Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 12 No. 1 | August 2019

inside.hokiesports.com 11 I am all in on the 2019 Hokies. Going back to the investing comparison for a moment, I admit to being an inside trader. I get to see what transpires behind the scenes at practices and team interactions and all the rest. I fortunately get to converse with coaches and players and truly get a sense for what is brewing. And with that information, I tell you that a special vibe surrounds this group. Kids forced into prominent roles a season ago earlier than ideal have become vocal leaders of the group. They carry themselves with a looseness indicative of people who know a great secret to which others aren’t privy just yet. And I am here for it. Last year wasn’t the most fun, no two ways around that. There were things to be proud of, as Coach Justin Fuente often points out, including the resolve shown by the group toward the end of the season. Beating Virginia—for a 15th straight time—and keeping the bowl streak alive provide pillars on which to build for this season. But this group also carries with it a hunger in knowing that 2018 fell short of long-established program standards. If you interact with any of them, you realize they just itch to get back on the field and change the current perception. The first opportunity comes Aug. 31 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts against BC. In the meantime, I intend to enjoy the lead-up—while most people still remain in the dark. When the media poll came out following ACC Kickoff and revealed UVA as the team predicted to prevail in the Coastal Division, I smiled to myself. Not in a mocking way, but because, again, I have been fortunate to witness a portion of the process leading to what is coming. And I can’t wait. I enter this season jumpy with anticipation in the best possible way. Think about it with me—Damon Hazelton and Tré Turner on the outside, with Hezzy Grimsley in the slot; Dalton Keene and James Mitchell as bona fide and versatile weapons; and if Ryan Willis wins the camp quarterback battle, a now-seasoned starter with an elite arm talent to distribute the football. Let your imagination run wild. Now is the time to dream big. On the other side of the ball, last year’s inexperience becomes this year’s strength in the linebackers room. An extremely talented group of safeties anchors the back end. I don’t want to give the impression that my expectations are unrealistic, and certainly life and sports guarantee nothing. All I’m trying to get across is that all indicators that I see and hear point up for Virginia Tech football. The chemistry matches the talent, and often in that case, special things tend to happen. Listen, we’re all Hokies, and we all care passionately about the prospects for this season. That is undeniable, never changing or wavering. But this is my way of getting in early on this team. I ambuying early before the stock price skyrockets in the weeks to follow. And I do so loudly. Virginia Tech football returns in a big way this season. I’ll say it again, Virginia Tech football returns in a big way. In-column honesty. I repeated that line for emphasis, but also to inch closer to the required word count for this column. Wink, wink. So, as camp opens, the students begin to pour back into Blacksburg, and once again, that special time of year descends upon us. I invite you to yell it from the rooftops with me. Here come the Hokies! And the best part—we saw them coming, even if prognosticators may not have. To the special moments ahead of us Hokies, I can’t wait to share them with you. Start Jumping!