Stinespring Q&A, Part II: Intriguing players, replacing Wilson and having a thick skin

 If you missed the first part of my Q&A with Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring, you can read it here. Here's Part II:

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Anybody you’re intrigued about seeing this spring?

"It’s a bunch of them when you really get down to it. First of all, Caleb Farris is a guy that, although we played him some last year on the line, I think he’s a guy who we’re anxious to see how he handles things inside. Because when we did play him, we were excited about what he did out there. A center is kind of like the quarterback. You don’t change rotations with your centers a lot. It’s not like your guard. That center-quarterback exchange is not something you take for granted. Working that position is entirely different than a lot of spots. But I think Caleb is a guy we’re looking to see if we can get him more involved on our offensive line, not, per se, a backup center. Can he move to get our best five in a position to play? Or best six or best seven. So he’s a guy I think we’re anxious to see.

"Matt Arkema is a guy we’re anxious to see interior wise. [Brent] Benedict, which you’re already mentioned, we’re anxious to see what he can do. Those three guys inside. I can go through [Mark] Shuman, through [Jake] Goins, through Nick Acree -- all those guys fit that [mold]. We could take the rest of this day to answer that question.

"Michael Holmes is probably right at the forefront of that discussion. I think J.C. Coleman is right at the forefront of that discussion. How well does Michael Holmes step in and adapt to … when we repped him a lot this spring, it was with a really concerted effort in certain facets of the game. Now you’ve got to broaden that gamesmanship of his and see if handles that part of it. But I liked enough of what we saw in fall practices and scrimmages and things like that that we’re anxious to see how he evolves at that position. I think that he has talent."

You lose a lot in a running back like David Wilson, but is this an interesting group that is in line to replace him? It seem like a lot of different styles.

"I think we recruited well at the position, and that gives you reason to be excited about it. We’re excited that J.C.’s already here. That helps a great deal. Knowing what Drew Harris brings to the table, with the speed and shiftiness of [Chris] Mangus, you like what he brings to the table. Trey Edmunds, he’s involved in this whole concept. So the real deal once we get here in the fall is making sure we get the number of reps at that position for each individual to really justify a great evaluation of what they can and can’t do when you really get down to it."

Do you have to fight Bud Foster about who gets Trey -- the offense or defense?

"As always." [laughs]

How rare is that to get a guy who legitimately could play both ways in college?

"It is. He has great football instincts. He’s a football player. He doesn’t just have talent. He understands the game. He’s one of those guys who will transition from one side to the other. He’s smart. He can learn. And he understands the game. It’s not calculus to him. It’s something that he absorbs really well."

Wilson had about 65 percent of the rushing yards last year. Do you think anyone will approach that this year or do you think it will be more by committee?

"I don’t know that I can actually answer that question right now. There’s going to be some things that we hope to resolve in the spring. And there are going to be some things that you resolve in August. And then as the season goes on, you’ll get a feel for the capability and the magnitude of their ability to carry the load, per se. But we’d like to be to not necessarily have a guy who is going to be 70 percent of the work force, but if he’s capable of doing it and he’s successful doing it, then we have no problem doing that either."

Does having Logan Thomas back at quarterback give you some peace of mind, despite losing eight starters on offense?

"I think if you look back to our entrance in the ACC and you look at what our quarterbacks have accomplished, we’ve had two ACC Players of the Year at that position. First-team quarterback. ACC championship player of the game. You just go back and look at what we expect from that position and what that position has brought to our offense and to have that guy returning certainly enables you to sleep a little better. I can’t put enough on the aspect of having Logan back. When you have your quarterback who is capable -- more than capable -- that can not only handle a game, manage a game, but be a difference-maker on the field, when you have that guy returning, that’s a great entity to have."

You were very complimentary about Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale’s work habits. Are there going to have to be guys to step in and set that example?

"I think there’s enough guys returning that understand the ideology, the way things have to be done and how you’re going to have to have success. There are enough guys out there that know that. And I think Logan certainly understands that. I think his approach in this offseason already has been outstanding in how he’s leading people through the weight room, extra time on their own, throwing balls, running routes, getting in concert with some of the receivers. I think you already see that idea following through.

