans on living up to the tradition of the
position. That, he hopes, goes a long way
toward returning the secondary back to its
standard of excellent play.
“I’m very excited,” Edmunds said. “I’m
ready to get back to the old ‘DBU’ [defensive
backs university] and to the lunch pail
defense because, in the last couple of years,
people might say we’ve fallen off and I don’t
believe that’s true. I was on Twitter and saw
some polls and we’re the No. 50 defensive
unit in the nation or something like that and I
just think that’s down for us.
“We’re way better than that. I don’t think
we’re No. 50. I think we’re No. 1. I don’t think
there is another defensive back corps better
than ours.”