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

inside.hokiesports.com 25 Prime Rib • Steaks • Seafood • Outdoor Courtyard • Private Dining “The Farmhouse... Dining Here for 30 Years.” – Coach Frank Beamer 285 Ridinger Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 thefarmhousechristiansburg.com (540) 251-7600 Kitty Newton Photo – KitKatNewt1@gmail.com playing right tackle was a bit of a challenge for me, but I’m getting more acquainted to the position.” Nijman’s move was one of several made by Vice in the offseason. He took Chung and moved him from right tackle to center to replace Gallo, and he moved Plantin to left guard to replace Teller. He also worked Dzansi with the first team instead of a couple of more experienced players. For sure, Dzansi gives the Hokies some size at 6-5, 315 pounds, but he also provides more than that. “I believe that Vice trusts him, and Vice has high expectations for Silas,” Nijman said. “So do I, honestly. I think he is going to be a really good player. He has long arms, big feet, and he’s really athletic at the age of 18 or 19. When I look at him, I kind of see myself when I was young. I feel like he is a bit further along than I was. We all believe in him. At the end of the day, Vice is going to put out there who he believes should be out there.” Tech came out of spring with a first-team unit of Dzansi at left tackle, Plantin at left guard, Chung at center, Pfaff at right guard and Nijman at right tackle. Those in the mix as second-team guys included Zachariah Hoyt at center, guards Austin Cannon and Lecitus Smith and tackles Tyrell Smith and Christian Darrisaw. Of course, one never really knows, as Vice often moves guys around on the line in an attempt to build depth. “That keeps us on our toes, honestly,” Nijman said. “We all need to show versatility. If we have dreams of playing at the next level, you need to be versatile. You need to be able to play multiple positions. I think that’s good. That’s why, for me, I don’t have a problem playing right tackle. I think it’s good. I can play left and right if I need to.” The Hokies entered August practices with 25 offensive linemen on the roster, including six true freshmen, and most of the group possess the potential to help the Hokies either this season or down the road. Nijman expects both the first- and second-team lines to contribute this season and lead the way for an offense that the coaching staff wants to see become more explosive. QUICK FACTS ON TECH’S OL Returning starters: Yosuah Nijman (22 career starts), Kyle Chung (16 career starts), Braxton Pfaff (13 career starts) Starters lost: Wyatt Teller, Eric Gallo Projected new starters: D’Andre Plantin, Silas Dzansi Top reserves: Zachariah Hoyt, Austin Cannon, Lecitus Smith, Tyrell Smith, Christian Darrisaw Newcomers: Dzansi, Darrisaw, Smith, Aiden Brown, Luke Tenuta, Joe Kane, John Harris, Walker Culver Breakout candidate: Plantin Notes: Tech returns 51 career starts on the offensive line … The Hokies started just two different combinations of lineups on the offensive line last fall … Four of last year’s offensive linemen started every single game– two of those four (Pfaff and Chung) return this season … The Hokies ranked tied for 43rd nationally in sacks allowed per game last season (1.77)–a 40-spot improvement from 2016 … Tech’s rushing attack averaged 173.4 yards per game, 54th nationally. Success on offense usually starts with the quarterback and then the offensive line. Tech looks to be in great shape in both of those areas, and hopefully, that leads to more points. “That’s our goal every year,” Nijman said. “We’re trying to be more efficient than we were last year and the year before. I think, this year, our running backs are looking really good. We have a lot of different things that we’re bringing to the table—[Deshawn] McClease with agility and quickness, Steven [Peoples] with power, Jalen [Holston] with power, and we have a really athletic offensive line. “It should be a really good year for us, but it’s not going to happen by itself. You’ve got to work hard toward that. It is a long season, and it’s important for us to stay healthy.” Nijman certainly knows all about that. Staying healthy, staying fit, playing well and preparing for a future in football need to be his focuses—even if it means staying away from those milkshakes.