Saying goodbye. And one last talk with Frank Beamer ...

Time to say goodbye.

These are my final words as The Virginian-Pilot’s Hokies beat writer. Like I said last week, I’ll start my new job covering the University of Kentucky’s football and basketball programs for The Courier-Journal on Monday. It’s an exciting opportunity, but I will very much miss this gig (my first and only until now), this town and all my incredible friends across the state of Virginia.

The first game I covered on the Tech beat was the 2004 opener against No. 1 (and eventual national champ) Southern California (later stripped of that title). The last game I covered on this beat was January’s Orange Bowl against a darn good Stanford team, led by the best quarterback in America. Those are pretty big-time bookends, which sort of sum up what it’s been like to cover the Hokies in the seven years in between.

There’s never been a moment that it didn’t feel like I was reporting on an upper-echelon football program – albeit one that’s always just a rung away from climbing all the way to the top (see the results of my first and last games on the beat). This job has taken me to some cool places (Lincoln, Neb., Baton Rouge, Miami, New Orleans) and on some wild adventures. I’ve enjoyed writing about some great characters (David Wilson and Seth Greenberg are a sportswriter’s dream) and some guys with great character (Darryl Tapp and Bryan Randall are a coach’s dream).

And my fellow hacks have been like brothers, which is rare in this business. Two of my biggest competitors – Norm Wood of the Daily Press and Darryl Slater of the Times-Dispatch (guys you should absolutely be reading every day) – were at my wedding two years ago, with Darryl helping usher the old folks to their seats. We try to beat each other on stories every day, then morph into dorky pals at night and play video games. I hope that’s what I’ll be remembered for by peers and readers alike, that I took my job (but never myself) terribly seriously.

I’ll remember these last seven years (eight total at The Pilot) as a time of great personal and professional evolution – I got married, bought a dog, discovered what “blog” meant just in time to find out that “tweeting” was equally important – and a whole heckuva lot of fun.

So that’s it. Time to go. Thank you for reading. Here’s one final offering: Appropriately, as I leave town, a long Q&A with Hokies coach Frank Beamer reflecting on his 25 years as a fixture in Blacksburg …

FRANK BEAMER

With everyone buzzing about this being your 25th season at Virginia Tech, your alma mater, you’ve surely had a lot of time to reflect. What comes to mind most often when looking back on the last quarter of a century?

“The thing you realize is how fortunate you are. To be able to stay at a place that means so much to you – to my whole family, really (both children attended VT) – for 25 years in this business, you’re fortunate. That’s No. 1.

“And then No. 2, I take great pride in the fact that Virginia Tech is thought of differently now than it was 25 years ago. You look around here and see the facilities that have been built, the additions to the stadium, and we’re getting ready to add an indoor practice facility. And it’s all money that’s privately raised, not state money. I take great pride in being a part of building and changing the status of the program.

“Of course, there’s been a lot of big ballgames. You could go on and on about them. But overall, it’s just realizing how fortunate I’ve been to be part of this, seeing the place change.”

What were you thinking when you trotted onto the field to coach the Hokies for the first time all those years ago?

“I was so excited to be back at Virginia Tech and be leading the program. But at the time, I was also smart enough to know that there were some troubled days ahead. At that time, we’d lost scholarships (because of NCAA probation from the previous coaching staff). That’s the foundation of your program. It doesn’t only affect you right now. It affects you three years down the road when those guys that you couldn’t recruit should be out there playing. So I knew it was going to be some hard times.

“I’m just thankful that I had administration at the time that could see, ‘Hey, we’re doing things the right way; just give us enough time to play enough games to get this thing squared away.’ I’m not sure that would happen at most places any more. I’m just fortunate that Dave Braine (former athletic director) and the administration here could see we were going in the right direction.”

Do you believe the Frank Beamer Story could even happen in today’s college football climate, where winning big – and immediately – is everything?

“I doubt it. There’s two reasons. There’s enough money involved that people expect things quickly, and when they don’t happen quickly, they want a change. And then I think the way the media, the way the internet has gone, there’s instant information and some of it’s accurate, some of it’s not. But it’s out there, and people have a voice to express an opinion. Whether that opinion is right or wrong, it’s still out there. Between those things, I would doubt if a guy could survive through what I did the first few years here.”

What’s the best decision you made in the last 25 years?

“Bringing Phil Elmassian in here (as defensive coordinator in 1993 and 1994), he was really what we needed at the time. He was a different guy, a different coach, but he was exactly what this program needed at that particular time. That probably was No. 1.

“I’d have to throw keeping Billy Hite here off the previous staff was a great decision, because he’s a solid guy and I trust his judgment a lot.”

Many fans would be surprised you didn’t mention bringing Bud Foster, who played for you at Murray State, with you and promoting him to defensive coordinator when Elmassian left. Was Elmassian a mentor to young Foster?

“Yeah, yeah. I think he was good for Bud and for all of us. (Elmassian) was very different. I don’t think Phil is going to stay anywhere very long (he’s coached at 17 Division I programs, including Virginia, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Boston College, Wisconsin, West Virginia, LSU, Purdue and Nebraska), but different is what we needed at that particular time.

“And then moving Bud into the coordinator’s position and seeing his success, that’s obviously been a great move. And hiring Jim Cavanaugh when we did, that was big for recruiting in this state. That was definitely a good decision. You know, I think most of my decisions have been good (laughing). I try to forget the bad ones.”

Which brings us to the next question: If there was one thing you could go back and do differently, what would it be?

“(Grimacing) Well, probably in a general statement, I would’ve coached a little bit better in that (1999) national championship game. We were good enough to beat Florida State, but we faked a punt and faked a field goal – which I thought were good calls at the time, but they probably weren’t so good. And defensively, we probably tried to heat them up too much (with blitzes) and they took advantage of us in some one-on-one situations. I think probably, if I’d have been a better coach in that game, the outcome could’ve been different.

“You only get so many chances. We plan to have another chance, but you only get so many chances. To win it, you have to have everything match up. When we’ve been good defensively, we were a little too young offensively. Then when we were good offensively last year, we had some young guys on defense. The year we played for (the national title), we had Michael Vick at quarterback and Corey Moore and John Engelberger at defensive end. Shayne Graham was our kicker. So you’ve got to be good, match up well, and then have a little luck. We got a little lucky in 1999 in West Virginia.

“So I understand what it takes to get there. When you do get there, you want to take advantage of it.”

So how close, really, were you to leaving Virginia Tech in 2000 when North Carolina offered you its head-coaching job?

“I’d say real close. Real, real close. (Had you essentially decided to take that job before pulling out at the last moment?) Yeah, I’d say it was real close (putting thumb and index finger about a quarter of an inch apart). The reason I’m not there wasn’t North Carolina. It’s just that when it got down to it, I had a hard time leaving Virginia Tech.

“I thought at the time, and I still do, that North Carolina’s got a lot of plusses, is a great university. I grew up right across the North Carolina state line, so I was very familiar with that program. So it wasn’t North Carolina – there were a lot of reasons to go – but it was just the fact that I couldn’t leave Virginia Tech.”

How thankful are you that you stayed and grew your legacy at Virginia Tech, your alma mater?

“I’m very glad it’s worked out this way. That’s one of the things during that time, a coach I talked to about my decision said, ‘You know, you can’t ever go back to where you left, because there’s resentment.’ My daughter was here at Virginia Tech at the time and I said, ‘What do you mean I can’t go back to Virginia Tech?’

“But when I started thinking about it, I probably couldn’t have come back. That  was a part of why it was so hard for me to leave here. Because I knew that I did want to come back. So why leave? And the way it’s worked out, it’s been a good run.”

If you could rewind 25 years, and couldn’t choose Virginia Tech, what school would you have enjoyed coaching for the last two and a half decades?

“I’m kind of partial to the Southeastern part of the country. I’ve always thought Georgia is a really good job. It’s in a good state for football, in a great conference. Florida has got to be a great job. They’re in a great state for recruiting. LSU is the same thing. And of course I thought Carolina was a good job. I think Clemson is a good job. I think South Carolina is a good job. I was in that state when I was at The Citadel. South Carolina has great support and they’re recruiting some really good players now.”

Which of your players was the best leader you’ve ever had?

“That would be hard to say. In their own ways, you look at our quarterbacks – Michael Vick, Tyrod Taylor, Bryan Randall – all those guys to me were great leaders because the kids would follow them. They weren’t so much vocal leaders as the way they played and the attitude that people would get behind.

“And then guys like J.C. Price, Corey Moore, Cornell Brown were great leaders for us here. We wouldn’t have had the consistent success we’ve had if there weren’t consistent leaders for us.”

Your staff is among the most home-grown in all of college football with 5 of 9 assistants having played for you at either Murray State or Virginia Tech. Which recent players could you see being great coaches one day?

“Tyrod Taylor would be a great coach. He’s smart, likes it. And then I’d go on the other side, too, and say John Graves. He’s not going in that direction, but he’d be a great coach. Both of those guys would be great recruiters because they’ve got good personalities. With Tyrod, though, I’m hopeful he’s getting ready to make it with the Baltimore Ravens. They like him. I’ve been trying to tell people (Taylor can be an NFL QB). I’ve got my fingers crossed for that guy.”

When Phil Steele, dean of college football preview magazine gurus, ranked the Hokies No. 5 this preseason, he said it had largely to do with you raving (uncharacteristically) about Taylor’s replacement at QB, Logan Thomas. Why are you so excited about a guy with little game experience?