"But I think you get receivers like Marcus [Davis], D.J. [Coles] … again you lose D.J. for the spring [because of an injury]. It’s a process in the spring. You’ve got eight guys you’re losing through graduation or early exit, but you have a couple guys who are key figures who are not going to be available to you this spring too. So that’s a concern. Marcus is going to have to be instrumental in how that position goes and set a tone for that position. Dyrell [Roberts] I know will take on that. He’s excited to be able to return, to be a major contributor. And I think he understands, he knows the dynamics of what it takes to be successful. We’re really counting on Dyrell. I think his energy level has got to be where he normally has it, and I think he knows that, to bring around some of the younger receivers that we have."

What do you think of the linemen in the signing class? It seems like they’re going to need some time to develop.

"Well, I think a lot of times linemen, in a perfect world, you want to bring them in and let them play when they’ve seen a lot, been through a lot and understand not just your offense. For an offensive lineman, everybody thinks, are they ready for their own skill set? And are they ready for their own knowledge of the system? You’ve got to see how well they react to the multitude of looks they get from the defense. Defenses don’t sit still often anymore. You might get three or four different looks in a series. Movements. Guys don’t just stay in one spot. They slant, they move. And then how well are they able to adjust to what the defense is doing. That’s part of the equation that you have to bring to it. And really, time and reps and practice and seeing it over and over again is the best way. Because it’s hard. When a linemen gets out there, he might be ready from a skill set, but is he ready for the adjustment level that has to take place at that position? And can he do his job, but can he do it with somebody else when you have to pass off a twist, when you have to acknowledge the different defenses that you have to see."

There were three linemen in this class. Do you want a big haul of offensive linemen in the 2013 class?

"I think we’d like to have a big haul at a certain spot, get at least three tackles in this upcoming group. The tackle is kind of like the defensive tackle: they’re commodities. They’re like a quarterback in some regards. They’ve got to be really good in the running game, but they’ve got to be outstanding in the passing game. When you’re on the edge and you face the defensive ends that we face week-in and week-out, in this league I don’t think the quality of the defensive ends that you go against week-in and week-out [gets enough publicity]. If you’re having a problem in pass protection because of one guy is struggling, then you’ve got a problem. You’ve got to adjust your protection. You’ve got to bring in another guy to help. And the more you bring in to help, that’s one less guy out in the route."

How do you think the play-calling operation worked, with Mike O'Cain calling them from the booth last year? Will having done that for a season help this year?

"I think with anything, there’s some things that you have to adjust, going through something for the first time, whether it’s platooning a quarterback, as we did four or five years ago, it’s an element that you do that you’ve got to make it work. And this is the same. But I thought it worked really well."

Do you hear the second-guessers? Or do you build a thick skin to that?

"You can read that. [He has a plaque on the front of his desk given to him by his wife after becoming offensive coordinator, congratulating him on having a 'thick skin.' Inside is an animal skin.] There it is. A thick skin. I think it’s a deer skin. I don’t think you can [hear them]. I mean, we live in a world where you blog, you tweet, you message board. There’s a lot of vehicles geared toward certain things. That’s part of the game. You don’t second-guess yourself. You can’t do that. The thought process I go through is when you start concerning yourself with that part of it, you’re taking away from the people you’re entrusted to have your full attention. And that’s your players. And when you let something else distract you for an instance, you’re negating from the people who deserve and warrant all of your attention. And in the end, that’s where you need to concentrate, because that’s where you need to have success. How that relationship, how that practice, how that preparation coincides to Saturdays, and that’s what you concentrate on."

You’re recruiting the 757 again instead of the Lynchburg/Danville area. When were you there before?

"I was in the Tidewater from ‘94 to 2005 probably."

Anything change other than a longer drive?

"No, nothing really changes. Recruiting is recruiting. 24/7. And I would go down to that are with coach [Curt] Newsome when time allowed, especially in December and January, I would get back down there some. So I never really completely vacated. Curt did a tremendous job and continues to do so. It’s a concerted effort down there really."

How is it split up?

"Basically Curt concentrates his primary efforts in the Hampton/Newport News and I concentrate mine on the Norfolk/Chesapeake/Virginia Beach area. But we co-exist down there quite a bit."

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