Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 11 No. 5 | May 2019

inside.hokiesports.com 25 Offensive Line 51 Gene Kastelburg (6-0, 301, r-So.) 52 Austin Cannon (6-2, 317, r-Jr.) 54 Lecitus Smith (6-3, 313, r-So.) 55 Luke Tenuta (6-7, 285, r-Fr.) 56 Joe Kane (6-2, 281, r-Fr.) 57 John Harris (6-3, 282, r-Fr.) 58 Walker Culver (6-6, 277, r-Fr.) 60 Silas Dzansi (6-5, 315, r-So.) 66 Louis Mihota (6-2, 278, r-Fr.) 70 Jesse Hanson (6-5, 282, Fr.) 71 T.J. Jackson (6-6, 333, r-Jr.) 72 Brennon Garrison (6-1, 296, r-So.) 75 Zachariah Hoyt (6-5, 308, r-Jr.) 77 Christian Darrisaw (6-5, 295, So.) 79 Tyrell Smith (6-3, 305, r-Sr.) staff inked four offensive linemen in this recruiting class. Normally, such inexperience would give a coach heartburn, but Vice likes this group. Seven of the linemen weighed more than 300 pounds during spring weigh-ins, and they all showed an ability to move and block linebackers and defensive backs down the field. “I love our athleticism, I love our work ethic,” Vice said. “It’s probably the best it’s been since I’ve been here. “All of these guys can move around, but there is a lack of game reps at some spots. We don’t look at that as a problem, or as something that’s going to prevent us from getting done what we’ve got to get done. We view it as an opportunity to get guys in there and get them all on the same page. This group does an unbelievable job of doing the extra stuff. There is not a day that they’re not doing something on their own, whether it’s film or footwork, and it makes my job easier. This is a fun, fun group to coach.” For much of spring practice, the first-team unit consisted of Smith and Silas Dzansi, a 315-pounder who started four games in 2018, at the tackle spots. Zachariah Hoyt, who started nine games last season, worked at center, and the guards were redshirt sophomore Lecitus Smith and John Harris, a redshirt freshman. Smith started four games in 2018, and Harris played in two before the staff decided to have him take a redshirt year. The second-team unit consisted of tackles T.J. Jackson and Luke Tenuta, guards Austin Cannon and Hanson, and center Louis Mihota. Only Jackson and Cannon saw action in 2018. Vice hopes to find some versatility among this group, much in the way that Chung provided the ability to play multiple positions during his career. Hoyt can play both guard and center, and Vice liked what he saw from Harris. “He’s got a little bit of savvy to him,” Vice said of Harris. “He’s from Mill Creek down in Atlanta, which is a great program and a great program for linemen. They’ve had multiple guys come out of there. He just sort of gets it. He may not be the strongest. He may not be the fastest. But I’m very, very pleased with his production. He gets the job done.” None of the group secured a starting position this spring and wouldn’t have no matter how well any one of them played. Vice customarily wipes the slate clean at the end of the 15th practice. Truthfully, Hokie Nation won’t know the starting line until probably moments before kickoff on Aug. 31 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. “I just want these guys to be hungry,” Vice said of his players. “I made a mistake probably 12, 15 years ago. I named a starting lineup after spring ball, and two of those five, I thought, took the summer off, so I want to keep that thing open.”