“I guess it’s two things. When he came in against Miami (last season) when Tyrod got hurt, it’s third-and-14 and he made a great throw. That kind of made a statement about rallying to pressure, performing when the heat is on. And then he really had a great spring practice. I worried about him some in the fall, because some days he’d go out there and just take your breath away throwing the ball, then other days he was a little off. But I really believe that goes back to him being a backup and mentally not being as into it. That’s kind of normal.

“But every day this spring, he was good, he was sharp. To me, he’s just got it. He’s got a lot of the same qualities Tyrod has. He’s smart, competitive, got great character, is a great leader – and he’s about 4-5 inches taller. I think he’s got some good players around him, which really helps. So I think he’s going to do very well. It’s still a question mark until we get out there and he gets his confidence, but I think he will.”

With all the cheating scandals in college football right now, do you feel like you have built your program the right way?

“Very much so. I’ve said this several times, but we just have to be able to move faster (in NCAA enforcement). I know the court system takes a long time and that the NCAA can’t subpoena people, but somehow, some way, the process has to be sped up so that people who are not doing it the right way get punished right away. We’ve just got to figure that out. But I think our coaches understand that we’re going to do it the right way, we’re going to go by the rules, and that’s the way it’s going to be.”

What do you say to the growing opinion that maybe it’s no longer possible to win it all without cheating to some degree?

“I don’t buy that. They were talking about our graduation rate down there at the ACC Kickoff and whether people with a high graduation rate can win it all? To me, I firmly believe – very firmly – that the smarter the guy, the better chance you have of having success. And then I just firmly believe that you can get it done without breaking the rules. I mean, we were close. We were a game away. I think there are a lot of people who’ve played for the national championship who’ve done it the right way.”

During the early days at Virginia Tech – like those first six seasons, when your record was 23-40-2 – what was the low point, where you wouldn’t have believed you’d be here celebrating your 25th season?

“You know, I can honestly say I knew things weren’t good, but through it all, I always thought we were going to come out of it. I just did. Probably one of the low points was when I came home from the Louisville game (in 1992) where we kind of blew it, kind of gave the game away (surrendered a 17-6 lead in the fourth quarter), and somebody had called and my daughter Casey answered the phone. They were blasting her dad and she was crying.

“I walked in feeling awful and then I had to take care of little Casey. I tried to tell her – and I don’t know if she believed me – that her dad was a good coach. I told her sometimes you’re down here (pointing to the ground) and we’re going to get up here (pointing to the sky), and it just takes some time. But then we had our telephone number taken out of the phone book.”

Believing it would get better took faith. So did building a glass case in 1998 that’s reserved for a national championship trophy. Are there any regrets about building it, or will there be any if you retire without filling it?

“I don’t have any regrets at all about building it. You’ve got to have a goal to get there. I don’t think you just flop around and end up winning the national championship. When I recruit players today, I talk about coming in here and helping us win a national championship – understanding that things have to fall in place.

“Winning your division in the ACC is good. Don’t take that for granted. Winning the ACC is great. Don’t take that for granted. But no regrets about saying we want to win it all. We’re going full tilt in that direction and hopefully we’re going to get there.”

Good luck, Hokies. I’m out.

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VT Football: Hokies' first (and my last) practice ...

Well, as those guys with the cardboard signs say, the end is near. I covered my last Virginia Tech practice today – oddly enough, the Hokies’ first practice of 2011.

No need to get all reflective and emotional here now. I’ll save that for tomorrow’s sign-off. Until then, let’s just get to the stuff you’ve been coming here to see for the last several years (and I thank you for that loyal readership, truly).

A smattering of items I scribbled in my notebook during the open portion of practice, followed by a whole bunch of Qs and As with a couple of Tech coaches and one of the newest Hokies …

* True freshman FS Ronny Vandyke, who defensive coordinator Bud Foster said earlier this week would have a chance to play immediately because his high school ran a defense similar to Tech’s, already looks the part. (Yep, this is that first-practice post you’ve come to expect and love – or be creeped out by – where I write extensively about player physiques because, well, what the heck else can I tell you on a day when they run through a few light drills in shorts and T-shirts???) A tad thin, he’s otherwise very impressive – tall, long arms, chiseled, runs well. Vandyke is listed at 6-foot-3, 208 pounds.

* Fellow rookie, SS Michael Cole, caught  secondary coach Torrian Gray’s eye immediately today. In early drills, he barked praise at Cole repeatedly, saying he had “sweet feet.” (Yeah, and I’m the creepy guy.) After one leaping grab in a ball-skills drill, Gray grabbed Cole and said, “Mike Cole, who’ve you been doing drills with? Y’all (to the other DBs) seen Mike? Dang!”

* The Hokies would certainly love for Vandyke and Cole to step up. Expected backup FS Theron Norman won’t be available until at least September because of an injury and backup SS Boye Aromire, a true freshman who enrolled early and impressed in spring practice, did not practice today. He has a bad cut on his leg, which trainer Mike Goforth said is not a major concern, but it will keep him out for the first two or three practices of camp. That leaves a paper-thin position even thinner.

* Starting RB David Wilson won today’s “I’m more muscular than seems humanly possible and now I’m going to show you exactly how muscular” award. He had his jersey rolled up from every angle – essentially turning it into a bikini top with a number on it – which is exactly what I’d wear every day if I could wash laundry on my stomach and crush bricks in my biceps.

* Starting RT Blake DeChristopher, whose injured pectoral muscle will keep him out for the first few weeks of practice, watched today’s opening session from the sideline. He appeared to have just wandered out of the mountains. He looks like a guy who hasn’t had a haircut or shave – and maybe shower, or possibly a salad – in 2-3 years. This is not an insult. He’s exactly what I’d want my entire offensive line to look like. If only they could wear plaid, flannel jerseys and work boots. (Oh, I snapped a picture of DeChristopher’s “style.” Enjoy it here.

* Redshirt freshman Dominique Patterson, recently switched from linebacker to tailback, is easily the Hokies’ biggest back now. It remains to be seen if he can help Tech this fall, but he is now listed at 6-foot-2, 236 pounds. And he looks every bit that big. Who knows if he’ll be ready to help in the backfield this fall (seems unlikely) but if so, he’d be a legitimate power complement to Mr. Quick, David Wilson.

* While DeChristopher is hugely important to the Hokies’ success this fall, the two guys who split his first-string reps today at right tackle were among the most physically impressive players on the field. Michael Via and Vinston Painter are the two leanest, most-athletic linemen on the roster. Via DUSTED every guy in the non-skill-player group during post-practice sprints. He was lapping his hefty teammates. Afterward, he said, “I’m in the best shape of my life. My maxes (in the weight room) all went up 20-30 pounds.”

* Likewise, Painter is -- somehow, at 303 pounds – more “ripped” than Tech’s linebackers. It’s just freaky to look at him. And crazy to think he’s yet to really contribute to the Hokies’ line. Other reporters today said he looked “scary.” That’s accurate. And Painter said after practice that he saw DeChristopher’s injury as a window of opportunity to prove to the coaches he’s finally ready to play. “I have to seize my opportunity,” he said.

* Beamer said after practice that wide receiver Danny Coale’s summertime tweaks to his punting technique have helped and that he looked good today and remains the leader to win the starting job. Crazy, right? Beamer also said Cody Journell still looks like the guy who’ll win Tech’s field goal gig.

OK, I’m spent. Here’s a pile of quotes from my final post-practice interview session on the Virginia Tech beat. It’s been real, gang. See you back here tomorrow for the ‘adios’ entry.

SECONDARY COACH TORRIAN GRAY

ON WHICH YOUNG GUYS MIGHT HELP PROVIDE SAFETY DEPTH (WHERE THE HOKIES ARE PAINFULLY THIN): “It’s a little unsettling that Boye (Aromire) is unable to practice right now because he’s a guy you’re counting on to give us some safety depth. We’re really lacking there. The scary part is that the other guys you’ll count on are freshmen or sophomores at best. We’re just young at that position. But I was really encouraged (by the new freshmen). Mike Cole’s going to be a guy (at rover) that’s going to come along and be a guy that we feel good about at the end of this camp. Ronny Vandyke (free safety) was a vocal guy out there today. We’ve got you guys who just have to learn, but the good thing is they are guys with ability.

“And then I liked the way James Hopper (who moved from rover to running back in the spring and then moved to free safety this week) was able to line up perfectly, communicate perfectly and all those things. So at least he was able to go back out there and it was a smooth transition. At least there are some encouraging factors there.”

ON THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FRESHMEN: “I’ll hit upon that now that camp has started. Until you really see what they’ve got after the first day, see what their mental stature is, how they pick things up, I don’t know how much that’s really going to enhance how they approach it. But I like what I’ve seen from this first day.”

ON VANDYKE’S RAW PHYSICAL ABILITIES: “He’s 6-3, 208 pounds. He’s a big safety. And he was vocal. Mike Cole was athletic, moved around really well.”

ON COLE BEING FROM NEARBY ROANOKE AND BEING ABLE TO HANG AROUND THE PROGRAM BEFORE OFFICIALLY JOINING THE TEAM: “He was at a lot of the practices, so he got to hear the verbiage, hear the coaching. He was here really almost every day in the spring, so he’s like Boye (who enrolled early and participated in spring ball), except he didn’t practice. I think some of it has probably carried over for him. I’m sure it helped.”

