Don’t look now, but spring football practices get underway on Wednesday for Virginia Tech and head coach Brent Pry. This is a huge spring for the fourth-year head coach and his new staff, which underwent significant change this off-season.
With new offensive and defensive coordinators and a new offensive line coach, this is a big couple of weeks for everyone from the coaches to the players ahead of the Spring Game on April 12. Here are three questions facing the Hokies in spring practices.
How quickly can the offensive line come together?
The last two seasons, the Hokies offensive line has been, well, not good. Between the lack of eligibility remaining and the transfer portal defections, the line is going to look brand new this season. Braelin Moore leaving through the portal is a big loss among some of the players lost from last fall’s roster.
Gone is offensive line Ron Crook who was replaced by Matt Moore and the former West Virginia coach has his work cut out for him. He got some of his players from West Virginia to follow him to Blacksburg and that is a good start along with some promising young players. This position area is one that a lot of eyes are going to be on in the next couple of weeks.
How do things go at the QB position?
For now, both Kyron Drones and Pop Watson are back, but with the spring portal to open next month, can the Hokies retain both of them? Last year Dylan Wittke left after the spring game in the portal, but hopefully that doesn’t happen again this season. New OC Philip Montgomery has an opportunity to unleash Drones this spring heading into the summer and fall.
Watson played well in relief of Drones and Collin Schlee at the end of the season and opened a lot of eyes. Also returning is Davi Belfort, while incoming freshmen Kelden Ryan and A.J. Brand come in with some hype. There seems to be some depth here and how things play out will be interesting.
Which younger players or transfers will make a name for themselves on either side of the ball?
Opportunity is knocking on both sides of the ball for everyone. Unlike last season, there are some positions up for grabs, and some of the younger players and transfer portal pickups have a chance to lock some of them up.
Running back is one position that will have some opportunity for playing time along with the wide receiver room with major losses at both positions. Replacing Bhayshul Tuten is not going to be done by one person and some of the younger wide receivers need to step up after losing four key ones.
Defensively, the secondary is going to have a new look between younger players and transfers while the defensive line is also going to go through some big changes. The linebacker position brings back some key contributors in Caleb Woodson and Jaden Keller. Opportunity is knocking for a lot of players this spring looking ahead to the fall.