Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 10 No. 4 | March 2018

Q: Rayshard Ashby and Dylan Rivers played on special teams as true freshmen this past fall, and Dylan played in a mop-up role in a game or two. What do you like about these two, and where do they fit into the mix? BF: “I think both of them are capable. They were highly recruited kids and top-rated kids. Rayshard did a nice job on special teams [this past fall]. So did Dylan. When Dylan was in there to finish a couple of games, he made some plays. Dylan got to practice a little more, particularly at the end when Shegog was banged up a little bit, so he got more practice time on defense, but all those kids got some pass skel [skeleton, 7-on-7 work] work and middle drill work. “But the competition is going to be wide open. Between Rayshard, between Rico Kearney and Daniel Griffith, those three guys are going to battle at the mike [linebacker] spot. I’m excited about Dax Hollifield coming in [from North Carolina]. I think he’s a special guy, and I think he’ll compete once he gets here. I’m anxious to see where Keshon Artis fits in, whether he’s a mike or a backer. I like his movements and explosiveness and those types of things. He’s a good football player. “Mike is a playmaking spot, and we need to find a playmaker out of this group and a guy that’s consistently good. That position, year in and year out, is going to be our top tackler, or should be, and I want that guy to have some leadership qualities—and I think those guys have the ability to do that. “At the backer spot, I would say that Dylan is a little ahead of the other guys. Jaylen Griffin is a guy that I was impressed with in the scrimmages and middle drills as a freshman. He played that position in high school, and he shows he can play with vision. He has some instincts, so I’m anxious to see his development. We also brought Alan Tisdale in early. He’s not ready to play physically just yet, but I like what he’s all about. He’s long and athletic. He’s not to the strength of some of these guys, but he has some qualities that I like. Zack Treser is a walk-on from Blacksburg, and he’s done a great job of changing his body. We’ll see if he can help us somewhere, but I like what the kid is all about. This program is important to him, which you appreciate. “Those will be the guys battling for playing time, not just at linebacker, but also for special teams. It’s a great opportunity for them to make a name for themselves.” Q: You also lost both starting cornerbacks—Greg Stroman and Brandon Facyson—and both were extremely productive. That said, how important is this spring for Adonis Alexander? BF: “I’m counting on him to be the lead guy on one side. He had an opportunity to leave early, and he’s making the right decision to stay for a lot of reasons. If he is focused, and if he is disciplined, he can be as good as anyone we’ve had around here. He’s long, he’s athletic, he’s got great ball skills, he’s got great timing, he’s a good tackler … he has a lot of qualities physically that make him pretty special. He just needs to be consistent, and that means being sound fundamentally and with his techniques. But that’s why he’s coming back—to continue to develop and grow as a football player and a person. I’m hoping he’ll be the leader of that group.” Q: The rest of the cornerbacks are relatively unproven, with Bryce Watts and Tyree Rodgers probably the most experienced after having played mostly on special teams in 2017. What do you like about those two, as you look to replace Stroman and Facyson? BF: “Obviously, with a guy like Bryce, he was the 100-meter champ out of New Jersey, so he can run, and Tyree is a guy that when we put him in the game, he did a nice job. Sometimes, he played some clean-up spots, but I just like how they’reworking in the offseason. Football is important to them, and you’re seeing that through their body of work. We need for them to step up just because of who we lost. They’re the next guys in line. That doesn’t mean that they’re going to be the starters because we have some younger guys coming in. the STORY for TECH’S DEFENSE entering Spring Practice Youth IHS extra Continued on page 16 inside.hokiesports.com 15