ON CORNERBACK, HISTORICALLY, BEING ONE SPOT FRESHMEN ARE MOST LIKELY TO PLAY AT TECH: “You’ve got to look four years down the road. Like Kyle (Fuller) and Jayron (Hosley), you’ve got to look down the road and say, ‘Are they really going to be here four or five years?’ So if you redshirt them … that’s why we didn’t redshirt those guys.”

ON HOW DISTURBING IT IS THAT IF A STARTING SAFETY WENT DOWN TODAY AND THERE WAS A GAME TOMORROW, HE’D HAVE THREE TRUE FRESHMEN AND A GUY WHO PLAYED TAILBACK THIS SPRING TO CHOOSE FROM: “You know what? That would be very unsettling for me. I haven’t even thought about it in those terms right now, because we’ve got all these days of practice before the (opener). If we were in that situation right now, I’d be very unsettled. But right now, I’m encouraged that those guys are going to see it, learn it, do it, and know they have an opportunity to help us.”

ON KNOWING WHAT HE’S GOT IN THE FOUR STARTING DBs, AND WHETHER HE’LL SPEND A LOT OF THE EARLY CAMP FOCUSING ON EVALUATING AND TEACHING THE YOUNG BACKUPS: “I wouldn’t say that my focus is not on the first group, but I know what those guys can do and I can coach those guys more from film, once we get in the meeting room. I know out here on the field I can really focus more on the younger guys and try to bring them along, get them more information and feedback out there – and coach the older guys from film.”

ON WHETHER KYLE FULLER HAS TAKE A STEP FORWARD TO THE POINT THAT HE’S A LEGIT STARTING CORNER AT A PROGRAM KNOWN FOR GREAT ONES: “I think so. I love what Kyle’s all about. I love the way he’s worked. It’s important to him. You put all those intangibles with a guy who has his abilities and skill set and you feel very good about him.”

ON WHO’LL PLAY ‘FIELD CORNER’ (MORE ZONE COVERAGES) AND WHO’LL PLAY THE MORE PRESSURE-PACKED ‘BOUNDARY’ (MORE MAN-TO-MAN): “The plan going in is to play Kyle at the field and Jayron at the boundary, but to also have some flexibility with it. There may be a situation where we want to put Jayron to the field, and Kyle has shown that he can play the boundary. (Fuller) is a year older and more mature, where I think he’ll be more consistent at it.”

D-LINE COACH CHARLEY WILES

ON FRESHMEN D-TACKLES (WHERE HE’S SEARCHING FOR DEPTH) PASSING THE DAY 1 EYEBALL TEST: “I think we’ve got some good young prospects. I really do. The guy who jumped out for me is a guy we beat Western Michigan to get: Luther Maddy. He’s got a lot of football instincts. That just shows you all that five-star, all that four-star stuff (recruiting rankings) … you just evaluate them on video, rely a lot on high school coaches, and decide who you think can play. (Maddy) stood out to me today.

“And a guy I expect a lot of is Kris Harley. He comes from a high school program where I know the defensive coordinator and head coach really well and they really think he can play. We need one of those two guys (Maddy and Harley) to step up. I’d like to see them beat somebody out, get in our two-deep. That means we’re better. That means now we’ve got some depth at defensive tackle.

“I’d love to see (veterans) Isaiah (Hamlette) or Dwight (Tucker) or Nick (Acree) step. I’m not sure if they’re going to be good enough or not right now. They’ve put in a lot of work. I think by Tuesday – we’re going to work for three or four days and then we’re going to scrimmage those guys – it’s going to be exclusively that group of people that we really want to give the reps to.”

ON WHETHER THERE’S AN OLDER D-TACKLE WHO IS ON THE CUSP OF BEING READY TO BE A SOLID BACKUP: “Dwight’s done some good things. Isaiah played his best in the spring game. It’s got to be consistent, though. It can’t be up and down. You can’t put a guy out there that you don’t know exactly what you’re going to get.”

ON WHICH BACKUP DEFENSIVE ENDS ARE EMERGING: “I thought Tyrel (Wilson) practiced really well today, as far as guys that are on the cusp. Tyrel’s in the two-deep, but I’d like to be better there.”

ON DUAN PEREZ-MEANS BEING AN ESTABLISHED NO. 2 END: “I think so. I know what I’m going to get every play from him. But again, I think all of them need to train scared and practice scared. The future is now. (Freshman) Corey Marshall physically looks like he could play to me. And I tell you what: Dadi Nicholas (formerly Wedley Estime, also a freshman) is thin, but he can run like a deer and he’s very instinctive. He’s a little behind, hasn’t played a lot of football. Instinctively, though … you just don’t want to overload him with too much information. Just let him play.

“And (freshman) Matt Roth is going to be a very good football player. He probably needs a year to get bigger and stronger. He’s 220 pounds, but a very smart kid. Tuesday is kind of a goal for me to kind of get those (freshmen) ready. Give them a little information between now and then and see if they’re close, whether we should pour any more time into them right now.”

ON TELLING THE FRESHMEN THEY HAVE A BIG CHANCE: “I told them all, ‘Have all intentions of beating somebody out.’ I want good competition. That’s always good, man. You want competition in practice, in the meeting room, in the weight room. They know. We’re going to watch film and (veterans) will know if that (freshman) can play or not. And it speeds them up a little bit.”

ON WHY NICK ACREE STARTED CAMP FOURTH ON THE DEPTH CHART, BEHIND A TRUE FRESHMAN: “Not ready. Not reliable enough, not a consistent enough performer. Not a very instinctive football player right now. Kind of a robot. Tries to apply everything you’re saying literally. I mean, play a little bit. Everything isn’t going to work exactly like we say it. We’re trying to coach you, but there comes a point where you’ve got to play. Right now, coming out of spring and what I saw today … I don’t see a guy who’s instinctive enough right now. If we can get two years out of Nick somewhere through this process, I would call it a win.”

DT KRIS HARLEY

ON COMING TO VT LOOKING TO GET IN THE TWO-DEEP IMMEDIATELY: “I really did. I was working had all summer to be able to come in and do what they need me to do. If they need me to play, I’ll play. If they want me to redshirt, that’s what I’ve got to do.”

ON THE COACHES TELLING HIM THERE WAS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY: “That’s what they told me. I’ve got to work for it, obviously. I’ve got to win the job. They aren’t giving it to me. But that’s what I’m trying to do.”

ON WHAT WORK HE DID THIS SUMMER: “I was just working with my (high school’s) athletic director, going every morning at 6 a.m. working on sprints, working on conditioning. I’ve always been not a fan of running. But it’s something I’ve got to do, so I had to work on it. (He bench-pressed 355 pounds in freshman testing at VT).”

ON HIS FIRST COLLEGE PRACTICE: “(Wiles) was teaching me, and I was listening, and tomorrow I’m not going to do something wrong that I did today.”

ON SEEING SOME VT’S MASSIVE PLAYERS AND IT BEING A ‘WELCOME TO COLLEGE’ MOMENT: “Oh, it was. I’m not going to lie. These dudes are big. But you can’t be scared. You’ve just got to go out there and do what you did to get here.”

ON THE FRESHMEN CLASS – ESPECIALLY ON DEFENSE – HAVING BIG EXPECTATIONS: “We talk about it all the time. We really don’t want to sit out a year.”

 

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VT Football: Previewing the Hokies, position by position ...

I realize that by starting my new job next week covering the Kentucky Wildcats, I’m leaving you ravenous readers in a bit of a pinch, what with Virginia Tech’s preseason camp starting tomorrow.

So ... in about 30 seconds ... I’ll post a blog that is so absurdly long, it’ll take you two weeks to finish reading it. By then, maybe The Virginian-Pilot will have hired my replacement and you’ll be all set.

This is a super-extended version of a position-by-position preview of the 2011 Hokies that’s running in tomorrow’s paper. The first two paragraphs you read from each section will also appear in print. Everything after that is pure, unfiltered stats-a-licious, online-only nerdiness.

Hope you’ll all write me in mid-August, when you’re done with this mammoth, and tell me how you liked it. Until then, settle in and start reading ...

QUARTERBACK

Redshirt sophomore Logan Thomas, whose summer growth spurt now has him measuring almost 6-foot-7, 260 pounds, is heavy on hype but light on experience. He has thrown just 26 passes in college, a far cry from the guy he’s replacing, Tyrod Taylor, who accounted for 9,213 yards and 67 touchdowns during his Tech career.

But if Thomas’ spring performance – 50 of 91 passing for 743 yards, six touchdowns, three interceptions – was any indication, he should be at least a solid starter. The bigger uncertainty as camp begins is who’ll back up Thomas. Junior Ju-Ju Clayton and redshirt freshmen Mark Leal and Ricardo Young will battle for that job throughout August.

BACKUP BATTLE – Ju-Ju Clayton, the presumed backup because of his experience, did not help himself during spring practice. Over the final three scrimmages, he completed just 11 of 32 passes for 74 yards, no touchdowns and five interceptions. ... Meanwhile, Mark Leal emerged as a contender for the backup gig by completing 14 of 23 passes for 239 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the same three scrimmages to end spring.

THE WILDCARD – While Ricardo Young, a dynamic dual-threat, was injured early in spring ball and missed almost all of the scrimmages, he’s healthy again and reported on Twitter that he bench-pressed 300 pounds this summer. That’s impressive for a guy who weighs roughly 180 pounds. Young impressed Tech’s defensive coaches last fall while running the scout-team offense against the Hokies’ starters. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster described him as “a baller,” and he figures to fight his way into the mix behind Thomas.

