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

34 Inside Hokie Sports Though he worked on the football staff in 2018 and attended all the practices, film sessions and games, he served as the director of player development for the defense and not as a coach. That role prevented him from doing any hands-on coaching. Despite the limitations, though, Justin Hamilton went into his first spring practice as a Virginia Tech assistant coach fully aware that the Hokies needed to play better on the back end of the secondary. A former Tech free safety himself, he has high expectations—and he reminds his players of that every day. “The guys that play free [safety] and nickel, we’ve got to be better than we were last year,” Hamilton admitted. “I’ve talked to all of them. Does that mean a better version of you, or does that mean someone else?” There are certainly a lot of reasons for optimism heading into summer workouts, with the Hokies returning plenty of starting experience at all three of Hamilton’s positions. In rover Reggie Floyd and free safety Divine Deablo, Tech returns two of the most experienced players on the defense. Floyd, who has started 25 games in his career, certainly anchors things. One of the few Tech players not to miss a game with an injury this past season, he started all 13 games and finished second on the team with 88 tackles, including 9.5 for a loss. He also tied for the team lead with two interceptions. Tech’s defense desperately needs his leadership, and he showed it this spring, particularly in a secondary that features just one other senior—cornerback Jovonn Quillen. “Reggie is everything that I thought he would be,” Hamilton said. “He is growing into becoming a coach on the field. He doesn’t have the same grasp [of the defense] that Divine has, but he is just below it, and Reggie is the guy on the defense that people look up to, that people respect, and that has a very big impact on the culture of our program.” Like Floyd, Deablo brings talent and experience to his spot. A season ago, he finished with 55 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss, and at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, he cuts an intimidating figure on the Hokies’ back end. Keeping Deablo healthy, though, has been an issue. He has missed games in each of the past two seasons, and even though he returned to the field this past fall after missing the Notre Dame game, he sat out of numerous practices, or portions of practices, to make sure he stayed healthy for Saturdays. So in a sense, Deablo’s biggest accomplish­ ment this spring was staying healthy. “The best thing about his spring is that he made it through all 15 practices healthy,” Hamilton agreed. “He was able to practice, he was able to go through his drill stuff, he was able to be out there and get all of his reps. This past season, that hurt him a little bit. He was kind of dinged up, and he missed some individual time, which he was able to get this spring and develop. “From a schematic standpoint, he’s locked in. He has as good a feel for our scheme as anybody we put out there. So for him, this spring was a great opportunity for him to fine tune some techniques and details … and also for me to be able to coach him because he never had me, obviously, out there coaching him.” Unlike a season ago, the Hokies possess more experienced depth at these positions. Coming out of spring practice, Devon Hunter sat behind Floyd at the rover spot, while Nasir Peoples played behind Deablo for much of this spring until an injury to Chamarri Conner at the nickel spot led to Peoples spending some time at that position. Tyree Rodgers missed most of spring practice because of an injury, but Hamilton expects him back and slots him into the mix at free safety, and he also likes J.R. Walker, a talented freshman who enrolled early and worked at free safety this spring as well. Hunter and Peoples, who played in three games and still took a redshirt season last fall, both played well this spring. Peoples shined in individual drills and showed a willingness to deliver a blow—something that the staff never saw this past August because he was injured. He also displayed a versatility that coaches love, resembling a player with the physical skills to play any position and the mental skills to handle in-game adjustments at those spots. As for Hunter, he looked relaxed at the rover spot, where his skills appear best suited. “Devon has truly settled in to being as good as he can be,” Hamilton said. “Never mind what any recruiting rankings said about him, never mind what the outside world thinks. He was able to pass that to the side and able to buy into being as good as he can possibly be. I think he realizes that he’s in the right spot. He’s much more comfortable at rover. In the last half [of spring practice], he was the most improved player. He played faster, and he played with more confidence. He’s still got a ways to go, but he’s on the right track. “The most impressive thing about Nasir was in the scrimmage that Chamarri goes down, he immediately, without a play off and without time to be coached up, was able to play nickel for us. Nasir has a mental and physical skillset to where his niche in our program is going to be that guy who is able to play any of the three spots. The challenge is to be ready and able to play any one of the three and play a lot of snaps, or to increase his value and be able play all three and be ready in a moment’s notice.” The nickel position isn’t quite as solidified. Tech’s staff moved Conner to nickel from rover during the offseason, and Conner, who played in all 13 games as a true freshman this past fall DIVINE DEABLO