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

30 Inside Hokie Sports FREE SAFETIES, ROVERS, NICKELS by Jimmy Robertson 2019 FREE SAFETIES, ROVERS AND NICKELS DEPTH CHART (in numerical order) Rovers 7 Devon Hunter (6-0, 227, r-So.) 9 Khalil Ladler (5-11, 190, r-Jr.) 21 Reggie Floyd (6-0, 222, Sr.) 30 Tyler Matheny (6-1, 202, r-Fr.) Free safeties 17 Divine Deablo (6-3, 223, r-Jr.) 18 Tyree Rodgers (6-1, 180, r-Jr.) 31 Nasir Peoples (6-0, 195, r-Fr.) 36 J.R. Walker (6-0, 207, Fr.) Nickels 22 Chamarri Conner (6-0, 211, So.) 29 Ishmiel Seisay (5-9, 198, r-Sr.) 37 Brion Murray (5-10, 190, So.) PLAYER TO WATCH Arguably the most physically gifted player on Tech’s roster, Divine Deablo plays the most important position on the Hokies’ defense—free safety. He makes all the calls on the back end of the defense, and given the position’s importance, he naturally is the player to watch heading into this fall. Deablo started 11 games in 2018 and finished fifth on the team with 55 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss. He missed two games with injury, and Tech struggled in both, falling to Old Dominion by two touchdowns and losing by 23 to Notre Dame. Deablo has missed games in each of the past two seasons, which makes keeping healthy a top priority for him this season. He possesses such immense potential that position coach Justin Hamilton never wants to see him come off the field. Deablo resembles former Tech safety Kam Chancellor in stature, and in certain respects, he plays like Chancellor, showing a willingness to come up and deliver a blow when teams try to run the football. Fortunately for Tech, Deablo went through spring practice and came out of it fully healthy. He needs to stay that way, while continuing to get more reps and game experience to reach Chancellor’s previous elite level. For sure, the ability is there. OTHERS IN THE MIX Reggie Floyd anchors the other safety spot next to Deablo—the rover position—and he provides both leadership and playmaking ability. Floyd started all 13 games a season ago, and he finished second on the team with 88 tackles, including 9.5 for a loss. He also registered two interceptions. Floyd and Deablo work well together and provide a talented, experienced duo on the back end. Behind Floyd andDeablo is a collection of players who played various amounts in 2018. Tyree Rodgers started three games and played in 12, finishing with 18 tackles—including a game-saving forced fumble on the goal line against North Carolina. He missed spring practice with an injury, but started August behind Deablo at free safety. Khalil Ladler and Devon Hunter were listed behind Floyd at the rover spot. Ladler missed spring practice, but he proved himself in 2018, starting 11 games and registering 66 tackles. He also possesses the ability to play the nickel spot. Hunter played in just four games last season before taking a redshirt year, and at rover, he appears to have found the right position for his skills. Chamarri Conner, who played in 13 games as a true freshman last season and recorded 13 tackles, worked with the first-team unit at nickel this spring, while Brion Murray, a junior college transfer who enrolled in January, spent spring practice learning the spot after playing cornerback for much of his career. Of course, Ladler’s flexibility makes him valuable, and he could fit in at the nickel position as well. Tech’s staff also likes Nasir Peoples and J.R. Walker as prospects. Peoples played in three games last season before taking a redshirt campaign, while Walker enrolled in January and went through spring practice. Both are listed as free safeties. INTERESTING FACTS • Floyd (88), Ladler (66) and Deablo (55) finished second, third and fifth on the team in tackles, respectively, in 2018. • Floyd’s 38 career games played rank second on the team (Tyrell Smith, 40). • Floyd’s 24 career starts rank third on the team (Oscar Bradburn and Dalton Keene, each with 25). • Four players among the free safeties, rovers and nickels started at least three games in 2018—Floyd, Deablo, Ladler and Rodgers. • Tech’s free safeties, rovers and nickels have combined to play in 147 career games. • Floyd recorded at least five tackles in 10 of 13 games in 2018. • Floyd’s 9.5 tackles for a loss tied for second on team last season. • Ladler’s two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles in 2018 tied for the team lead. 2019 OUTLOOK One would be pressed to think of two higher quality safeties than Deablo and Floyd, but truthfully, all three of these positions from top to bottom are in much better shape than a season ago. The three spots feature a combination of experience in Floyd, Deablo and Ladler, and talented younger players such as Conner, Hunter, Murray, Peoples and Walker. Also, there is some versatility within the group, as Ladler, Conner and Peoples possess the abilities to play multiple positions. That gives Hamilton the flexibility to keep his best groupings on the field at all times. Tech lacked depth and experience at these spots in 2018. Healthy bodies and additional personnel have created competition—and that should make these three positions ones of strength this fall. BOLD PREDICTION The Hokies had just seven interceptions in 2018, but Deablo will grab five this season on his way to All-ACC recognition. Divine Deablo