RUNNING BACK

The Hokies got a pretty good consolation prize when tailbacks Ryan Williams and Darren Evans bolted early for the NFL, taking with them a combined 4,251 yards and 52 touchdowns. Junior David Wilson, who already has more than 2,000 all-purpose yards and 15 total touchdowns in two seasons of spotty playing time, is ready for the spotlight. 

The only question: Who’ll help Wilson carry the load? Senior Josh Oglesby, despite fewer than 500 career yards, is the most experienced. First Colonial High graduate Tony Gregory, a redshirt sophomore, is the fastest – but he’s coming back from a torn ACL. The other options are a pair of converts: diminutive James Hopper, moved from safety this spring, and King’s Fork High grad Dominique Patterson, moved from linebacker this summer.

THE MAN – Junior David Wilson: 5-foot-10, 201 pounds, a 4.29-second 40-yard dash, 953 career rushing yards (5.5 ypc) and 9 TD; 15 catches for 234 yards and 4 TD; 909 kickoff return yards (23.3 ypr) and 2 TD.

MOST LIKELY TO HELP – Senior Josh Oglesby: 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, 472 career rushing yards (3.9 ypc) and 2 TD. A possible power complement to Wilson’s speed, he moved back from fullback this spring and impressed the coaches. ... R-Sophomore Tony Gregory: 6-foot, 187 pounds, a 4.3-second 40-yard dash before tearing his ACL on a kickoff return last season. He made a rapid recovery and participated in everything but contact drills during spring ball. He has 23 career carries for 101 yards (4.4 ypc).

THE OTHER GUYS – R-Sophomore James Hopper: 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, former high school running back who rushed for 1,400 yards and 26 TD as a senior. He moved from safety and ran 35 times for 76 yards in spring scrimmages. ... R-Freshman Dominique Patterson: 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, the most physically imposing back on the roster (named Iron Hokie in the weight room, 420-pound front squat) since being moved from linebacker (oddly) just after spring ball ended. ... Freshman Michael Holmes: 6-foot, 207 pounds, two-time Group AA state player of the year who rushed for 5,626 yards and 82 touchdowns during his last two seasons.

WIDE RECEIVER

There’s not much to fret about in this group. The Hokies’ three senior receivers – Danny Coale, Jarrett Boykin and Dyrell Roberts – have all started since their freshman year and have combined for 288 catches, 4,797 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Add D.J. Coles and former Ocean Lakes High star Marcus Davis, a pair of juniors who are towering physical freaks, and Tech’s receiving corps is in good (and enormous) hands. Davis, built like a tight end and owner of a 44-inch vertical leap, was the breakout player of spring practice. Coles is the strongest of all the Hokies’ wideouts.

PROVEN PLAYMAKERS – R-Senior Danny Coale: 6-foot, 196 pounds, 105 career catches for 1,754 yards, 5 TD. ... Senior Jarrett Boykin: 6-foot-2, 219 pounds, 123 career catches for 2,123 yards, 13 TD. ... Senior Dyrell Roberts: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, 60 career catches for 920 yards, 5 TD.

NEXT IN LINE – Junior Marcus Davis: 6-foot-4, 231 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in less than 4.4 seconds during winter testing. Has 24 career catches for 364 yards and 3 TD. Led all receivers with 23 catches for 297 yards and 4 TD in spring scrimmages.  ...  Junior D.J. Coles: 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, just three career catches for 27 yards. Set a position record with a 450-pound front squat during winter testing. He had 12 catches for 119 yards in spring scrimmages.

TIGHT END

This is the biggest unknown for the Hokies’ offense. Redshirt senior Chris Drager, despite starting at defensive end last season, had to move back to his old position this spring because Tech is desperate for some experience there. 

Other than Drager’s five career receptions, redshirt junior Randall Dunn from Ocean Lakes High is the Hokies’ only other tight end who has caught a pass in college – and he’s caught just one. Dunn was the position’s leading receiver this spring but is a slight liability as a blocker. Redshirt sophomore Eric Martin is the opposite: a strong blocker not known for his speed or hands. Four freshmen will get a good look in the next month.

THE VETERAN – R-Senior Chris Drager: 6-foot-3, 256 pounds, flipped from tight end to starting defensive end and finally back again this spring. He’s played in 43 games with 5 catches for 60 yards on offense and 59 tackles on defense. He caught just two passes for 30 yards in spring scrimmages.

OTHER OPTIONS – R-Junior Randall Dunn: 6-foot-2, 243 pounds, one career catch for 9 yards. Led all tight ends with seven catches for 147 yards in spring scrimmages. ... R-Sophomore Eric Martin: 6-foot-2, 261 pounds, played 59 snaps at tight end last season. More a blocking tight end, he has zero career catches and caught one pass for 17 yards in spring scrimmages. A 320-pound power clean leads all Tech’s tight ends.

NEW GUYS – R-Freshman Jerome Lewis: 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, caught one pass for 17 yards in spring scrimmages. Caught 18 passes for 425 yards, 5 TD as a senior in high school, rated the No. 21 TE in the country by Rivals. ... True freshmen Ryan Malleck (6-5, 225), Darius Redman (6-5, 248) and Christian Reeves (6-3, 207) were all heavily pursued by multiple BCS programs and will get a chance to contribute early.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Thanks to recent history, Hokies fans will remain skeptical about Tech’s offensive line until they see proof to the contrary. But if ever there were a year for the big boys to break out, it’s this one, as 4 of 5 starters return from a group that was solid (if not spectacular) last fall.

The Hokies’ veteran line features 95 career starts between tackles Andrew Lanier and Blake DeChristopher and guards Greg Nosal and Jaymes Brooks. The lone new starter, center Andrew Miller, drew rave reviews from the coaches this spring. Perhaps most important: The Hokies seem to have developed depth up front that they haven’t enjoyed in years. 

LEFT TACKLE – R-Senior Andrew Lanier: 6-foot-5, 282 pounds, 15 career starts. Graded 80-plus in 10 of 13 games last season (not counting the bowl game), with an 82 percent overall grade, 48 knockdowns.

LEFT GUARD – R-Senior Greg Nosal: 6-foot-6, 281 pounds, 15 career starts. Graded 80-plus in 11 of 13 games last season, with an 85 percent overall grade, 51 knockdowns.

CENTER – R-Sophomore Andrew Miller: 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, 0 career starts. Played 136 snaps last season, graded 83 percent in 35 plays against Duke and 92 percent in 12 plays against FSU.

RIGHT GUARD – R-Senior Jaymes Brooks: 6-foot-2, 307 pounds, 28 career starts. Graded 80-plus in 11 of 13 games last season, with an 84 percent overall grade, 54 knockdowns.

RIGHT TACKLE – R-Senior Blake DeChristopher: 6-foot-5, 312 pounds, 37 career starts. Graded 80-plus in 11 of 13 games last season, with an 83 percent overall grade, 59 knockdowns.

KEY RESERVES – LT Nick Becton: 6-foot-6, 313-pound redshirt junior who played 236 snaps last season, grading 80-plus in three games. Is considered a co-starter with Lanier and provides some serious size to the position. ...  LG David Wang: 6-foot-1, 301-pound redshirt sophomore who played 61 snaps last season, grading 88 percent in 25 plays against Duke. He was named most-improved offensive player in spring practice. Benched 410 and led all linemen in power clean, push-jerk, vertical leap and NFL shuttle time. ... C Michael Via: 6-foot-7, 285-pound redshirt junior with 315 career snaps and three career starts. He graded 88 percent in 25 snaps against Duke last season. He’s also the Hokies’ “utility” lineman, able to play all five positions. ...

RG Matt Arkema: 6-foot-3, 290-pound redshirt freshman who was one of the strongest incoming players last fall and impressed coaches this spring. He was rated the No. 28 guard prospect in the country by Rivals.com in the Class of 2010. ... RT Vinston Painter: 6-foot-6, 312-pound redshirt junior who seemed to turn a corner during spring practice. The former four-star recruit, rated the No. 14 tackle prospect in the country by Rivals in the Class of 2008, has played just 43 career snaps. The Hokies still have hope he’ll put his physical ability (4.8 40-yard dash, 465-pound bench press) to good use.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The Hokies have three new starting defensive linemen and each of them enjoyed a breakout spring. Tackle Derrick Hopkins (named last year’s top defensive newcomer) and end James Gayle (named defensive MVP this spring) combined for 12 tackles for loss and nine sacks in six scrimmages. New starting end J.R. Collins had seven tackles for loss, four sacks and a blocked field goal in the final three scrimmages alone. 

So now the remaining search is for at least one reliable backup at both end and tackle, where a couple of true freshmen could contend for early playing time. Rookie end Corey Marshall and tackle Kris Harley, both four-star recruits, will push top reserves Duan Perez-Means and Kwamaine Battle.

STARTING DEFENSIVE ENDS – R-Sophomore James Gayle: 6-foot-4, 251 pounds, 2 career starts. Played 228 snaps last season – not counting the bowl – recording 13 tackles, 12 QB hurries, 6.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and a forced fumble. ... R-Sophomore J.R. Collins: 6-foot-2, 253 pounds, 1 career start. Played 270 snaps last season, recording 25 tackles, 6.5 for loss, 5 sacks and 5 QB hurries.

