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Inside Hokie Sports
No assistant coach on Tech’s staff faced
more uncertainty this spring than Galen
Scott.
After all, he saw the defense’s best leader
graduate in Chuck Clark, he had his best
player slide into a new position with Terrell
Edmunds’ move to free safety, he worked two
relatively inexperienced players at rover, and
his top nickel defensive back from a season
ago, Mook Reynolds, spent all of spring
practice on the sideline with injury.
Yet Scott came out of spring practice
feeling optimistic about his positions.
“I think we’re going to be fine,” he said.
“I like the guys I have. I think they’re a good
reflection of what we want as players.”
Edmunds, one of the Hokies’ top leaders,
enjoyed a rather uneventful spring, as he
seamlessly made the transition from rover to
free safety. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster
often talks about the importance of free safety
in his scheme because that player makes all
the coverage calls. Given that importance, he
and Scott moved Edmunds primarily because
they trust him.
“That guy has to run the back end back
there, and he’s [Edmunds] one of the more
experienced guys and more talented guys,”
Scott said. “I think it [the transition] was
pretty smooth. There was a learning curve,
just making all the calls and the checks and
stuff like that, but I thought he did a good
job of picking it up. I think he’ll have a pretty
good year.”
Rest assured, though, that Scott and the
rest of the staff expect the same production as
they received from Clark, who finished third
on the team in tackles with 94 last season.
Edmunds, though, was fourth with 89, so
there figures to be little drop-off.
The position also demands more from a
coverage standpoint, but that may be where
Edmunds excels. He led the team with four
interceptions a year ago.
“They’re [offenses] going to try you a little
more,” Scott said. “You’ve got a lot of grass to
cover, so you’ve got to be in tune and sharp.
You’ve got to have your eyes where they’re
supposed to be and do a good job.”
Coming out of spring, Divine Deablo—a
converted receiver—stood second on the
depth chart at the free safety spot. Deablo
draws comparisons to former Tech safety
Kam Chancellor primarily because of his size
(6-3, 208) and his number (No. 17), though
that comparison is not exactly fair given his
lack of experience.
Scott liked what he saw from Deablo as a
free safety this spring and likes the long-term
potential.
“He picked it up pretty good for never
having played defense before. He’ll have
a chance,” Scott said. “The thing is when
you have a guy first coming over, you worry
about him not having his eyes where they’re
supposed to be or blowing assignments,
but that’s not him. He’s pretty good with
that stuff. Now we’ve got to make sure the
tackling aspect is good. You’ve got to get them
[opponents] on the ground. That’s the next
part we’re working on with him, but I think
we’ll be fine. He’s got the size and range, and
he wants to do it, so I think he’ll be fine.”
At the rover position, Reggie Floyd emerged
atop the depth chart. He played in 12 games
as a true freshman last season, seeing most of
his action on special teams. That experience,
and the practice reps that he received while
working with the varsity group, obviously
helped him this spring.
Floydfinds himself at a position that puts him
in spots to make plays. His size and speed give
him an advantage, and he picked up the scheme
quickly, enabling him to be the frontrunner at
the spot when August practices start.
“I’m pleasantly surprised with Reggie right
now—and I’m probably harder on him than
2017
(in numerical order)
Safeties, Rovers
and Nickel Backs
FREE SAFETIES
17
Divine Deablo
(6-3, 208, So.)
22
Terrell Edmunds
(6-2, 210, r-Jr.)
41
John Jennings
(5-11, 177, So.)
ROVERS
9
Khalil Ladler
(5-11, 183, r-Fr.)
21
Reggie Floyd
(6-0, 205, So.)
29
Ishmiel Seisay
(5-9, 197, r-So.)
NICKEL
20
Deon Newsome
(5-11, 193, r-Sr.)
Edmunds
smoothly
TRANSITIONS
to free safety—
arguably the defense’s
most important position
by
Jimmy Robertson