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

inside.hokiesports.com 31 DEFENSIVE LINE by Jimmy Robertson 2019 DEFENSIVE LINE DEPTH CHART (in numerical order) Ends 8 Emmanuel Belmar (6-2, 245, r-Jr.) 13 Zion Debose (6-1, 246, r-So.) 41 Jaylen Griffin (6-1, 260, r-So.) 45 TyJuan Garbutt (6-1, 238, r-So.) 46 Eli Adams (5-11, 240, r-Fr.) 58 Nathan Proctor (6-2, 241, r-So.) 90 Jaevon Becton (6-4, 255, r-Fr.) 94 Nigel Simmons (6-2, 231, r-Fr.) Tackles 5 Jarrod Hewitt (6-1, 288, r-Jr.) 36 DaShawn Crawford (6-0, 290, Jr.) 53 Aiden Brown (6-2, 290, r-So.) 67 Gideon Driscoll (6-5, 290, r-Fr.) 91 Josh Fuga (6-2, 308, Fr.) 92 Jaden Cunningham (6-2, 306, Jr.) 93 Mario Kendricks (6-0, 293, Fr.) 96 Norell Pollard (6-0, 265, Fr.) 98 Robert Porcher (6-1, 275, r-So.) 99 Maxx Philpott (6-0, 297, Fr.) PLAYER TO WATCH Tech lost its emotional leader and one of the squad’s most productive players from last season in Ricky Walker, and the best bet to replace at least the production is defensive end TyJuan Garbutt. A rash of injuries and Trevon Hill’s dismissal led to the redshirt sophomore starting four games in 2018. He played in all 13 games and was productive, finishing with 31 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss, and a sack. He also forced a fumble. Garbutt received most of the first-team reps at one of the defensive end spots this spring and played well. He always has been good at getting after the quarterback, but he showed more of an awareness in the running game this spring, displaying an ability to read, react and chase down the line of scrimmage. Garbutt needs to get bigger. If he gets to 250 pounds—andmaintains it—he could be the next in a long line of really good Tech ends. OTHERS IN THE MIX Defensive line coach Charley Wiles expects a big season from tackle Jarrod Hewitt, who started 10 games alongside Walker in 2018 and finished with 15 tackles. Wiles wants those numbers to be more along the lines of what Walker produced last season—49 tackles (10.5 for loss). Hewitt was the defensive line’s leader this spring and summer, setting an example with his work ethic and attention to detail. DaShawn Crawford went into August as the leader for the other starting job at tackle. The junior college transfer enrolled in January and went through spring practice, and he picked up the defense quickly. Crawford brings quickness to the position and lower body strength, and Wiles expects him to be a solid contributor this fall. The rest of the defensive tackle candidates are unproven, but filled with potential. Wiles likes the potential of Robert Porcher, who played in 11 games last season as a reserve and finished with 13 tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack. Also, he likes junior college transfer Jaden Cunningham and Aiden Brown, who moved from offensive line to defensive tackle, though Brown missed spring practice with an injury. Walk-ons Gideon Driscoll and Maxx Philpott received a lot of reps this spring and made steady improvement, and Wiles planned on looking closely at three freshmen—Josh Fuga, Mario Kendricks, and Norell Pollard. The end positions feature a little more experience. In addition to Garbutt, Emmanuel Belmar played in 12 games last season and finished with 29 tackles, including four for a loss, and two sacks, and he registered two sacks in the Spring Game. Also, Zion Debose played in 13 games and Nathan Proctor played in eight last season as redshirt freshmen, and Wiles expects both to be much more productive this fall. Both Jaevon Becton and Eli Adams took redshirt seasons in 2018, but both made plays this spring and are intriguing prospects. INTERESTING FACTS • Garbutt’s 31 tackles and his 6.5 tackles for a loss in 2018 are the most among Tech’s returning defensive linemen. • Belmar’s 22 career starts lead all of Tech’s defensive linemen. • Only six of Tech’s returning defensive linemen have played in a collegiate game and only three have started a game (Belmar, Hewitt and Garbutt). • Tech’s returning defensive linemen combined for four sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss in 2018. 2019 OUTLOOK A defensive line with no seniors and just four juniors gives one cause for concern, but Wiles and the rest of Tech’s staff felt optimistic about the group coming out of spring practice. The line features a core group with some experience in guys like Hewitt, Belmar and Garbutt, and there is a lot of potential with Porcher, Debose, Proctor, Adams, and Becton. The time is now for those latter five guys. Tech does need to stay healthy at the defensive tackle spots. Hewitt is the only defensive tackle on Tech’s roster ever to start a collegiate game. At least the Hokies have numbers at those two spots—the roster features 10 players listed at defensive tackle, including three true freshmen. So hopefully, the group meshes and makes more plays this season. The Hokies’ success may hinge on it. BOLD PREDICTION Garbutt will lead the team in both sacks and tackles for a loss this season. T y Juan Garbutt