STARTING DEFENSIVE TACKLES – Sophomore Derrick Hopkins: 6-foot, 298 pounds, 0 career starts. Played 169 snaps last season, recording 9 tackles, 2 QB hurries, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. ... R-Junior Antoine Hopkins: 6-foot, 299 pounds, 12 career starts. Played 569 snaps last season and was a backup in 2009. Has a combined 61 tackles, 9 QB hurries, 7.5 tackles for loss, 5 passes deflected, 2.5 sacks and an interception in his career.

BACKUP ENDS – R-Freshman Duan Perez-Means: 6-foot-4, 252 pounds, 0 career snaps. Finished spring looking like the guy most ready to contribute. ... R-Sophomore Tyrel Wilson: 6-foot-1, 214 pound pounds, 3 career snaps. Undersized, but plays hard. ... R-Freshman Zack McCray: 6-foot-5, 248 pounds, 0 career snaps. Former four-star recruit will take a little more time to develop than fans might like.   BACKUP TACKLES – R-Senior Kwamaine Battle: 6-foot, 301 pounds, 2 career starts. Played 68 snaps last season as the starter before tearing his ACL. He played 112 snaps (not counting the bowl) as a backup in 2009 and has 8 career tackles, 1.5 for loss. ... R-Junior Isaiah Hamlette: 6-foot-4, 274 pounds, 20 career snaps, 0 career tackles. The former defensive end improved inside this spring. ...  R-Junior Dwight Tucker: 6-foot-1, 273 pounds, 135 career snaps. Has 5 career tackles, 3 QB hurries and a sack.

THE FRESHMEN – Tech will welcome five incoming freshmen defensive linemen to practice this week, but two appear to have a legitimate shot at helping the Hokies immediately. End Corey Marshall (6-foot-1, 250 pounds) had 122 tackles, 27 for loss, and 13.5 sacks as a high school senior. He was a four-star recruit, according to Rivals.com. Tackle Kris Harley (6-foot, 290 pounds) had 137 tackles, 26 for loss, and 11 sacks his final two years in high school. He was rated the No. 12 defensive tackle prospect in the country by ESPN.com.

LINEBACKERS

On the surface, the news was all bad for the Hokies at linebacker this spring. Lyndell Gibson, the returning starter at “backer,” left the team after a DUI arrest. Starting “mike” linebacker Bruce Taylor suffered an early injury and missed most of the 15 spring practices. And no one rose up to steal the “whip” linebacker spot from last year’s starter, Jeron Gouveia-Winslow, whose performance in 2010 was criticized even by coaches.

But by the end of spring, Gibson’s replacement, Tariq Edwards, had been named the defense’s most-improved player and backup Telvion Clark from Granby High was emerging as another viable playmaker at the position. Also, while All-ACC pick Taylor (now healthy again) sat out, former starter Barquell Rivers shook off some of the rust from missing 2010 with a quad injury. And at whip, Gouviea-Winslow fended off Alonzo Tweedy to keep his job, leaving coaches pleased with the progress of both players. 

STARTING WHIP – R-Junior Jeron Gouveia-Winslow: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, 7 career starts. Played 373 snaps last season (not counting the bowl) and has 44 career tackles, 2 for loss, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles. Had a big spring with 13 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack and 1 pass breakup in scrimmages.

STARTING BACKER – R-Sophomore Tariq Edwards: 6-foot-2, 229 pounds, 0 career starts. Played 111 snaps on defense and 145 on special teams last season and had 21 tackles, 2 QB hurries, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. He was named most-improved defensive player this spring with 12 tackles, 2 for loss, 2 breakups, 1 INT and 1 sack in scrimmages.

STARTING MIKE – R-Junior Bruce Taylor: 6-foot-2, 252 pounds, 14 career starts. Has played more than 800 snaps in his career with 97 tackles, 16 for loss, 13 QB hurries, 6 sacks and 4 pass breakups. He was a second-team All-ACC pick in his first season as a starter last fall. He’s fully recovered from his spring shoulder injury.

BACKUP WHIP – R-Junior Alonzo Tweedy: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, played just 10 defensive snaps (along with 175 on special teams) last fall because of a severe groin injury. Has 42 career tackles and took a step forward this spring with 15 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack and 1 breakup in scrimmages.

BACKUP BACKER –  R-Sophomore Telvion Clark: 6-foot-1, 214 pounds, built like an action figure but has zero career snaps on defense and had just 5 snaps on special teams. Broke out this spring, though, leading all defensive players with 27 tackles, 4 for loss, 2 breakups and a sack in scrimmages.

BACKUP MIKE – R-Senior Barquell Rivers: 6-foot, 241 pounds, missed every game but the bowl (where he played special teams) last season because of a major quadriceps injury. Started 13 games in 2009 and has 106 career tackles, 6.5 for loss and 4 breakups. Taylor’s absence this spring gave Rivers a chance to fight for playing time and he responded with 12 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack and 1 breakup in Tech’s three full scrimmages.

OTHERS TO WATCH: R-Sophomore Jack Tyler (5-foot-11, 220-pound “mike” linebacker) has started one game and has 25 career tackles, 6 for loss, but he’s still battling a back injury. ... R-Freshman Chase Williams (6-foot-1, 223-pound “backer”) is the son of an NFL defensive coordinator and an apparent natural for the position – but he’s battled injury the entire (brief) time he’s been at Tech.

SECONDARY

Per usual, this should be the strength of the Hokies’ defense with All-American corner Jayron Hosley, who led the nation with nine interceptions last season, and preseason All-ACC free safety Eddie Whitley leading the way. The two new starters, strong safety Antone Exum and corner Kyle Fuller, each played more than 400 snaps last season as freshmen.

If there’s a question, it’s depth. Senior Cris Hill and spring standout Detrick Bonner, a redshirt freshman, should help solidify the corners. But the backup situation at both safety spots is shaky. True freshman Boye Aromire, who enrolled early and participated in spring practice, could be the answer behind Exum. One of the four incoming freshmen defensive backs could be called upon to shore up free safety.

STARTING BOUNDARY CORNER – Junior Jayron Hosley: 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, 13 career starts. Played 699 defensive snaps last season and has 50 career tackles, 10 passes broken up, 9 interceptions. Has his sights set on winning the Thorpe Award for the nation’s top defensive back.

STARTING FIELD CORNER – Sophomore Kyle Fuller: 6-foot, 185 pounds, 6 career starts. Played 417 defensive snaps and 119 special teams snaps last season, recording 32 tackles, 4 for loss, 6 breakups, 1 forced fumble.

STARTING FREE SAFETY – Senior Eddie Whitley:  6-foot-1, 187 pounds, 14 career starts. Played 747 defensive snaps last season and has 106 career tackles, 8 breakups, 5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles.

STARTING STRONG SAFETY – R-Sophomore Antone Exum: 5-foot-11, 217 pounds, 5 career starts. Played 486 defensive snaps and 36 special teams snaps last season, recording 45 tackles, 9 breakups, 1 forced fumble.

THE BACKUPS: R-Senior Cris Hill is a 5-foot-11, 176-pound corner who played 74 defensive snaps, 106 special teams snaps last season. The former four-star recruit has 31 career tackles, 3 breakups. ... R-Freshman Detrick Bonner is a 6-foot, 183-pound corner who has zero career snaps but was a spring standout with 15 tackles, 3 breakups and a tackle for loss in scrimmages. ...

R-Freshman Theron Norman is a 6-foot-3, 209-pound free safety, a former four-star recruit who’s listed No. 2 behind Whitley but because of injury might not be available until September. ... Freshman Boye Aromire is a 5-foot-11, 195-pound strong safety – moved to the position from corner during spring ball. For a kid who graduated high school early and enrolled in January, Aromire shined. He had 15 tackles, 2 breakups, 1 tackle for loss and 1 forced fumble in scrimmages.

THE ROOKIES – Four-star recruits Kyshoen Jarrett and Ronny Vandkye, along with fellow incoming freshmen James Farrow and Michael Cole will certainly get a good look during August to see if any of them can help provide depth.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Hokies are looking for a new field-goal kicker and punter – again. The last four one-year kickers for Tech have all quickly eased concerns, each making at least 20 field goals and combining to hit 85 of 100 kicks. Sophomore Cody Journell, a rare kicker who got a scholarship offer from the Hokies straight out of high school, looked ready to be the next in line this spring.

Punter is more uncertain, with coach Frank Beamer talking about giving the gig to senior receiver Danny Coale. He did lead all punters in average distance during spring scrimmages. The return game, though, is not a concern. Receiver Dyrell Roberts, cornerback Jayron Hosley and tailback David Wilson have had 13 kickoff or punt returns of 40-plus yards the past two seasons, five for touchdowns.

KICKERS THIS SPRING – R-Sophomore Cody Journell hit 7 of 10 FG in scrimmages, making kicks from 18, 26, 27, 30, 30, 32 and 33 yards. He missed from 30, 44 (blocked) and 46. ... Senior Justin Myer, the Hokies’ kickoff specialist with a huge leg, made only 1 of 5 FG in scrimmages, hitting from 41 yards but missing from 28, 43, 50 and 55. ... R-Senior Tyler Weiss, a Murray State transfer who hit 7 of 10 FG and 32 of 32 XP for the Racers in 2007, missed all three of his kicks in spring scrimmages. He was off from 37, 43 and 49 yards.

PUNTERS THIS SPRING – R-Freshman Ethan Keyserling had 9 punts for 336 yards (37.3 average, long of 52) in scrimmages. ... R-Junior Scott Demler had 6 punts for 215 yards (35.8 average, long of 44) in scrimmages. ... R-Senior Danny Coale had 5 punts for 201 yards (40.2 average, long of 53) in scrimmages.

