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Thirteen players in the 2016 recruiting class took
redshirt seasons, using the time to get bigger and
stronger, and now they’re ready to play a more
prominent role in the Hokies’ program
by
Jimmy Robertson
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hen Virginia Tech officials posted final grades for all of its
30,000-plus students, they, as always, put smiles on some
faces and frowns on others.
Josh Jackson, a Tech quarterback who took a redshirt season this
past fall, took to Twitter to express his thoughts.
“Finished with a 3.66 this semester,” he tweeted.
Jackson certainly took care of business in the classroom during
the fall semester, as his lofty grade-point average suggests. Now, he
prepares for his on-field testing, which begins at some point in March
following winter workouts.
Jackson, who enrolled last January, is one of 13 players in the
21-member 2016 recruiting class to spend the fall lifting, watching,
learning and practicing on the scout team as part of the redshirt
process. Tech’s staff only played six true freshmen out of the class
this past season, a group that included receivers Divine Deablo and
Eric Kumah, linebacker Tavante Beckett, defensive backs Reggie
Floyd and Jovonn Quillen and defensive end Jimmie Taylor. A junior
college player, quarterback Jerod Evans, also played.
Overall, Fuente likes the 2016 recruiting class, many of whom he
inherited as part of the transition from Frank Beamer’s staff. In fact,
Fuente and his staff signed Evans and Moore, along with Florida
linebacker Eron Carter and New Jersey defensive back Tyree Rodgers.
The remainder of the class stayed true to their original commitments.
The football team stayed in Blacksburg following final exams to
practice in preparation for the Belk Bowl. Fuente and his staff used
portions of those practices to get a sneak peak of some of the younger
players.
“There is a balance between preparing your team to win and getting
good work for your developmental players who have been running
plays off of cards [as members of the scout team that runs opposing
teams’ plays] for the better part of several months,” Fuente said two
weeks before the Belk Bowl. “We balance rest and practice and young
player development with preparation to win a game.
“I always enjoy [these practices], and I think those kids do so. There
is some anticipation for them in practice. They get to run our stuff,
even if it’s for a small segment of practice. They get back engaged in
what’s going on.”
Evans, of course, headlined the class and enjoyed a record-setting
season, setting single-season marks for total offense, total touchdowns,
passing yards and passing touchdowns. He hopes to parlay all that into
an NFL career, as he decided to forgo his final season as a collegian and
make himself available for this spring’s NFL Draft.
Evans’ curious decision makes Jackson’s development all the more
imperative. He goes into spring practice as the frontrunner for the
starting job.
People forget, though, that, in August, Jackson was in a three-way
battle for the starting job with Brenden Motley and Evans. Fuente
named Evans the starter roughly 10 days before the opener.
The decision did not catch Jackson by surprise. He participated in
last year’s winter workouts, in last year’s spring practice and in last
year’s summer workouts. But he knew he needed more development.
“It wasn’t disappointing at all,” Jackson said of Fuente’s decision. “I
was just trying to be the best that
I could be and whatever happens,
happens. I was perfectly OK with
22
Inside Hokie Sports
Josh Jackson
Phil Patterson
Justin Fuente