Hokies Camp 2009, Volume 7 (Roster Breakdown Edition) ...

Figured you fine folks would like a little practice report. Sadly, they kick us out before they really get to the good stuff, and I really didn’t see much worth talking about today.

BUT ... I’m happy to share my amateur observations, which I’m sure you will ingest with the zeal of an addled football junkie. Following that, I’ll regurgitate some personnel who were highlighted in a media briefing by Tech’s two coordinators this morning.

First, some stuff I saw ...   

* The coaching staff is really trying to keep the players focused on, as Beamer is fond of saying, ‘What’s real.’ They don’t want them buying too much into hype or looking ahead. They want them working. Which is why a banner hung at the practice field yesterday saying, ‘A journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step.’ The players chanted it before practice. Today, there was a different banner: ‘People may doubt what you say but they will believe what you do.’ Talk is cheap, basically. Coach Frank Beamer made the players recite it aloud – twice – before starting the day’s work. Hey, USC’s Pete Carroll and the Lakers’ Phil Jackson have done pretty well over the years by getting into their players’ psyches.

* Rashad Carmichael, who the Hokies really need to step up and prove he’s a dependable starter at field corner, looked great in what little I noticed. He jumped a Tyrod Taylor pass to the sideline on what would’ve been a pick-six if it were a game-like situation. Later, he locked down Dyrell Roberts, blanketing him on a slant route and swatting the pass away.

* If I were a betting man – I’m reformed – I would put a fair amount on true freshman RB David Wilson playing this season. He is SO fast, it’s ridiculous. He is just visibly a step faster than everyone else on the field. Even more, his lateral movement is amazing. His ability to plant, cut, then get back up to top speed almost immediately is almost identical to a guy I covered when he was in high school: Percy Harvin. Combine that with the fact that Wilson is a student of the game and very bright ... how do you keep that off the field? I say the Hokies won’t. He was returning kicks and punts today, which is another clue. When Beamer plays true freshmen, he makes sure they are used heavily on special teams – to help ensure that playing them is worth it.

* Along those lines, coach Frank Beamer spent some time today teaching super recruit, Logan Thomas – you know, the TE/WR/QB – how to block punts. Hmmm ... you think Beamer could find use for a 6-foot-6 kid with about an 80-inch wing span and a 40-inch vertical leap??? Also, while continuing to be hit-or-miss, Thomas threw his share of pretty passes in one-one-drills. He’s got PLENTY of arm for the deep ball, that’s for sure. (P.S. His shoes look like surf boards. Craziest feet I’ve ever seen.)

* On the topic of special teams, how about this proclamation from Beamer today: “I think we’ll have our best punt-block and return team this year. Because I plan to have Marcus Davis there, Xavier Boyce, (Jarrett) Boykin there. D.J. Coles there. And these are all 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 guys that are athletic. And in blocking kicks, the faster you can get from here to there – and then if you’ve got some long arms to reach out there – you’ve got a chance. And then, those guys block people in open space all the time as receivers, and that’s what punt returns are. So I fully expect to have our best Pride and Joy team ever here at Virginia Tech.” Whoa.

* RB Darren Evans was in a blue, non-contact jersey today. He had a sleeve on one of his knees. I couldn’t get official word on what happened, but was assured by the medical staff that it wasn’t serious.

* Freshman WR Nubian Peak is also a BURNER. Lots and lots and lots of speed. He was also returning kicks today and burned a couple of corners on deep routes.

* I have a hunch that redshirt frosh Randall Dunn’s move to TE could be a great thing for him and Tech in the long run. The Hokies are pretty stacked at the position this season, but down the road ... while Dunn was out-growing receiver, looking a little to hefty and a little too slow for the position, he looks like a lean, mean, FAST tight end. He has good hands and can really scoot after the catch.

* WR Marcus Davis made a nice leaping grab down the sideline against starting boundary corner Stephan Virgil, who had a rough patch today. Moments later, WR Xavier Boyce ran a very nice, tight route, getting inside Virgil for a catch. Boyce is really pushing for playing time this season. He’s an big, fast target.

* FS Kam Chancellor’s confidence – and competence – at his position seems to be skyrocketing. He was good all day, especially on a slant route to WR Danny Coale. Chancellor blanketed him and blew up the play.

* WR Jarrett Boykin froze SS Dorian Porch on a stop-and-go route, snagging the pass and turning up the field. This is one very impressive group of wideouts. What a difference from last preseason? *** OK, so that’s really all I’ve got. Wish it was more, but the coaches are keeping the rest of practice under wraps. Lucky for me ... I am beginning to feel the major sunburn I acquired during just half a practice.