LONG RETURNS IN 2009 AND 2010 – Roberts has returns of 47, 58, 76 and 98 yards, 1 TD; Wilson has returns of 40, 42, 90 and 92 yards, 2 TD; Hosley has returns of 50, 58, 61, 64 and 80 yards, 2 TD.

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VT Football: Two starting OL not ready to practice ...

UPDATE: Just spoke to Hokies athletic trainer Mike Goforth after posting the below entry. He said team doctor Marc Siegel estimated 4-6 weeks for right tackle Blake DeChristopher’s recovery, while Goforth thinks 2-4 weeks. Goforth is hopeful those estimates will “meet in the middle” and doesn’t believe DeChristopher will miss any games. DeChristopher strained his pectoral during recent max weightlifting tests, but the injury was not a complete tear and doesn’t require surgery.

Goforth said left guard Greg Nosal will be in a blue, no-contact jersey when practice starts Thursday. Goforth is not sure how long he’ll be in blue, saying that Nosal needs to “get comfortable again” with football-related activities. Said he has “done fine” in weightlifting. Goforth does not expect Nosal to miss any games either.

Goforth said the only other injured Hokies heading into camp are backup safety Theron Norman (shoulder), who might not be ready until September and backup linebacker Jack Tyler (back), who'll open camp in a blue jersey.

*******

It just wouldn’t be preseason football for the Hokies without major worries on the offensive line, right? So ... um ... about that veteran line that’s returning 4 of 5 starters who’ve made a combined 95 career starts. Not so fast, my friend.

Here’s the story I just filed for The Virginian-Pilot’s print edition tomorrow ...

BLACKSBURG

Virginia Tech hasn’t even started preseason football practice and the Hokies have already suffered a setback at a key position. Two starting offensive linemen will be sidelined with injuries when camp opens Thursday.

Left guard Greg Nosal, a senior from Kellam High who has started 15 games for Tech, is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and line coach Curt Newsome told Beamerball.com he “isn’t ready just yet." But Nosal will participate in all non-contact drills when practice starts and the coaches expect him to be fully available "soon," according to a school spokesman.

Right tackle Blake DeChristopher, a senior who has started 37 games for the Hokies, is expected to miss a month to six weeks with a strained left pectoral muscle. He was a preseason All-ACC pick and is on the Outland Trophy watch list.

Nosal’s backup is redshirt sophomore David Wang, who played just 61 snaps last season but was named Tech’s most-improved offensive player in spring practice. He bench presses 410 pounds and was tops among Hokies linemen in winter testing for the power clean, push-jerk, vertical leap and NFL shuttle time.

DeChristopher’s backup redshirt junior Vinston Painter, a former four-star recruit from Maury High who the coaches hope turned a corner this spring. He has played just 43 career snaps despite being the most physically impressive lineman on the roster. 

Painter is 6-foot-6, 312 pounds, has single-digit body fat, runs a 4.8 40-yard dash and bench presses a team-high 465 pounds. The question has always been whether Painter can translate that ability into production on game days. He made progress this spring, but if he’s still not ready for prime time, the Hokies have other options.

Michael Via, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound redshirt junior, is Tech’s “utility” lineman who, despite exiting spring practice as the No. 2 center, has worked at tackle. He has played more than 300 career snaps and started three games.

Nick Becton, a 6-foot-6, 313-pound redshirt junior, has played nearly 300 career snaps as well and finished spring practice with coaches referring to him as “a second starter” behind left tackle Andrew Lanier. In a pinch, perhaps he could slide to the right side.

That the Hokies are already juggling their offensive line in the first week of August is concern. But the fact that they have viable options behind their starters is are luxury Tech hasn’t enjoyed up front in years.

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Butch Davis is gone. Who else pays the price?

So Butch Davis finally got the ax today. It’s really not surprising that he was fired, what with all the egregious rule-breaking that happened on his watch – although he managed not to see any of it, naturally – but the timing is odd. Why would North Carolina’s leadership stick with him for this long, trot him out to ACC media days this weekend even, to can him now, not even two weeks before preseason camp begins?

This obviously puts the football program in a tough spot. But the folks I’m most curious about today are the Tar Heels’ newest players, the Class of 2011 recruits who signed with UNC in February after Davis and his staff sold them on the notion that nothing too terrible was going to come of all this NCAA investigation mess. What now for those guys? Will they get a break, be cut loose from their obligation, without having to sit out a year for transferring (two if it’s within the ACC)? And could they even find suitable teams that can take them on such short notice?

It’s a pretty unfortunate situation, and one that must be absolutely maddening to Virginia Tech fans, who watched in frustration as Davis and UNC stole several of the Hokies’ top recruiting targets in the Class of 2011. One of them basically even said he’d have picked Tech if it hadn’t been for Davis’ assurances that everything was going to be OK.

Here’s a quick (and kind of sad) smattering of old comments from players who chose the Tar Heels over the Hokies based partly on faith in Davis – who today are probably sick about it. It’s quite the hard first real-world lesson for these new college students.

4-STAR LINEBACKER TRAVIS HUGHES

(Virginia Beach beach star for whom VT coordinator Bud Foster skipped a head-coaching interview at Vandy to make in-home visit.)

From a Virginian-Pilot story in December, when he picked UNC:

“I have such a great bond with Butch Davis. He called me every week. And I talked to him more than any other coach.”

“I was kind of pulling toward Virginia Tech last night. But my brother and my father ultimately said that North Carolina would be my best fit.”

Hughes also spoke about the ongoing NCAA investigation  of the Carolina football program. ... Hughes said the Tar Heels’ coaching staff assured him that they didn’t think anything serious was going to come of it.

From a WRAL story:

Travis Hughes (said) his fears about the investigations and what could happen to the school were eased by talking with head coach Butch Davis and other members of the Tar Heels athletic staff.

"From the horse's mouth, I felt a little better about that whole situation," Hughes said.

From a Rivals.com story:

"Coach Beamer said he thinks I'd be great in a Hokie hat of course. Virginia Tech was neck and neck to be honest.”

Hughes confirmed the NCAA investigation with North Carolina delayed his selection, but he is confident things will play out.

"Yes it delayed me picking them," he said. "It is still a concern, but I'm going to keep faith in it and from talking to the coaches, they are feeling confident. If they weren't this confident I wouldn't have this hat on. This hat is how confident I feel about the staff and the whole situation. I don't think they are going to get hit with nothing too hard, I'm going to keep an eye on it and keep on moving from there."

FOUR-STAR QUARTERBACK MARQUISE WILLIAMS

(Charlotte native once rumored to be a “silent” VT commitment)

From a Raleigh News & Observer story:

Bernard Whiteside, Williams' father, said he was worried that a possible NCAA probation could mean that the Tar Heels wouldn't play in a bowl for a couple of years. But in December, Whiteside said, Davis told Williams some things that sealed the commitment to the Tar Heels. ...

“They might get something ... but they're not thinking it would be that serious."

FOUR-STAR OFFENSIVE TACKLE KIARO HOLTS

(Played at Warren Central High in Indianapolis, same school as former Hokies star Darren Evans and 2011 four-star commit Kris Harley) From a Rivals.com story:

Holts also provided a bit of insight on what the UNC coaches told him about the NCAA and academic investigation.

"They said that it would just all go away in a couple weeks.”

COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
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VT Football: 3 Hokies on preseason All-ACC team ...

The preseason All-ACC football team is out (at least according to block-headed hacks like myself – and we’re not the brightest breed). Scroll down a bit to see the short story I just filed about how the voting shook out for Virginia and Virginia Tech (and a Virginia-native QB playing elsewhere). The complete team can be found here.

Only a couple of other things worth adding:

* You might be surprised, as I was (a little) that Hokies tailback David Wilson, receiver Jarrett Boykin and linebacker Bruce Taylor didn’t make the cut – or even that safety Eddie Whitley did. I would’ve thought at least one of that trio would be preseason All-ACC. However, while most leagues pick a second and third team, the ACC doesn’t in the preseason. All the guys I mentioned, and possibly receiver Danny Coale and guard Jaymes Brook, would’ve made the team. Bottom line: these preseason teams mean, oh, exactly zilch.

* Kind of crazy that Florida State’s new starting quarterback, E.J. Manuel, is the preseason All-ACC quarterback – if you only consider his six career touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. But there’s a lot more that guy’s story. He’s hugely talented. He’s just huge in general, a QB prototype. And his teammates and coaches have huge respect for him. Plus, there’s HUGE talent around him. That’s a good starting point for Manuel to have a huge, All-ACC kind of year. Here’s a profile on him from this spring.

Now to the nuts and bolts of this All-ACC team (for whatever it’s worth) ...

BLACKSBURG

Not surprisingly, the two teams picked by the media to play for the ACC football championship this season also had the most players on the preseason all-league team released Wednesday.

Conference favorite Florida State led the way with four All-ACC picks, including quarterback E.J. Manuel, a Bayside High graduate who is taking over as the Seminoles’ full-time starter for the first time this fall. Manuel, a redshirt junior, has played in 17 games, starting six, and has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 1,678 yards, six touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has also rushed for 366 yards and three touchdowns.

Virginia Tech, picked to win the Coastal Division, had three preseason All-ACC selections: cornerback Jayron Hosley, free safety Eddie Whitley and right tackle Blake DeChristopher. Clemson and North Carolina each also had three players picked.

