BLACKSBURG, Va –– The 2018 season for Virginia Tech was certainly one the program wishes to quickly forget.
The Hokies started off strong in a season-opening victory in Tallahassee over the Florida State Seminoles and defeated archrival Virginia in overtime to extend their winning streak over the Cavaliers to 15 straight seasons. However, the team endured the lows of losing starting quarterback Josh Jackson to a leg injury and enduring a humiliating loss on the road to Old Dominion and struggling over the last month of the season to earn bowl eligibility.
The Hokies experienced unprecedented levels of attrition, especially on the defensive side of the ball, with multiple contributors leaving the program. Tremaine & Terrell Edmunds, along with Tim Settle, declared for the NFL Draft. Adonis Alexander and Mook Reynolds were dismissed from the program before the season started and Trevon Hill was dismissed from the program in late September.
Additionally, co-Defensive Coordinator Galen Scott resigned during the summer months.
By the time the season started, the program had lost six starters on defense due to early declaration for the draft, graduation, or dismissal. Not to mention the team battled a litany of injuries throughout the season. For an already young and inexperienced team, the attrition presented more obstacles than could be overcome.
To say the fledgling Hokies experienced a lot of change in a short period of time would be a great understatement. However, they are undoubtedly eager to get on the field again and prove that the despair of the 2018 season was merely an outlier.
The team will have plenty of opportunities to show how much they have improved, as their 2019 schedule is statistically the weakest in all of FBS “Power Five” conference football.
Quarterback Ryan Willis is the likely choice to lead an offense loaded with firepower and weaponry on the perimeter. Willis, along with dynamic receivers Damon Hazelton and sophomore sensation Tré Turner, will look to score points in bunches through the passing game while less-proven running back corps gets acclimated.
Deshawn McClease, who was a brief entrant in the transfer portal over the offseason, is currently (lightly) penciled in at starting running back. There are numerous candidates for significant touches throughout the season. Chief among them is Jalen Holston, who could see reps with the first-team offense in fall camp. Terius Wheatley, Caleb Steward, and Keshawn King all will likely contribute this season.
The receiving corps is one of the strongest position groups the program has to offer. The aforementioned Hazelton and Turner will lead a group loaded with young and dynamic talent. Phil Patterson, Hezekiah Grimsley, and DeJuan Ellis return as freshmen Elijah Bowick, Jaden Payoute, Jacoby Pinckney, and Tayvion Robinson join the squad. Dalton Keene, James Mitchell, and Drake DeIuliis all will be eager to add a new dynamic to the passing game from the tight end position. There should be no shortage of pass-catching talent this season.
For the first time in recent memory, the offensive line will be a noted strength of the team. Offensive line coach Vance Vice and the rest of the coaching staff has recruited the unit as well as any other group on the team. Vice will utilize various combinations of players at tackle, guard, and center throughout the season and will rely on the hot-hand. The unit is full of young, yet experienced, talent and should provide solid depth and play throughout the season.
As for the defensive side of the ball, the line-backing corps is young and yet, perhaps, as strong as it has ever been. Sophomore Dax Hollifield leads a group featuring Rayshard Ashby, Dylan Rivers, and Keshon Artis. Hollifield’s tenacity and passion for the game will be crucial for the entire defense and others will feed off the energy he brings.
The lack of depth at defensive line was problematic late last season. Ricky Walker graduated and Houshun Gaines was not listed in the 2019 media guide roster. Emmanuel Belmar, Zion Debose, TyJuan Garbutt, and Nathan Proctor will see reps at defensive end while Jarrod Hewitt returns to lead the interior defensive line. Rob Porcher returns to the program while JUCO transfers DaShawn Crawford and Jaden Cunningham will look to make an immediate impact. The defensive line is, once again, thin on top-end talent, but the long-term depth of the position looks better than it did one year ago. However, it will need to be a focus for the staff’s recruiting efforts going forward.
The secondary, in particular at cornerback, was an especially troubling position group last season after the departure of Adonis Alexander and Mook Reynolds. Caleb Farley turned in a promising performance in the season opener against Florida State but struggled throughout the remainder of the season. Bryce Watts, who saw playing time despite enduring challenges of his own, transferred to North Carolina during the offseason. Jeremy Webb, who has suffered two torn Achilles tendons since joining the program, was recently cleared for activity. The Hokies should not bank on Webb being a 12 game contributor this season, but the fact that he was able to be cleared so quickly after a second devastating injury speaks to Webb’s character and his resilience. Along with Farley and Webb, senior Jovonn Quillen should contribute to a unit that still has questions entering the season.
Whip and safety should be the stronger group in the Virginia Tech secondary. Essentially “whip” is an outside backer that usually lines up on the wider side of the field that works in both pass and run coverage. Veterans Divine Deablo, Reggie Floyd, Khalil Ladler lead an experienced group of safeties and whips while starting at free safety, rover, and whip, respectively. Chamarri Connor, Devon Hunter, and Tyree Rodgers will figure into that unit at times during the season, as well.
The special teams will be lead by Brian Johnson at placekicker and Oscar Bradburn at punter. Oscar Shadley will be the long snapper.
The 2019 offense for the Hokies should be a strong unit capable of putting up points in bunches. The entire unit alone will, ideally, be worth the price of admission into Lane Stadium this fall. The defense presents more questions, however, they should easily be able to improve on a tumultuous 2018 season. If defensive improvement eludes the Hokies, more and more questions will arise about those around the team and their future with the program. The schedule is, relatively, weak and an appearance in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte is not out of the question at this juncture.
2019 Virginia Tech Football Schedule
8/31 – @ Boston College
9/7 – Old Dominion
9/14 – Furman
9/27 (Friday) – Duke
10/5 – @ Miami (FL)
10/12 – Rhode Island
10/19 – North Carolina
11/2 – @ Notre Dame
11/9 – Wake Forest
11/16 – @ Georgia Tech
11/23 – Pittsburgh
11/29 – @ Virginia