But fear not. There’s more. SO much more. More than I could ever type up and post tonight.

For now, here are the Hokies’ coordinators’ thoughts on some key personnel ...

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BRYAN STINESPRING

* OT Greg Nosal – “Take a good look at him today. He moved from tight end and last year he was still a little bit of a tweener. Now he looks like an offensive lineman. He’s playing like an offensive lineman. He’s an additional starter for us right now, and we’re excited about that.”

* TE Greg Boone – “He’s a leader now. Kind of reflective of his position coach: It’s hard for us to get lean.”

* TE Sam Wheeler – “This time last year (after an ACL injury in 2007), didn’t feel like Sam was ready. This spring, you could see it coming back for him. Now he’s full-speed. That’s good to see.”

* WR Xavier Boyce – “He has prepared himself to get in the mix for us.”

* WR Marcus Davis – “An explosive young man who we need to get on the field.”

* RB position in general – “Uh, we’re in pretty good shape.”

* RB Ryan Williams – “He needs to get out here and compete and continue on the path he was on in the spring.”

* RB David Wilson – “Talent, we all understand. What I’d like you to know about David Wilson is ... he was a role model (in high school). He wore a shirt and tie to school every day. When other kids went on spring break, he went on mission trips. He is a special young man.”

* QB Tyrod Taylor – “He has provided great leadership. And I mean great. He understands it’s his time, his job, and he has prepared that way.”

* QB/WR/TE Logan Thomas – “There’s a lot of talk about, ‘Where do you play him?’ But I don’t think you put a guy like Logan in a box.”

  DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR BUD FOSTER

* DE Jason Worilds – “Really can be a dynamic football player. This is a heckuva statement I’m going to make. He’s a combination between a Darryl Tapp and a Corey More. The kid’s got athletic ability. He’s got the size of Darryl, but the movement of Corey More. He bends his body well, has a high motor. I think he’ll be one of the special players that we’ve had. End is a position where we really turn those guys lose. Some schools ... USC is known for their tailbacks. Penn State is known for their linebackers. I think at Virginia Tech, we’re beginning to be known for our defensive ends. He’s going to be one of those next great ones.”

* DE Nekos Brown – “This is his time. He’s in the best shape he’s ever been in. He’s a guy that struggled in the past with some of his running tests and things. But he came out and has really done a great, great job, and made a great preparation.”

* DE Chris Drager – “Was probably our best tight end this spring. That’s a statement about this football team: Very unselfish group. They’ll do whatever it takes to help us win.”

* LB Barquell Rivers – “Has had a great spring, great summer, changed his body and leaned himself up.”

* LB Jake Johnson – “He’s a guy that’s coming into his own more and more every day. Really like what this kid is about. We’re going to be OK at that spot.”

* DT John Graves – “He’s the bell cow inside.”

* DT Taco Thompson – “He was 340 pounds going into last season. (He’s 301 now.) Cordarrow was a guy who gravy was a beverage for him. We’ve got him off that. He has really changed his lifestyle and really worked hard.”

* DT Demetrius Taylor – “He’s really made great strides and he’s going to be an impact guy. You can look at him almost as a starter.”

* DT Antoine Hopkins – “Has really stepped up. Really explosive for a young kid. One of those guys, when the light goes on, you go, ‘This kid is a player!’ I feel a lot better about the tackle position this season.”

* Whip LB Cody Grimm – “Might be, pound for pound, our best football player. A guy you trust. He has a knack for making big plays.”

* Whip LB Cam Martin – “A solid guy, coming off knee surgery. We’ll take a good look at him ... getting him back into football shape.”

* SS Dorian Porch – “Really stepped up when Davon Morgan went down last year. He’s a very good football player, and I really feel good about that spot.”

* CB Stephan Virgil – “We moved Stephan to our boundary corner ... that guy needs to be one of our better football players ... a great cover guy ... and Stephan has proved he’s a playmaker. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of a Macho Harris.”

* The other CBs: “My concern right now is who’s going to be our field corner. We need a guy to step up and be consistently good. That’s one of my big concerns.”

* FS Kam Chancellor: “Our big thing is our work ethic. That’s why we have the lunch pail. Kam is the ultimate guy, by his leadership, by his playmaking ability. Right now, he’s the holder of the pail.”

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