Hosley was a first-team All-American last season as a true sophomore when he intercepted a national-best and school-record nine passes. DeChristopher has started 37 games for the Hokies and was a second-team All-ACC pick last season when he led Tech with 59 knockdown blocks. Whitley is a senior who has 106 career tackles, eight passes broken up, five tackles for loss, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Virginia had one All-ACC pick, senior cornerback Chase Minnifield, who has 101 career tackles, 10 interceptions and more than 1,000 kickoff return yards. His six interceptions last fall were seventh-most in the country and Minnifield is on preseason watch lists for the Thorpe, Nagurski and Bednarik Awards.

Unlike most other conferences, the ACC’s preseason team does not include a second or third team. Only 25 players – 11 each on offense and defense, three specialists – make the cut. Among those preseason picks last year, 15 went on to earn first- or second-team All-ACC honors after the season.

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A new challenge awaits ...

So the rumors are true. The poorly kept secret is all the way out. After eight years at The Virginian-Pilot, the last seven covering Virginia Tech athletics, I have accepted a job at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., covering University of Kentucky football and basketball.

I apologize for not answering many of your questions about this sooner – you crazy message board kids have better sources than us hacks, it seems – and for disappearing unannounced for a couple of days. I hope you’ll understand that I couldn’t comment or confirm until all the details were done.

But now it’s official: I’m moving on. The decision didn’t come quickly and it wasn’t easy. It feels like I’m moving out of the house I grew up in. In so many ways, that’s true. Only 21 years old when I got to The Pilot, I’m just shy of my 30th birthday as I leave.

I’m saying goodbye to some amazing friends, patient editors and a job that has been pretty darn cool. I've covered every football game the Hokies have played as members of the ACC -- it's crazy to think I've never seen Tech win fewer than 10 games -- and it will certainly be strange when this season starts and I’m not in the press box at Lane Stadium.

My last day at The Pilot isn’t until Aug. 5, so you’re stuck with me a little while longer. (At the current rate, the Hokies will have filled out an entire 25-man recruiting class and Shane Beamer will already have a bronze statue on campus by then.) Closer to that date, I’ll post one final blog reflecting on my time covering Tech. For now, I just wanted to get the news out there and to thank you for being such loyal readers all these years.

If you’re wondering why I’m leaving a job I enjoy so much (I truly do), a few simple explanations: 1) The UK beat is a great gig. It’s SEC football and, well, the winningest college basketball program in history. 2) The Courier-Journal is a great newspaper (10-time Pulitzer Prize winner) that I aspired to work for throughout college at Western Kentucky, when pal Pat Forde (now at ESPN) was still lighting up its pages. 3) Perhaps the most basic and powerful pull of all: It’s much closer to home (Clarksville, Tenn.) for both me and my wife. To a mama’s boy who married a daddy’s girl, that means a lot. Maybe everything.

So while I make this announcement with a definite twinge of sadness about what will soon be in the rearview mirror, I’m thrilled about what’s ahead. If it’s possible to feel like you’re leaving home and going home simultaneously, I’m there.

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VT Football: Hokies add OL recruit, lead country in commitments ...

There are two especially notable things about Fredericksburg offensive tackle Adam Taraschke committing to play football for Virginia Tech on his return visit to campus Friday: 1) He’s the third Class of 2012 lineman to pick the Hokies, not counting UGA transfer Brent Benedict, which replenishes a position that looked like it might be getting dangerously thin very soon. 2) Taraschke’s commitment is the 23rd for Tech in this class – 24th if you count Benedict who, like these current recruits, will be eligible to play for the Hokies in the fall of 2012. That means Tech has the most pledges in the country at this point.

Other than those two tidbits, Taraschke won’t have many recruitniks going crazy. He’s rated a two-star prospect (out of five) by Rivals.com and his other scholarship offers were from Old Dominion and Ohio. But the Hokies got a good, long look at the lean, 6-foot-6, 265-pound tackle at their one-day camp on July 9 and decided to offer him a scholarship – same as 6-foot-6, 270-pound Augie Conte, who committed to Tech earlier this week. And before Conte and Taraschke picked the Hokies, they had landed just one true 2012 lineman.

Because the Hokies have added a few “sleeper” (a.k.a. under-the-radar) type prospects in the last couple of weeks, rather than the four- and five-star types that fans can get excited about, one might wonder whether Tech is trying to make a splash with quantity over quality. But I suspect by signing day, the Hokies will have a good bit of both.

Tech’s three committed four-star prospects – linebacker Deon Clarke, running back J.C. Coleman and defensive end Jarontay Jones – are all big-time players who could’ve gone to several other big-time schools. The same is true of Tech commits Jawand Blue (LB), Donaldven Manning (CB), Davion Tookes (S) and Devin Vandyke (LB), all of whom are three-star prospects in Rivals’ rating system but just on the cusp of a fourth star (for whatever that’s worth).

And most important to remember is what’s left on the Hokies’ recruiting board. It won’t be a surprise to see Tech end up signing 28-30 players (remember last year’s class was small) and work out the numbers with greyshirts and prep school for a handful of guys. That means there’s probably between five and seven spots left in this class and here’s a look at recruits who have Tech at or near the top of their list of schools: Five-star WR Stefon Diggs, five-star DE Darius Hamilton, four-star WR Joel Caleb, four-star RB Drew Harris, four-star CB Kenneth Crawley, four-star DE Ken Ekanem, four-star WR Eugene Lewis, four-star DT Jarron Jones, four-star LB Trey Edmunds, four-star DT Korren Kirven and four-star DT Sheldon Day.

That’s 11 players left on the Hokies’ board – that they’re in serious contention for – rated as four- or five-star guys. I’d be shocked if Tech didn’t land at least four from that list and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Hokies land six. Beyond those, the only other player I see maybe joining this class is offensive lineman Greg Pyke. He’s “just” a three-star player, but one who has at least 15 scholarship offers, including Georgia, Penn State, West Virginia and Wisconsin. He’d be a quality addition at that all-important position for Tech.

So while the Hokies have been on a quantity binge this summer, expect the next six months between now and signing day to be a slower trickle of top talent. Pretty much anyone who commits to Tech from here on out should be the type of player recruitniks will get giddy about. Tech has a nice (and enormous) foundation for the Class of 2012. How many of those elite targets the Hokies can close the deal with will determine whether it’s a good class or a great one.

Now here’s the updated list of programs with the most commitments so far in this class (and where the rest of the ACC stands) ...

BIGGEST 2012 RECRUITING CLASSES ON JULY 23, 2011

Virginia Tech – 23 (3 four-star players, 16 three-star players, 3 two-star players, 1 unrated)

Temple – 23 (2 three-star players, 6 two-star players, 15 unrated)

Miami – 22 (7 four-star players, 13 three-star players, 2 unrated)

Texas A&M – 20 (6 four-star players, 12 three-star players, 2 unrated)

Michigan – 20 (10 four-star players, 10 three-star players)

Texas – 18 (1 five-star player, 12 four-star players, 4 three-star players, 1 two-star player)

LSU – 18 (7 four-star players, 10 three-star players, 1 unrated)

Virginia – 17 (2 four-star players, 9 three-star players, 4 two-star players, 2 unrated)

Washington – 17 (2 four-star players, 9 three-star players, 1 two-star player, 5 unrated)

Texas Tech – 16 (3 four-star players, 11 three-star players, 2 unrated)

Minnesota – 16 (1 four-star player, 7 three-star players, 5 two-star players, 3 unrated)

COMMITMENT TOTALS FOR THE REST OF THE ACC: Boston College 13, Clemson 13, Duke 13, Florida State 14, Georgia Tech 8, Maryland 13, North Carolina 12, N.C. State 10, Wake Forest 6.

Oh, and if you need a quick breakdown of the Hokies’ 23 commitments, there are 14 defensive players (five defensive backs, five defensive linemen, four linebackers) and nine offensive players (one quarterback, one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers, three offensive linemen).

* For instant updates on the Hokies, follow me at twitter.com/kyletuckerVP

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VT Football: Hokies edge U.Va. for OL, assessing in-state recruiting ...

Today was yet another big one on the football recruiting trail for rivals Virginia Tech and Virginia. Both the Hokies and Cavaliers picked up in-state commitments, with Tech beating U.Va. for its newest addition.

The Hokies’ 22nd commitment from the Class of 2012 – not counting UGA transfer Brent Benedict, a touted offensive lineman – is offensive tackle Augie Conte from outside Richmond. Conte picking Tech over Virginia can be considered a coup of sorts for the Hokies.

Conte’s father grew up in Charlottesville, where his grandparents still live, and his mother went to U.Va. Logically, Conte said he grew up a Cavaliers fan. But despite prototypical size and strength as a rising high school senior – 6-foot-6, 270 pounds with a lean, muscular build, a 360-pound bench press and 440-pound squat – Conte hadn’t drawn heavy recruiting interest until the last few weeks.

Home-schooled through the 10th grade and attending a small private school last year, Conte was the definition of an under-the-radar prospect. “Coming from the whole home-school thing ... there wasn’t a lot of exposure. The first time I ever talked to a college recruiter was this spring.”

If anyone might’ve had the jump on him, it was Virginia. Despite Conte visiting U.Va. multiple times and attending a camp there earlier this summer, the Cavaliers did not initially offer him a scholarship. Old Dominion was his only offer until Conte attended a one-day camp at Tech on July 9 and wowed the coaches with his physique and performance in drills.

