Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 11 No. 1 | August 2018

inside.hokiesports.com 19 Offensive line– Surprised at this, eh? Well, Tech’s offensive line this season features a combination of size, power and depth, led by senior starters Kyle Chung, Yosuah Nijman and Braxton Pfaff. Those three rank among the best in the ACC at their respective positions. Also, D’Andre Plantin could be a star in the making, and 315-pound freshman left tackle Silas Dzansi may be as well. Tech loses little in terms of quality when Zachariah Hoyt, Austin Cannon or Tyrell Smith enter the game. The Hokies averaged 173 yards rushing per game in 2017 and figure to exceed that this season. Defensive line– Any group with Ricky Walker will be good, as the redshirt senior earned honorable mention All-ACC honors after recording 4.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for a loss in 2017. Vinny Mihota adds a dependable, veteran presence at tackle, while Trevon Hill possesses the potential to record 10 sacks this season. Houshun Gaines played very well at the end of last season as well. Watch out for young ends Emmanuel Belmar, Zion Debose, TyJuan Garbutt and Nathan Proctor. Tech’s staff loves this group. Quarterbacks– Tech’s staff really has the quarterback depth chart lined up perfectly. Josh Jackson returns after a nice season in 2017, and Ryan Willis provides collegiate experience, having played two seasons at Kansas. Hendon Hooker just finished his second spring practice and possesses potential, and the staff brought in two touted prospects inQuincy Patterson II and DeJuan Ellis. After a season in offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen’s system, Jackson could be primed for a big fall. Free safety/rover– The Hokies return three quality players at these two spots in Reggie Floyd, Khalil Ladler and Divine Deablo. Floyd, the only non-defensive line returning starter on defense, finished third on the team a year ago with 72 tackles and three interceptions, and his leadership is crucial to this defense. Ladler played well at the end of last season, and his versatility allows him to play multiple spots. Deablo figures to be 100 percent after missing much of last season and spring practice with an injury. His potential is immense and much needed on this young defense. 1 1 2 2 3 3 5 5 4 4 Top Five Strongest Position Groups Top Five Games Oct. 6 vs. Notre Dame– The Irish will be making their first visit to Blacksburg and certainly looking for revenge after the Hokies rallied to beat them in South Bend two years ago. Notre Dame features an explosive quarterback in Brandon Wimbush and a defense with a lot of experience—six of the Irish’s top eight defensive linemen in 2017 return, along with four of the top six linebackers and the entire secondary. The Irish open with four of their first five games at home before traveling to Blacksburg. Win those and they could be in the top five. Regardless, expect Enter Sandman to be thumping. Sept. 3 at Florida State– Tech last won in Tallahassee in 1974, and now squares off against a talented Florida State squad under a new head coach on Labor Day night. The Hokies’ Justin Fuente and FSU’s Willie Taggert, the former Oregon head coach hired to replace Jimbo Fisher, renew acquaintances, as the two faced each other when Fuente coached at Memphis and Taggert at South Florida. The Seminoles feature an incredible tailback in Cam Akers, and Taggert knows how to find success in the running game—Oregon ranked 12th nationally in rushing a year ago—so the Hokies’ young defense will be tested. Tech’s offense needs to play well against an FSU defense that returns just three starters. Oct. 25 vs. Georgia Tech– The Hokies need to find a way to beat the Yellow Jackets, who have won two straight against Virginia Tech. The Hokies missed on some opportunities in Atlanta last season and gave up too many big plays. Georgia Tech returns nine starters on offense, led by quarterback TaQuon Marshall, who rushed for 1,146 yards in the Yellow Jackets’ option attack in 2017. The Yellow Jackets have a new defensive coordinator and a lot of new faces on defense, so the Hokies’ offense needs to take advantage in this one as well. Nov. 10 at Pittsburgh– Tech won a close one in Pittsburgh two seasons ago, and another close one against the Panthers last season, using a goal-line stand to hold off Pittsburgh in what is becoming a nice series. Kenny Pickett leads the Panthers as the quarterback after playing well late in the season as a true freshman, and Pittsburgh’s offense features some nice backs. On defense, Pittsburgh possesses one of the best group of linebackers in the ACC, but needs to replace a ton of personnel in the secondary. Both Tech and Pittsburgh built reputations on being physical, and this game should be no different than the others—a slugfest. Nov. 17 vs. Miami – The road to a Coastal Division title probably requires beating the ’Canes at Lane Stadium. Miami boasts numerous talented skill players on offense and also returns inconsistent quarterback Malik Rosier, who finds himself in a preseason battle for his job. On defense, Miami’s back seven should be very good. Tech hurt itself with four second-half turnovers in last year’s matchup in Coral Gables and will be looking to return the favor against a Miami squad that projects to be favored in every game this season. Wide receivers– The Hokies need to stay healthy at the receiver positions, but there certainly is a lot to like about this group. They bring size, with taller receivers like Eric Kumah, Damon Hazelton, Phil Patterson and Hezekiah Grimsley, and they possess speed, especially in the form of Sean Savoy. A healthy C.J. Carroll gives Tech experience, as Carroll is the only senior of the group. The Hokies’ receivers struggled at times last year because of injuries and inexperience, and the group lacked a playmaker outside of Cam Phillips, but hopefully that changes this season. Keep an eye on Hazelton—he certainly looks the part. Continued on page 20 Kyle Chung