Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 13 No. 1 | August 2020

inside.hokiesports.com 21 by Jimmy Robertson SAFETIES andNICKELS SEASON PREVIEW 2020 SAFETIES AND NICKELS DEPTH CHART (in numerical order) BOUNDARY SAFETIES 7 Devon Hunter (6-0, 227, r-Jr.) 30 Tyler Matheny (6-1, 202, r-So.) Free safeties 17 Divine Deablo (6-3, 223, r-Sr.) 18 Tyree Rodgers (6-1, 180, r-Sr.) 20 Ny’Quee Hawkins (6-0, 195, r-Fr.) Nickelbacks 19 J.R. Walker (6-0, 207, r-Fr.) 22 Chamarri Conner (6-0, 211, Jr.) 31 Nasir Peoples (6-0, 195, r-So.) PLAYER TO WATCH Chamarri Conner quietly became a playmaking machine toward the end of last season, and Tech’s staff expects another big fall from him. In his first season as a starter, he registered 68 tackles, including 10 for a loss, and he also added 5.5 sacks and an interception. Conner got better as the season went along. He finished with at least six tackles in the Hokies’ final four games. He played arguably his best game against Virginia, recording seven tackles, intercepting a pass, and breaking up a pass. Conner is the perfect fit for the nickelback position. He possesses the ability to defend the run, play in coverage, and to be successful on blitzes. He appears ready for a huge 2020 season. OTHERS IN THE MIX Tech features a lot of talent and experience on the back end of its defense. In addition to Conner, longtime starter Divine Deablo returns, along with steady senior Tyree Rodgers and junior Devon Hunter, who is expected to replace departed starter Reggie Floyd. A two-year starter at free safety, Deablo—along with Rayshard Ashby—stands as the leader of Tech’s defense. The free safety finished with 84 tackles last fall, including 4.5 for a loss, and one interception. His 84 tackles were second on the team. Rodgers, who has played 31 games in his career, should be Deablo’s backup, and while he has battled injuries at times, he knows the defense and knows how to get players lined up in the proper positions. Hunter’s ability to replace Floyd will be key. He played in all 13 games last season, starting twice, and his eight-tackle performance in a start against North Carolina served as a good testament to his skills. The Hokies need for him to shine this season. As for depth, the coaches think highly of Nasir Peoples, J.R. Walker and Ny’Quee Hawkins, but Peoples played mostly on special teams last season, and Walker and Hawkins took redshirt seasons. INTERESTING FACTS • Deablo and Conner ranked second and fourth on the team in tackles, respectively, in 2019. • Deablo’s 24 career starts lead all returning players in Tech’s secondary and rank tied for second on the team behind Christian Darrisaw (25). • Deablo’s 42 career games played rank second on the team behind Tyrell Smith’s 44. He and Smith are the only two players on Tech’s roster with at least 40 career games played. • Deablo has started the past 24 consecutive games in which he has played. He missed two games in 2018 with an injury. • Both Conner and Deablo recorded at least five tackles in nine games in 2019. • Conner’s 5.5 sacks led the team last fall, and his 10 tackles for a loss were second behind Rayshard Ashby’s 17. 2020 OUTLOOK Tech’s staff, specifically defensive coordinator and position coach Justin Hamilton, has a nice situation at these positions heading into the season. The spots feature talent and experience in the form of Deablo, Conner, Hunter and Rodgers, along with upside talent in the form of the backups. Tech, though, probably needs to stay healthy at these positions. For the first time last season, Deablo stayed healthy and started every game, and an injury to Conner would be tough to overcome, given his production. There is a lot of flexibility within the group, with several of these players able to play multiple positions. Hamilton needs to sort out the pieces—the lack of spring practice hurt as far as doing that—but there is a lot of potential within these groups. BOLD PREDICTION Conner finishes the season with 15 tackles for a loss and at least five sacks. Chamarri Conner