The Hokies offered him a scholarship three days later. Four hours after Tech’s offer, U.Va. finally pulled the trigger, too. That the Cavaliers waited until their rivals made a move to show serious interest didn’t help their cause.

“I can pretty much guarantee that if they’d offered before I went to the Virginia Tech camp, I would’ve accepted,” Conte said. “But at Tech’s camp, I loved the way the coaches were, the way they interacted with the players. I just really liked the coaching staff, the campus, how the players I met were all really good guys.

“I felt like I was at home at Virginia Tech.”

So the Hokies now have 13 in-state commitments in this class, eight of whom also had offers from U.Va. With today’s other big announcement, that Bayside High (Va. Beach) wide receiver Anthony Cooper has chosen the Cavaliers, U.Va. now has 10 in-state pledges. Three of those had Tech offers. (Despite Cooper telling colleague Larry Rubama that the Hokies offered him, he was not on their target board. That’s likely more a case of realism from Tech, which hasn’t had any luck landing top players from Bayside in recent years for some reason.)

The Hokies could get another “sleeper” offensive line prospect by the weekend, as Fredericksburg tackle Adam Taraschke is expected to visit Tech on Friday. Taraschke is 6-foot-6, 260 pounds and has offers from Old Dominion and Ohio. Like Conte, the Hokies offered Taraschke a scholarship after evaluating him at their one-day camp earlier this month. Offensive line was a major position of need in this class and if Taraschke picks Tech (as expected), the Hokies will have landed four linemen who’ll be eligible to play in 2012 (counting the transfer, Benedict).

Until then, Tech can celebrate overcoming several key factors in a battle with U.Va. for Conte (although one of his grandfathers did attend Virginia Tech). A lot of the credit goes to new assistant coach Shane Beamer, who has now landed six players since his hiring in February. All four of his in-state pledges also had offers from the Cavaliers.

“I really liked the way they treated me,” Conte said. “They offered me, then kind of stepped back and gave me the space and time to make a decision. They weren’t real pushy and forceful in trying to make me decide.”

So now the only remaining question for Conte is what to do with his lifelong affection for the team that will soon be his bitter rival?

“When I was making my decision, it wasn’t that hard to separate what was best for me and what I felt as a fan,” he said. “I’ll always root for U.Va. as long as they’re not playing Tech.”

Almost completely unknown until two weeks ago, Conte is not on any recruiting ranking lists. Even so, his pledge (and Cooper’s to U.Va.) make for a good time to examine the in-state recruiting scorecard. Between them, the Hokies and Cavaliers have already secured commitments from 23 players in the state – with several more big fish still on the hook.

Rivals.com this week rolled out its official state recruiting rankings for Virginia. So far so good for the Hokies (and Cavaliers, really). With more than six months until signing day, Tech has already landed commitments from 11 of Rivals’ top 30 players in the state of Virginia, including three of the top 10 and eight of the top 20.

From the list, the Hokies have pledges from No. 5 Deon Clark (LB), No. 9 J.C. Coleman (RB), No. 10 Devin Vandyke (LB), No. 13 Der’Woun Greene (DB), No. 15 Dakota Jackson (TE), No. 16 Mario Nixon (WR), No. 17 Nigel Williams (DT), No. 19 Desmond Frye (DB), No. 21 Brenden Motley (QB), No. 23 Alston Smith (DT) and No. 29 Seth Dooley (DE).

Consider also that Tech is among the leaders for No. 1 Joel Caleb (WR), No. 6 Ken Ekanem (DE), No. 7 Trey Edmunds (LB) and No. 8 Korren Kirven (DT). The Hokies are widely regarded as the clear frontrunner for Caleb and Kirven and are in nearly as good shape for Edmunds.

So if Tech closed strong, it could end up with six (or maybe seven if it sways Ekanem) of the top 10 and half of Rivals’ top 30 prospects in the state. That would be a nice haul, especially when added to a nice out-of-state class that could get even nicer by next February.

The Hokies already have commitments from seven players who are ranked in their state by Rivals (not counting LB Jawand Blue and CB Donaldven Manning from Florida, which hasn’t been ranked yet). Those players are: DE Jarontay Jones (No. 13 in GA), S Donovan Riley (No. 18 in MD), DL Woody Baron (No. 18 in TN), LB Dahman McKinnon (No. 21 in NC), WR Mark Irick (No. 23 in SC), CB Davion Tookes (No. 30 in GA) and OL Jack Willenbrock (No. 31 in PA).

So far, 15 of the Hokies’ 21 commitments from the Class of 2012 are ranked among the top 25 players in their home state. That doesn’t include Benedict, the UGA transfer who was rated the No. 11 player in Florida and No. 12 offensive tackle in the country in the Class of 2010.

Tech also remains in contention for several highly recruited out-of-state prospects like WR Stefon Diggs (No. 1 player in MD), CB Kenneth Crawley (No. 2 in Washington, D.C.), WR Eugene Lewis (No. 4 in PA), RB Drew Harris (No. 11 in PA) and RB Chris Mangus (No. 18 in NC).

While the Hokies are doing a nice job snatching some quality talent from out of state,  it looks like Tech and U.Va. are going to do a nice job securing Virginia’s borders this recruiting cycle. Based on Rivals’ rankings, the Cavaliers have commitments from the No. 4, 12, 14, 18, 20 and 24 players in the state. They’re also considered a favorite to land No. 2 Eli Harold (DE).

Barring a few bitter disappointments for both schools, Tech and U.Va. could easily combine to sign 21 or 22 of the top 30 players in Virginia, including 8 or 9 of the top 10. That’s a far cry better than the Mass Exodus of 2006, when 9 of the top 10 players in Virginia – and 13 of the top 15, led by top-rated Percy Harvin – left the state to play college ball. It also goes to show that competition is good for everybody.

Under Mike London, U.Va. stepped up its in-state recruiting game last year and has kept the heat on this year. Hokies coach Frank Beamer took notice, answered swiftly and strongly. And now, as the in-state tug-of-war for talent rages, most of the state’s top prospects appear poised to stay home.   * For instant updates on the Hokies, follow me at twitter.com/kyletuckerVP

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VT Football: No Willie Lyles in the Hokies' closet ...

*** UPDATE: Since last week's original blog posting below (which covered 2009-10), Virginia Tech has responded with records for what it spent on high school scouting services in 2010-11. The Hokies spent more (up from $895 in 2009-10 to $3,320.81 this past year) but still not nearly an eyebrow-raising amount. Here’s a look at the services Tech paid for in 2010-11:

* Collegiate Sports Data ($2,095), based in Nashville, has been around since 1990 and surveys every high school and junior college team in the country, compiling profiles of players from coast to coast, and providing them in both a printed book and digital copy.

* Metro Index Football Scouting ($695), based out of Pittsburgh, has been around since 1976 and supplies names of football and basketball prospects to colleges. Founder Joe Butler and a small staff attend high school games, host camps and watch piles video on players in the region to provide assessments.

* Clell Wade Coaches Directory ($130.81), based out of Cassville, Mo., started as the Missouri Coaches Directory in 1960. The company, founded by former football coach Clell Wade, now publishes hardy copy and online directories of high school coaches and administrators in every state.

* Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Service ($400) – see the previous entry below. Now here’s what I wrote last week, in case you missed it ...

*******

 

Good news, Virginia Tech fans. The Hokies don’t appear to have a Willie Lyles-type scandal on their hands. Not even close, in fact.

By now, most of the country knows Lyles as the guy who ran a bogus “recruiting service" and received $25,000 from Oregon – not to provide the Ducks legitimate scouting of high school players but to influence the college decisions of high-profile recruits who trusted him. That scandal has raised all kinds of red flags and questions about whether this kind of charade is widespread in college football.

As part of a bigger project, The Virginian-Pilot is seeking records from state and local colleges about what scouting services they use and how much each program pays for them. Virginia Tech was the first to respond, providing invoices for the two services they use. Those documents tell us two things: 1) The Hokies are probably not funneling bucks to bogus scouts to deliver top players (and if they are, they are getting a GREAT discount). 2) Coach Frank Beamer and his staff clearly trust their own evaluation skills much more than any outside service (which is wise).

So what did the Hokies spend on scouting services for the Class of 2011 recruiting cycle? A whopping $895. Looks like Tech prefers a few basic materials, which probably provide a few leads in areas outside its immediate recruiting territory, and isn’t interested in breaking the bank to let others say who can play.

According to the invoices, Hokies director of football operations John Ballein signed off on the $495 purchase of Tom Lemming’s Prep Football Report and $400 for the Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Service based in Silver Spring, Md.

Lemming is a veteran of the scouting business and one of the most respected names in that field. In other words, he is legit. Tech’s records include a product description for Lemming’s service: 10 copies each of three magazine issues (in August, January and March) and five newsletters. The Mid-Atlantic service’s product description is simply a “guide,” which is probably some sort of fat binder full of bios on prospects in the region.

The important thing to note here is that those prices and product descriptions seem reasonable, logical – as opposed to Oregon paying $25,000 for a list of recruits who’d already signed with colleges a year earlier (one of whom was already deceased). No such scandal for the Hokies, it appears. I don’t know that anyone has ever accused Beamer of cheating, nor has he given anyone a reason to suspect it, but I figured Tech fans would like to see what the school’s financial records say on the subject. Everything appears to be in order.

* For instant updates on the Hokies, follow me at twitter.com/kyletuckerVP

COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
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