Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 10 No. 5 | May 2018

inside.hokiesports.com 25 Prime Rib • Steaks • Seafood • Outdoor Courtyard • Private Dining “The Farmhouse... Dining Here for 30 Years.” – Coach Frank Beamer 285 Ridinger Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 thefarmhousechristiansburg.com (540) 251-7600 Kitty Newton Photo – KitKatNewt1@gmail.com Defensive Linemen 8 Ricky Walker (6-2, 304, r-Sr.) 11 Houshun Gaines (6-3, 240, r-Jr.) 18 Raymon Minor (6-2, 245, r-Sr.) 35 Zion Debose (6-1, 247, r-Fr.) 40 Emmanuel Belmar (6-2, 245, r-So.) 43 Xavier Burke (6-3, 283, r-Jr.) 45 TyJuan Garbutt (6-1, 244, r-Fr.) 46 Eli Adams (5-11, 237, Fr.) 47 Darius Fullwood (6-3, 278, r-Jr.) 55 Jarrod Hewitt (6-1, 285, r-So.) 58 Nathan Proctor (6-2, 240, r-Fr.) 94 Trevon Hill (6-3, 245, r-Jr.) 96 Jimmie Taylor (6-2, 266, r-So.) 98 Robert Porcher (6-1, 260, r-Fr.) 99 Vinny Mihota (6-5, 284, r-Sr.) Oklahoma State. He recorded eight tackles combined in those two starts and had a sack in each game. “Houshun performed really well last year,” Wiles said. “He loves football, he loves the process, he loves lifting, and he loves watching film. He’s a great kid to coach because of that, and because you can sit in there [in the position meeting room] and really watch ball with him and talk ball, and he loves that. He’s got a great motor, and he’s really just gotten so much better since he’s walked on campus. He’s probably been our most consistent performer all spring at the end position, for sure.” Arguably, the most exciting part of the defensive line is the potential of the young defensive ends behind Hill and Gaines. The group of Emmanuel Belmar, Zion Debose, Nathan Proctor and TyJuan Garbutt all showed flashes of big-time playmaking ability this spring. Belmar possesses a slight edge because of experience. He played in 10 games this past season as a redshirt freshman, recording four tackles, including one for a loss. He even started the Virginia game because of an injury to Hill, though Hill came in and played. Belmar came to Tech as a linebacker, but after a couple of seasons at defensive end, he appears to have taken to the position. “Emmanuel Belmar, amazing, from one year,” Wiles said. “A linebacker coming in, last year really was a big learning experience for him … and how much better he is his second go around. He’s played fast, been a playmaker for us. Emmanuel has been so much more mature all the way across the board in everything.” Debose, Proctor and Garbutt all took redshirt seasons this past fall, and all gained 20-25 pounds of muscle. They all resemble each other in that that they stand 6-1 or 6-2 and weigh between 240-250 pounds. They also display quickness coming off the edge. They also show a willingness to learn and be coached. That, in combination with their physical traits, bodes well for both them and the Hokies. They just need to learn and to be a littlemore consistent inall phases—technique, fundamentals, and things of that sort. “We’ve got a lot of defense in right now in a short period of time, and we’re going to do it again this summer and do it again this fall,” Wiles said. “Just hearing it over and over again and watching tape … what’s good is there isn’t a lot of bad habits, but they do have ability. Not anything that’s really special, but the normal process that we’re seeing with these guys … just inconsistent play. I see some flashes that gives you encouragement and then just all of the inconsistencies, really. We’ve just got to close that gap and get real consistent performance.” Walker and Mihota go into summer workouts as the senior leaders for these guys and for the entire defensive line. So for sure, this unit features a lot of young players. But this young talent deserves watching— both this fall and in the future.