Virginia Tech coach gives promising cornerback update from camp

The dog days of camp are here for Virginia Tech and they are just 14 days away from their season opener at home against Old Dominion at Lane Stadium on Sept. 2.

There are a lot of questions facing Brent Pry’s crew coming off of a disappointing 2022 with a 3-8 record. On the defensive side of the ball, gone is top linebacker Dax Hollifield, but the Hokies have some players that are more than capable of stepping in and carrying the load. One position where they are young is at cornerback and coach Derek Jones, who coaches the cornerbacks, gave a positive update following a recent practice.

“Well, I think the top three that I have: Dorian Strong, Mansoor Delane and Derrick Canteen, have all made significant improvements since the spring. They’re doing a really good job of showing the young guys, what it takes to excel at this thing. Whether they’re getting beat or winning, you know, moving on to the next play mentality. Cornerback is such a mental position and I think each one of those guys right now at this point of camp, are guys that I can point to rather we’re in the film room or out here on the practice field and say that’s what I expect.”

Virginia Tech will rely heavily on their three leaders at cornerback

Jones went on to say that after Strong, Delane, and Canteen, his No. 4, 5, and 6 guys are true freshmen who are more than likely going to see some time in 2023. They are going to be tested early with their four non-conference games, but they will need some help from the new-look linebacker core.

They will face some prolific offenses in 2023 and their three cornerbacks with experience will be looked upon by Pry, who is a defensive-minded coach, after losing Chamarii Conner to the NFL, while Nasi Peoples, who returns for a sixth season of eligibility, is going to be another key piece on that side of the ball.

The comments from Jones are a promising sign heading toward the season-opener and if the Hokies are going to get back to a Bowl game, the secondary will have to improve early in the season against some pass-heavy offenses.